what jobs do you all do?

[micegg]

I am being a little nosey but wanted to know what jobs you do and how they do or sont fit in with childcare, etc. For any of you have had an extended period at home as a SAHM/SAHD did you go back into your old area of work? I am weighing up whether to take 4 years off to look after the DCS seeing as I will be taking home £109 after childcare and thats before travel costs if I return next year. Thinking of a career change but not sure thats viable if I wish to work Part time.

The thing that i find difficult with being a SAHM is seing loads of jobs being advertised, but not having the time/willing to give all my wages to a childminder.
I'd have to be dragged screaming to my previous type of work as it was in call center hell with a 2hr commute each way, so sometimes 4hrs + each day on trains and in the car.
I'm training to become a childminder myself and should be registered by this autumn (fingers crossed), at least that way i don't have any conflict with employers...i'm the boss!
Whilst my DD2 (aged 3yrs) is in playschool, i do odd jobs for people, polishing brass, bit of cleaning, gardening, errands.
At least i get some "pocket money" and don't have to give it to anyone else .
I did try to do evening and weekend work doing Homecare for the elderly, but i did find it upsetting, 6 people i got close to died in the 10 months i was doing it and also my DH did not like the way he hardly saw me for most of the week!
I think that unless you have a career as such, then going back to work after being a SAHM is the PERFECT time to try new lines of work.
Don't ever do call center work...you will turn into a battery hen

I keep hoping for some divine inspiration that results in some mega successful business! My current job has many good points but is not what I would describe as a career because there is no where to go TBH. Particularly since I want to remain PT.Just wish I could think of something else to do that would either not require childcare or would more than cover the costs. I love maths so was thinking of bookeeping but I suspect its a popular choice and not sure whether I would make a living from it.

I'm a self employed lighting technician,as I was for some years before boy came along.
I have a good working relationship with my customers and they now tend to only offer me things at weekends OR with plenty of notice.
I did no paid work for 11 months after DS1 arrived. Since then I have cherry picked and only do the work I want to do.
I'm working less than I used to but at the same rate as any other tech in the area and I do the hours I contract to do for each job.

I'm an Occupational Therapist returning to work on Tues for 3 days per week. I've had 6 months on mat leave and returning early as I'm a bit bored .

My DD will be in nursery 2 days per week (on site) and with DH 1 day per week. I'm entitled to childcare vouchers which reduce the cost slightly but have yet to see how my wages will look. I honestly thought I'd love being a SAHM but have come to realise that there's a part of me that is yearning to spend time back at work for all sorts of reasons.

I thought briefly about changing careers before I was pregnant as I had a run of crappy clients who were rude to me but I found that dropping from F/T to 4 days psychologically made a real difference. Then I got knocked up, and here I am!

I work as a teacher. I took eight years off and found it fairly easy to slot back in.

I have an aupair for childcare, and of course, have the school holidays. It's like having a double life - termtime and holidays.

I trained as a teacher after having my second, and gave up when I went on mat leave with my third.

I was in IT sales before DS (nearly 9 mo). I went back to work when he was 7 months but three days a week in a marketing role. I basically write marketing material in the office 2 days a week and at home for one.

I'm afraid that as soon as ds turned about 4 months it began to dawn on me that I didn't want to be a SAHM - not that I'm knocking it you understand (given some recent threads I thought I should state this). I just found it too repetitive. I felt desperately guilty (still do sometimes) but I need something for me.

TBH I was so amazed that I managed to negotiate such a quality part time job I'd have been mad not to take it.

I agree with wasabipeanut - although I suppose it's only in principle as I'm not back at work yet! DD has had 2 settling in sessions in nursery (last one tomorrow before starting next week), and I continually question whether this is the right thing for her.

I found that about 6 weeks ago (when I was doing a really l...o...n...g... dog walk) I got to thinking about work vs SAHM and I just felt like it wouldn't do me any favours to give up my career. If you take more than a year out in the NHS they make you pay for a course to return to work! TBH in our family it was never an option to be a F/T SAHM but I did think I'd want longer mat leave originally.

I hope that in the long run we'd be able to strike a good balance for DD between time spent with her parents and earning money to improve our quality of life. I also genuinely feel that she's going to get opportunities to do stuff in nursery that I wouldn't do with her at home. Again, I'm not knocking SAHMs but I don't think it would work for us. If I had to go back to work F/T then that'd be a whole other issue...!

i work for a local council - i'm doing a similar role to that which i did before six years as SAHM. They do have a flexible employment policy, and are happy to consider job-share, flexitime, termtime only and other flexible working options, depending upon the role you are in.

Used to be a sub editor, now a services co-ordiantor for a local charity (i work from 9-2.30 )
I am currently on what I used to earn 10 years ago

I'm a researcher now working 4 days per week with my DTS's in nursery. Luckily the nursery is run as a charity so it is cheaper than other places in our area, if not I would have to be SAHM but I dread to think how we would manage. This works for me at the moment although my previous job was for the same company it was a lot better pay but now I don't have the commute so +'s and -'s really.

Like some of the others I am not sure I could cope with being a SAHM with twins but I feel really guilty with them being looked after for so much of the week

i used to run a team creating multimedia/websites/exhibitions etc for pharmaceutical companies.

i am going back to college in September to study horticulture so i can work for myself when DS starts school the following Sept (im lone parent so need flexibility).

I do freelance PR from home three days a week. Pre-DS was a director of a London pr agency and went back to work for a year when DS was 6 months old, with slightly reduced hours. Realised that this was not the way to live and we relocated to the countryside. There are no PR agncies here so I didn't really have a choice other than to go freelance. It works really well most of the time with DS in nursery 3 days a week, but can be quite stressful working on your own. Not sure what I will do after next one is born in December, probably carry on but drop down to two days a week instead or something. The money is good as I can charge £250 day freelance rate.

I am a TA in a school , my boys go there also. A mixed blessing!

Admin, within the CJS. Similar roles to pre-children.

Have a great deal of flexibility as I have a boss who understands that family commitments are also important and I work in a 24/7 environment (not that I work 24/7 lol).

(The flexibility is a two-way thing.)

I work in Buying and Merchandising and work 3 days a week in the office and one day a week from home. This works really well for me but still have to spend the occasional week away so have to beg borrow and steal childcare at this time!!

I'm a HR Manager, working 4 days a week. Dd goes to nursery 2 days, and my mum has her the other 2.

Have had to take an interim role though as I can't find anything part time that is permanent!!!

My boss is great and I work 9.00am to 4.30pm.

Thanks everyone. Very interesting range of jobs out there. For some reason I have always found the idea of HR interesting. I have also considered retraining as a teacher but dont want to do it just because I thik it will fit in with the DCs. I think its one of those jobs you have got to want to do. I might look intobeing a TA. I have to say this is all a long way off as my yougest is only 8 weeks old! I am just in that familiar trap of having a job that took a long time to train for but since going part time I have been going no where. Now DS has come along its not going to be worth me returning to work for at least another 18 months after mat leave has finished as thats when DD starts school. Then of course we have the holidays to consider as well. Decisions decisions. I like most aspects of my job, it pays fairly well. has loads of holiday and is flexible in terms of taking days off at short notice but its an hour from home and I am nt sure I could stick it out whilst giving all my pay to nursery fo 18 months just so I have the same job at the end of it. I am sure something will come up though.

i work in accounts, long hrs. drop dd (9mnth) at childminders at 7 and pick her up at 7.

i'm a lone parent, just finished maternity leave, and feels guilty as hell. i tried p/t work, but ended up counting the hrs as was just filing paperwork and the pay was pretty shite. I lasted a week, decided to find a f/t job, really enjoying it except the hrs (8:30-6) but it pays well, and we really need the money.

fortunately total tax credits covers most of childcare (i pay £50 per month out of my salary)

i have the best childminder in the whole world. but she's not a substitute for a mother, the guilt eats away at me at night (i refuse to think about that during day time)

Aiden, just had to say I have nothing but admiration for lone parents, I have found going back to work difficult with my partner here, I couldn't imagine doing it alone. Respect to you for doing this and I hope you get plenty of support from your family and workplace.

thank you so much for that jojosmaman. to be honest it's tiring but i can' remember a time in my life when i've been this happy, so it's totally worth it, both baby and work.