Should I stay or should I go? What would you do?

[Higgledyhouse]

Right here goes - my dilemma!

Ok, so I earn 35k working full time over 4 days. I have 2 children, 2.5 years and 8 months. After paying childcare for 4 days I am basically left with approx £600 per month.

We lost our nanny at short notice recently who we knew personally and I simply can't recruit a stranger to look after my kids. Nurseries and Childminder for them both are too expensive and would leave us next to nothing from my salary.

I have therefore applied for a career break of 2 years but they have told me that if I go they will fill my job permanently which means my only chance of employment in two years time is via the re-deployment process which has no guarantees.

Our mortgage is due to come down in Sept as our deal ends and we are looking to make a saving of approx 600 per month which I was hoping to carry us over this two year break.

However if I go I am basically giving up my job which I have worked very hard to get and very much enjoy but I get to become a SAHM to my lovely kids but am taking a risk financially.

What would you do?

Well if you really can't bear the thought of strangers looking after your child, unless you have family who can take them then I don't see much of a dilemma tbh. I'm assuming you don't know all the local nursery staff and childminders personally.

So if that's the case take the career break, two years is a long time anyway so you may have different priorities in terms of work then even if there isn't a guaranteed job for you.

If you interview and check-out/take up references etc of replacement nannies then by the time they're employed they won't be strangers. It seems a bit drastic to give up a job you enjoy just because of the "stranger" aspect, because childminders etc are strangers, when the DCs start school the teachers will be strangers etc., but if you are looking forward to the chance to SAHM for a while, then it makes more sense.

Ultimately you have to decide which you would rather do, SAHM or work, and then tackle the problem accordingly.

In two years time you will still have a child under 3, but will you be able to recruit a stranger then? That problem won't go away.

A childminder would only be a stranger before you met them. By the time they look after your child/ren, the stranger bit will have gone and they could be an absolute gem.

i agree with the mums who suggest that childminders are only strangers at the start. I feel for you, because i am going thru the process of recruiting one at the moment,and quite frankly it has been complete torture. however, i would suck it and see. giving up work is very drastic in this climate. you might yet find a childminder you really like.