weighing up return to work

[meimango]

I'm halfway through my mat leave now. Dh and i had a conversation last night which raised the possibility of not returning to pt work. I'm not creatively challenged in this job, tho it's easy and pleasant enough - the pay isn't great by any means - would only just cover childcare and transport really. So dh threw the non returning bit into the ring.

Anyhow, wondering about legal requirements how long do i have before i would have to let employers know that I wouldn't be returning, if that's the route i choose? Are there any other things that i should be taking into account?

I don't know that i'm suited to being at home full time as it is (my brain feels mushy and i've lost confidence), and i would miss the sense that i am directly contributing to the household finances at least in a small way. But the thought of someone who wasn't passionate about ds looking after him isn't a thrilling prospect either. We'd have to tighten our belts, but we could cope financially.

Any thoughts? I'm sure this post must come up a bit so I'll look through past ones also...

Why don't you think about working part time, poss 2 dyas a week then your brain won't turn to mush!

Thanks for response MamaG. It is part time work that I'd be returning to - each week day for around 4 hours. Tho, it may be worth seeing if i can change the post to 2-3 full days, as when travel is factored into it, it feels like a whole day anyway.

Any idea about required notice time?

If you do decide not to return to work, you have to give your normal notice period. If you do stay at home full time then there are plenty of things you can do to stop the mushy brain and regain confidence. Do you have friends with children? Do you go to groups at all? Having a good network in place can help.

Would you consider getting another job, doing a course perhaps instead?

By normal notice period I mean whatever is detailed in your contract.

Thanks ShowOfHands. Means i have a couple of months to decide. That should give me enough time to draw up more pros and con lists etc... It would be a life saver to build up a network of friends with children either way... good advice as i've been putting off going to groups for a while now.

I work part-time three full days a week and am really enjoying it. But I do feel guilty about leaving little one in nursery.
I did the whole baby groups thing when I was on mat leave. However I found the endless talking about the contents of babies' nappies and the amount of bottles they had each day quite tedious. I eventually needed something else.
BUT THAT'S ME: EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT.