To work full time

[Soccermom2020]

So I currently work part-time as a secretary for a small firm.
It's OK not overly happy there employees not treated great but great flexibility as I'm a SM with 3 DC.
So it's busy busy busy between, school and creche drop offs, meal planning driving them to activities and sports etc.
To be clear their dad doesn't help out at all my family help a bit and live closeby oldest child is 15.
I have been looking for another job there have a lot advertised but a lot are full time.
Not sure what to do friends have advised go for it get a more permanent job with pension etc others say no go for partime again.
Any suggestions? DC are 15, 13 and 5.

I had wanted to wait til youngest was older.
Not so sure now.

What are the reasons for you wanting to move jobs? Don’t you have a pension with your role?

Realistically, would full time work for your family? Your youngest is still very young and if you have a flexible and part time role and can make things meet I’m not sure I’d give this up yet.

Full time proper job. Always.

Can you fund a household of four on a single PT wage?

how many hours do you work?
i thought it was the law for the company to pay your pension now

with a 5 year old i would stick with the flexibility

What are your childcare arrangements for the five year old? If the cost of childcare, is breakeven compared to fulltime, do it. The pension benefits are worth it and you will be better placed for promotion in 3 to 5 years. Also when I had dc of 5 and 8, I have never been more exhausted than when part-time working, tearing home and ferrying to clubs and teas, cooking tea, etc. When I went back f/t it was so much easier.

Definitely full time. Think about when they get older, they will always need help. The more you can pay into your pension, the more you can increase your salary, the more opportunities you will have. Especially as it’s just you, once they get to 18 you won’t get child support (not sure of you’re getting it now as their father sounds like a right piece of work), how are you going to afford the house, potentially university for the children etc?

Having more money will enable you to do things like have a holiday and spend quality (relaxing) time with the children, rather than the few hours you get part time when you’re trying to do a hundred things and stressed.

I could have written this!

do it, get the pension. Get a cleaner, find something with some flexibility or the ability to work at home if the kids are poorly.

It’s worth it - I also do it alone, mine are 14, 12 and 5.

just work on a career and see if it’s good for you, it’s the hardest thing you’ll do but I promise it’s worth it.

don’t forget universal credit help with childcare, if your wage is below a certain amount. As a single income it has to be pretty high to not get anything.

good luck!

Have you looked into working in a school
office? I was a PA for years in the city and when I had my first DD I took a job as a PA in a local school. It’s busy but I love it and works really well around my children.

@Heyhoherewego2 thank you I really appreciate your response it means a lot I had the interview today.
It was tough now will know early next week if I was successful or not. But I think I'm ready to take on the challenge of working FT and working on my career.
Especially as I'm SP and will Need the bigger income for my kids we don't have universal credit here in Ireland but I get other supports towards childcare etc.

Have you tried contacting the jobs you like to see if they would consider a part time candidate. My current and previous jobs were Both advertised as full time, and I was hired on a part time basis at my request.

How many hours do you work? Lots of jobs are more flexible these days so you can get something in between. I used to work 30 hours over 4 days as I had parents to do after school care and the day off gave me time to “run the house” and pick them up from school once a week. A friend who was single mum to 3 similar age to you, did 30 hours over 5 days so she dropped them off in breakfast club worked 8.30-2.30 (no need for break if 6 hours) and picked them up from school every day. I would look for these sort of hours if I was you.

I never want to be full time again if I can help it.....life is too short to give it all up to an employer.

I'd look for a full time job with flexibility - either to work flexible hours or to work from home some of the time.

Find reliable childcare for your 5 year old (depending on how much you earn, you may be able to get help with costs).

Encourage the teens to be independent where they can. Do they really need driving to lots of activities or can they get to some of them themselves, or by lift sharing with another parent?

Where I work there is a lot of problems with with the boss.
We don't have a contract either so no real security there.
That's why I'm looking for something else I have been looking at PT And FT . I feel FT would be better financially for my family and with a pension long term.

I’ve worked FT since my youngest was 20 months, in an ideal world I’d have waited until he was 5 but it was hard to find related roles part time back then. I have no regrets now though.

Not sure if this has been mentioned but pension considerations would make me want to go full time. I think 5 is the perfect age.