Anybody working FT in City with young school age children? HELP please!

[Badpups]

Hi - sorry for the long post but I hope somebody will be able to give me some useful advice.

I've just been offered a full time job in the City. This is fantastic opportunity, especially in the current climate and I appreciate how lucky I am!

My huge concern is that I have a very young family and I'm worried about managing; especially in the school hols.

I've been working part-time since my youngest was almost a year old so the actual work doesn't worry me but this p/t work has been local and some of it can be done from home so I've still been able to do some of the school runs and have a lot of time off during the school holidays.

This new job would be in London (although I may be able to do the odd day working from home) and I'd get the standard 30 days annual leave.

I've got to increase my hours as DH lost his job recently and, although he's working again, it's on much less money. We've reduced our outgoings as much as possible but still need me to increase my contribution to the household.

This job is in my ideal field of work and would be a fantastic career opportunity. However, I'm worried sick about how I'll cope and the effect on the children. We have an AP who can do the school runs and look after them in the evening until one of us gets home so that isn't an issue.

If anybody else is successfully managing this please give me some advice/encouragement! Not working or not changing my current work isn't an option.

Thank you.

I'm not doing it, but it definately sounds feasible given you have an AP. Sounds like a great opportunity and has come at just the right time. FT is hard with a young family, I'm currently doing it with a 4 year old and a 7 month old, but you can make it work successfully.
Good luck.

Thank you stayatworkmummy.

Realised that where the job is is irrelevant - it's the hours that are the issue. Probably have to leave home just after 7am and get home at 6:30pm if I'm lucky.

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It's a personal matter but
I have a very involved job in terms of time spent in work and the workload out of it in terms of preparation and travel etc.
I'm happy to do it now when the children are really small because a)I really love it and b)I want to be able to reduce my hours once they are a bit older.
You do need good support and an ap is a good start.
Organisation is the key and also really appreciating your children when you are with them

Good luck

obviously its all down to personal experience, but I've been working ft since ds was 9 months (he's now 3.5) and am now back after having dd (9mo). It basically depends on a) having good support at home who can be flexible around you, b) having a bit of flexibility at work (e.g. I can work from home if necessary) and c) wanting to make it work. So far, so good but there are things that are hard and I've found I'm missing the kids much more this time around...

...in fact, looked at the time and its time for me to be home with them!

Good luck

I can't see what's to worry about from your post, tbh. I'm in the City - I'm a lawyer. I don't love my job but had to reluctantly come back after maternity leave (am sole breadwinner).

From your post, tho, it doesn't sound like you're reluctant to do the actual work. I think you sound like you're worried about the disruption to your routine - believe me, this is the one thing I hate in life, the world that I know being shaken up and changed. Invariably, it works out for the best. I would be stuck in any number of ruts if life didn't come along and shake me out them!! I think it sounds a great opportunity, and it sounds like you have childcare sorted. I would be really excited if I were you, I think. (Whilst resisting the change to the routine of course, in my head!)

The hours do sound a bit of a killer but you say you could work from home occasionally which would help. Also 30 days annual leave is actually quite generous, I've worked in jobs where it's just 20 or 25 so you will be able to have time off fairly frequently. You should give it a go, it sounds achievable and you will be earning and happy, good luck.

There are loads of us working MNers here in the city.

I second everything fillybuster says. I would not give it up for the world - it's very stimulating to be with grown ups (to a point, Lord copper, it is the city after all, so not that grown up), and to use your brain and so on. The tough thing is missing them (especially on school holidays) and dealing with chores at weekends.

My advice would be to go for it and to get v organised regarding house stuff, esp:-

1. cleaning/ironing - pay for it all. Don't for a minute leave anything left on your plate.
2. bills/tax returns/admin stuff - bring it in to work and either do at lunch or on train or at end of day.
3. Shopping: get a regular online shop going, do it like clockwork every week and cut 'real' supermarkets out of your life completely.
4. gifts/presents etc. Whenever you go on a trip with the kids check out the gift shops (as if you have a choice in the matter, anyway). If you see something for your DC's that you like the look of, buy half a dozen of them and stash them on the loft. That way you always have a stash for birthdays etc and don't have to rush round buying presents (and sellotape and paper) whilst on route to party. You can buy assorted boxes of birthdays cards and so on too.

Final bit of advice is: Don't pretend that your kids don't exist, but - until you get to know your colleagues - try not to talk about your children, and don't have a photo on display. Some people do persist in thinking this automatically lowers your IQ by 50%. I used to just say that I wanted a day off to go shopping or something if I ever had to take time off for kids' things. People without kids just don't want to know about family stuff...

You will love it and besides, what have you got to lose? You can alaways see how it goes.

It will depend on your actual role but, if relevant, I would advise to make really good use of your secretary. I am always completely open with mine about my children - they know when an out of the office meeting is with a client and when it's a school assembly; they know when my children are ill and make it easy for me to leave early; they know when I'm in late because of transport and when it's because i wanted to take dd3 to school etc etc. If I want to rearrange my diary because I've just found out about something to do with the children they are happy to do it - in fact I think they think that's more important than moving things because a client wants to but that is I suspect in part because they are both working mothers themselves.

They are as important a part of my support network as the childcare and domestic help.

Thanks for all the messages of support.

However, when I started talking about the package it was so low (less than I was on 9 years ago) that I have turned the job down. They made an increased offer but it was still too little to cover the additional travel and childcare.