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I want to work but my dd said it’s not worth

68 replies

sk3270 · 24/06/2019 10:53

Hi all,

I am recently on an accounting course and got all distinctions. I have found myself that I love it. So I felt now I should look for a job.

When I have realised that normal working hours for any accounting role is 9-5 and I could get between 16- 20k a year(full time), monthly £1,333-£1,666 (weekely £333.25-£416.50 before tax).

But then again, I will have to put my son for breakfast club and after school club costing £17.60 per day equivalent £352 per month (£88 per week) during the term time. Alright. I will have to sacrifice. However, during school holidays, average childminder offered £10-£12 an hour, will cost £90-£108 a day(9 hours a day include take and pick up), will end up paying £450-£540 per WEEK. This is way more than I could possibly earn.

I asked my husband what he thinks and he said “it’s not worth, why don’t you get a job at a restaurant or a shop at the weekend? and I don’t want anyone looks after our son. I will look after our son while you work”. I slammed “you’d better earn enough then!” with anger. I have no family here. My in-laws won’t help us with a full commitment. I am more than sad, cried so much that night I spoke with him that I have to give up my opportunities. I have paid course fees and willing to study further for NOT WORTH?(not cheap either).

Should I get a job that I don’t want?
Should I change my career to a teaching assistant which I can work during the term time only? (This is not what I want to do either)

How are you guys manage working and childcare cost?

OP posts:
Lwmommy · 24/06/2019 18:48

You also need to calculate the yearly cost not weekly.

Yes for a maximum of 13 weeks a year your childcare costs will be higher, but for the rest of the year you would bring home much more in wages than you spend in childcare. So you get a tax free childcare gov account, put in a set amount each month, that reduces your cost by 20% straight away and you use that money to pay throughout they year.

Other options would be to look for part time accountancy work, my MIL is a freelance account and gets jobs via an agency, she works as much as she needs, much of that from home and over evening and weekends.

MoreSlidingDoors · 24/06/2019 18:51

28 days is the legal minimum (including bank holidays) for someone working 5 days a week.

CassianAndor · 24/06/2019 18:53

Right, yes, but not helpful in discussing sorting out school childcare. Pointless, in fact.

Gatoadigrado · 24/06/2019 18:56

28 days legal minimum. You may not have total control over when you take it (though in accountancy I imagine perhaps more flexible than some jobs) but it certainly means you won’t be paying childcare for all the school hols.

I have yet to meet any working parents who between them have been forced to take all their annual leave during term time and have not managed to make any coincide with school hols

(On the other band I’ve come across several who’ve chosen to take term time leave and whipped their kids out of school because it’s cheaper....)

Spudina · 24/06/2019 19:07

I think that you have massively overestimated childcare costs. As others have written there are lots of ways round this. Starting at 9.30 so no breakfast club. My childminder is £10 for two hours in an evening. She can be £40 a day in the holidays but I have also found summer sports clubs for £7.50 a day. Also, you have massive earning potential, the opportunity to be self employed, really lots of options. I had an expensive period where 2 kids in nursery was £1500 a month, but it was a joint expense, and short lived. Please don't give up.

JoyceTempleSavage · 24/06/2019 19:14

Hi OP in the mid 90s I was single and pregnant and in the position of being better off not working financially due to benefits. However I was at the start of a career in finance similar to you.

In the end I returned to work because I worked out that with my pension and also life assurance benefits (not sure if these have been mentioned by PPs) I would be better off. It was really hard until DD went to school, 13 weeks maternity leave and no part time working in those days.

Many years later my career has progressed, I earn a good salary, have built up my pension and most importantly my job stimulates me and gives me self worth. My DD is now mid twenties and next year will earn more than me. You also have an opportunity to be a role model to your child.

Unless you literally can't afford to take a short term drop in income or are in a completely dead end job - I would go to work if at all possible.

See it as an investment in your future "you"!

Sandybval · 24/06/2019 19:17

The reason most people calculate the childcare coming out of the women's wage is because, unfortunately, as seen by many threads on here not everyone is treated as equals in a partnership financially. Often men will think it to be the women's expense, and therefore not her while working.

Gatoadigrado · 24/06/2019 19:19

Exactly! We had no more immediate ‘money in our pockets’ when we had 2 babies in nursery and one child with wraparound school care, than if I’d been at home all day. However, I’m so glad I kept on working... my pension would be shot to pieces if I hadn’t, quite aside from the fact that I probably wouldn’t have got the promotions I’ve had along the way. The longer you’re out of work, the harder it is to get back in, and a lot of women end up returning to work in low paid jobs way beneath their potential. It sounds like you have a real opportunity here: don’t let your dh talk you out of it. And that’s quite apart from all the other benefits of working ... social interactions, stretching yourself intellectually etc

trilbydoll · 24/06/2019 19:21

We're in the expensive south east and holiday club is only £25 a day. And if you share holidays between you, you won't need the full 13w covered.

Your in-laws won't do a regular commitment but will they do as hoc holiday cover?

Swaps with other school parents will also get you a few free days.

I think you will at least cover the childcare costs, if not earn a bit extra and in a few years you won't have the childcare costs to worry about.

TheRedBarrows · 24/06/2019 19:30

There are plenty of part time / flexi time accountancy / book keeping jobs.

Doing payroll , etc.

Having a job now is the first step to your next promotion. It is a pension contribution. Professional development.

Get a part time job now, and keep studying for higher qualifications.

YouJustDoYou · 24/06/2019 20:20

If you have one near you, Sainsbury's Acrive Kids do all day sports camp for only £7.50, AND this includes lunch.

YouJustDoYou · 24/06/2019 20:20

*Active

sk3270 · 24/06/2019 20:39

Thank you so much for everyone who has commented on my post. I nearly cried while reading you guys comments.

This should have been a separate post. In short, I have a bit more complicated issues. I have a lawsuit about to be going on with my kitchen designer and that will cost the hell.(I will have to prepare it solely my own of course with my solicitor)

I also have been thinking of divorce too as some of you mentioned about my DH.

My husband is English and I am from Asia. We met in London and moved to the Northeast and got married, bought a house, had a baby. I have been a breadwinner at the beginning of our relationship for about 2.5 years from my own savings worked very hard back in my country even though I have never had any jobs in the UK. That was fine as long as my DH supports the same way I did.

I had to pay everything for him(clothes, food, you name it) and do everything myself with my broken English(oh lord, my English was so terrible that I could not understand a word especially on the phone never mind that north east accent) ; visa application, buying a house, buying a car for taking my child to Nursery at freezing winter. Whatever has been my sole business and responsibility include visa and childcare.

When he finally got a job as an agent labour in a construction site and got paid the first wage, he gave me everything he earned, before second pay, he told me that “non of my friends gives all the money to wife. I want to have my own money” so I said “ok, it’s your money. you need some for yourself too” since then he has given me probably 2/3 of his income. That’s it. no other joint responsibilities exist in our relationship. I cannot disagree that he is working so hard days at work and two nights per week for his loving club and weekends to improve our house though. When I tell him that I need to go over to my rental house for a viewing at the weekend, he would immediately react “arr.(sign) again, why should WE have to sacrifice?”

When I first applied my visa, he was out of work so I had to be my own feet. When I extended my visa, he also out of work(quit even though I told him it’s not a good idea to quit before my visa extension as I desperately wished him to be my financial supporter as my husband).

Now I have to apply for my resident visa but he has no interest at all.( he probably thinks “that’s your business).

I don’t know how many people out there think what’s man’s job and what’s woman’s job to keep happy family. So many things to say but rather say shortly. I have been feeling like I am a single mum with two kids( one is immature old boy) with a big mouth.

So, why I was very sad because he is back to an agent job after quit a luxurious job) so his income cannot cover our expenses on its own and he has no savings at all. I had money when I met him so it did’t really matter whether he has money or not and I am not a gold digger(a bit regret lol) because I loved him but I recently lost most of my savings and his support that I expected has been so lacked, emotionally and financially.

How he talks so so negative and unimaginable: such as half of what you have is mine, when our child turns 18, you will have to sell this house so I will have half(I learned the UK law from him, yes I get that), when I was pregnant he threatened me that he will ring the Home office then you will have to go back to your country in two months. I will not support for THAT child in your tummy, my child is English and won’t go anywhere, he will stay with me. You have leave my country, all sorts whenever I mentioned about divorce and that time I already bought a house for us and was pregnant and felt really trapped.

Anyhow, he has been a good father, I have no doubt but I don’t love him anymore so I need to be independent but yes, I was coward to worry about only today, not future.

I won’t quit and I will survive.

Thank you so so much for all of your support.

OP posts:
CassianAndor · 24/06/2019 21:52

He is not a good father. Please get that thought out of your head.

No good father would ever speak about the mother of his child like that, threaten her with deportation. He is utterly vile.

You will survive, you’ve got a good qualification and can go far with it.

rumpusboo · 13/07/2019 19:02

Just wondering how the OP is doing as it's been a while since she posted. Perhaps this should be moved to the relationships board?

Love786 · 13/07/2019 20:44

Hi guys, every time i post something it says please log in - any advice?

Love786 · 13/07/2019 20:44

Test

Love786 · 13/07/2019 20:48

Please can someone create a thread for me in this subsection of back to work called "Advice from full time working parent families"

I cannot seem to create threads it just logs me out and asks me to log in again Angry

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