How do you progress in your career when you have children in first school?

[Adele05]

Does anyone have any success stories?? I’m beyond bored and frustrated with my current job and desperate for a promotion or development opportunity! I’m always asking to be considered for project work, when my supervisor goes on leave he appoints me his deputy as I’m the most competent member of the team. I know I have the skill set required for a more complex role, it’s just how do you even get considered for one when you have to consider school drop offs etc?
Although my employer would claim not to discriminate, realistically they’re not going to consider me for a more important role if I can’t commit to full time hours! I already work between 30-35 hours a week but not sure how I’d commit to the whole 37 as my son has SEN and wouldn’t cope with wrap around care / after school club!
On top of being desperate for some development, I could also do with a higher income as money is tight at the moment so waiting a few years isn’t really on the agenda for me. I’m looking at doing some distance learning courses etc too but again it’s the money and time involved!! Frustrating.

Anyone have a success story?? Or some advice??

All the parents I know who succeed in professional roles have childminders or aupairs to do the school runs and pick ups.

These minders arrive at 7.30-8/30am or so and collect the children, take them to school and then pick them up and take them home to their homes after school....then the parent collects them after work.

Aupairs are different as they live with you and that doesn't suit everyone.

It can’t be done without heavy support!

You don't. Even with childcare/support you just don't.

Are you single OP? The only way I manage working ft is because DH does drops offs so I get in early, then we have breakfast club and after school club and I pick up as soon as I can eg4pm but without DH and after school club it would be impossible. As it is I've taken a step back as I can't do the 50 hours required to really show keenness and get ahead. I'm hoping when DC are a bit older I can ramp it up a bit again but I may be considered past it by then.

I’ve progressed since having children and I work 28 hours. When something comes up I want I’ve put myself forward and given my argument for why and how it would work being part time. If you’re doing 30-35 hours you’re full time anyway, surely. My kids do breakfast and after school club 3 days a week, my colleague works 5 short days so does drop offs and pick ups for her kids.

Offer flexibility (do some work from home, shorter lunch breaks, compressed hours so you do 4 long days to cover the hours)

Trial period of a job being done on slightly fewer hours, let them see if it works

Essentially though you’ve just got to highlight why they’d be better having you part time than someone else full time.

I don't work full time and we dont use wrap around care and I've been head hunted and promoted twice in the past two years with a child in primary school. I do have a husband who is self employed so he does drop offs and I do pick ups. It takes a lot of flexibility and willingness and juggle (and couldn't be done if both parents worked for a traditional employer imo) and means no two days are the same for me (location either as I travel in the UK between multiple offices) and my set times of work are very flexible with early starts or some long days when I can! I am lucky I have a very flexible employer (a big corporate) who trust me and recognise that 9-5pm is not the way a business has to be.

I too start early- when i leave the dc are mostly still in bed- DH does the mornings. You need a flexible employer and I do use after school clubs twice a week - i work about 4 hours a week from home spread across the week so have to be strict with the dc when i need to get stuff done.
It can be done but imo but one person can do both ends of the school day and you need some long days.

Although my employer would claim not to discriminate, realistically they’re not going to consider me for a more important role if I can’t commit to full time hours

This sounds pretty presumptive, like you haven’t tried for promotion, you’re just assuming you won’t get it. Give it a go with your current employer, every time something comes up put yourself forward. Work places aren’t like they’ve always been, there’s a lot more flexibility in a lot of industries. If that fails, look elsewhere - most full time positions are advertised 35 hours, so if you were offered something you then negotiate down to 32 or whatever you’d be happy with.

You may need to move bosses/employers.

Or (unless you’re single) increase working hours and your DP/H do more parenting and domestic work. (I did this).

I've always been a sole parent, first six years overseas so no family around. Nursery from 8am to 6pm from four months and wraparound care in the UK. It was tough, much tougher in the UK.

I work in the public sector and the way budgets work would mean they need one full time working person in each role (37 hours) or two part time people. Realistically no one would do a role for 7 hours a week to ‘backfill’ the hours I’m not doing.

I do have a partner but he works away for several months at a time during the week and returns on the weekend. My parents are still both working full time so can’t really rely on them. I have considered using a childminder for wrap around care but no one seems willing or able to do it in my area!!
It is really difficult to even know where to start. My partner and I have discussed him taking a step back at work so I can progress but I know he wouldn’t cope doing his role without the opportunities he has when he works away so not sure where to go from here.

Thank you all for your advice

IME it is very difficult. Without flexible hours, a short commute, a partner and / or family members that can do huge amounts of childcare if is almost impossible. I gave up trying a long time ago.

When I was newly back in the UK and DD was six, I spoke to the headmistress of DD's school, explained that I was a sole parent commuting to London who'd be very grateful and willing to pay a parent who lived nearby to collect DD in the mornings at 7ish. It turned out that someone who lived close-ish was very happy to do this - I think I paid her £50 a week, which suited us both. On rare occasions I dropped DD with another parent's nanny on the way to the station.

Holidays were very difficult - DD had nine weeks in summer, of which I generally took one or two and relied on holiday camps for the other weeks, and family members if they offered - I started a summer holiday spreadsheet every January and whipped it out as soon as the words "we'd love to have small lobster during the summer" were uttered.

As for me, I hadn't got any working experience at the time when my maternity leave was over. The fact that I became a mother early enough, so, the situation got complicated. I was ready to ask for an expert's help to make a good CV. But what about Cover Letter? If you have got the same problem, this link may be useful for you: www.getcoverletter.com/cover-letter-examples/internship/
Here you can make a Cover Letter online, just after choosing your own advantages!

Theres no breakfast/afterschool club or childminders in your area? That's quite unusual.

What do you do in school holidays?

My career actually took off after I became a single parent. I moved to a place that had more flexible working available.

I was able to make up some hours by logging on, on an evening and working one day per week from home. Everything else about the employee was shit. So I left. I now work for someone paying a lot more, but less flexibility. I use wrap around care.

I live with dp now as well. But ds school is quite far away and dp doesnt drive. So I do school drop offs and pick ups. It's not cheap buy its helped my career no end.