How much is work worth?

[PhDMumof1]

I have been lurking in a thread on the media requests page on how hard it is to go back to work and look after a family. It has got quite heated, with discussions on tax credits etc. But I am dying to ask a question. I am going to try to go back to work in the next 6 months, having been out of the workforce for 3 yrs. In that time, I have had DS & am completing a PhD in an unrelated topic. Q is:

• What do you all think it is worth in £ to go back to work?
• If childcare and other expenses of working eg travel come to £1700 per month (need to employ nanny due to flexible working hours), how much should I aim for?
• Do you look to breakeven just so that career keeps going and pension contribs etc are met?
• Or do you want a "profit" so that family can benefit in more tangible ways (eg nice hols & nice house?)

yes - esp if DH slips up while discussing my career and suggets I should be a housewife rather than the less offensive SAHM

begad, all that drudgery

it is fine if get help and time off but not if you are on your own ... maybe this is another prob of being DD to a single mum - I have been doing major housework since 11 and escaped via brains and naked ambition!!!! rather scared of being trapped into it again .....

Always used to tell my Mum that by the time I was in her position (eg really old about 30 at least), we would have robots doing it all for us ... I think I had visions of friendly daleks running around the house doing the ironing ...

DH works with some and believe me they are not friendly and you end up doing the work yourself . AS if the thing could be more manly, the stupid robots have the only purpose in life of playing furbol!!!

Do you think one of them could finish my PhD for me please so that I can spend all my time on MN?

yes, if you wait another century maybe he will be able to have meetings with your supervisor, however there's a chance by the time the robot has decided his future is in futbol and won't help

My sister did try to explain that she was working....ie I pay my sis to look after my DD but her DD didn't see it like that cause she didn't leave the house.

Also need to get DH trained. My DP still treated me like the main carer when I went back to work and if DD is sick, I'm still expected to drop all and stay at home. I would anyway but would like him to realise I work too IYSWIM. Especially when I am the main earner

Luckily my DH is fairly user friendly but he says that is because he is too scared of me not to be .... His Mum worked but is a bit of a SuperMum because she also had to care for his manic depressive Dad who is definitely not very user-friendly, God love him.

Bundle, your DD is learning early some of the conflicts in being a girl ...... "But I am a Lady, I Cannot Do HouseWork".

phdmum!

(dd2 actually quite likes cleaning!)

Aw bless 'er! Even my DS follows me round with the hoover bits making vroom vroom noises .... it's just later it all falls apart!!