What are you doing after baby??

[Suzie and Faith]

What I mean is work-wise. I'm nosey...

I only worked part-time before baby (as i'd just started a full-time degree when i found out i was pregnnat). But now I'm doing an OU degree which isn't as full on.

The thing is I don't want to go back to work - even part-time. My job was a weekend one where I did 19 hours over a Fri evening and Saturday and Sunday.

I could get a different job but then i'd have to put baby into nursery and that's one thing I really don't want to do. I have nothing against nurseries but I want to be there looking after my LO and the cost of nursery wouldn't make it worth my while to work and miss out on vital time with my LO.

But money is going to be SO tight and that makes me really sad!

Anyway, what are everyone elses plans?
Anyone have any idea of something I could do at home??

xx

 

[kazlin]

I'm going back to work (part time...I was full time) in October. My mum will look after Daniel for a couple of days a week.
I have been with the company for 6 years and quite enjoy the job, also the money will come in handy plus I kind of enjoy working.

What about opening a shop up on ebay? Can you make anything to sell etc?

 

[Sherlock]

I'm taking the full paid maternity. I quit my job back at the end of December also. I was working part time as a nanny and had already told the family they were my last one and once I had my own child I did not plan on nannying anymore. I did consider going back on reduced hours but it would not have been worth it. Plus the kids are all older now and at school so I felt it was a good time to leave.

Once my maternity pay is finished if hubby is remaining working locally I shall probably just find something for 16 hours a week or so to give me something else to do other than be a Mum. He will have childcare duties then as I'll find something that will not conflict with his work.

If he goes away working again I'll have to remain a SAHM regardless as I'd have to earn enough to cover childcare costs and I don't see the point in that. I'd rather be at home with our child. Those early years fly past too quickly to go back to work full time and stick our child in daycare or some such. It might mean money is a bit tight, but tbh it just means we don't go on holiday or we cut down on a few things to save the pennies.

 

[Suzie and Faith]

I know what you mean about the childcare costs. I think we might be able to claim a few costs but even then it wouldn't be worth it. I don't have a career or anything so any job I could get would be a standard one which I doubt i'd enjoy that much!

I eventually want to be a teacher but I figure that by doing my degree whilst i have my family I can then go into teaching when they are older which will be great.

Hopefully i'll find something I can do to earn a few pennies whilst at home - and Kaz i'll look into ebay shops and things. I am quite arty but not really sure what i could sell but it's got to be worth thinking about!

I will take my full years maternity, I haven't told work that I don't want to go back as I want to make sure i leave options open for now.

It is a shame that being a SAHM isn't recognised as a proper job! Even if me and OH claim all the benefits we can we'll barely be able to live - as we've got rent and bills to pay.

But i'd so much rather have these years with my LO!

 

[sarah2807]

I wish I could afford to be a stay at home mum cos that's my ideal situation..but I can't.

The compromise was reducing my hours at work. I currently work full time as a teacher but after I return I will be only working 3 days.

The wage will be ok for a part time job so I can afford to put Lo in a nursery for a couple of day and my mum will do 1 day plus I'll have enough wage left to pay mortgage, buy stuff etc. If the nursery costs were equal to my wage or more i wouldn't go back at all.

 

[Becky]

I went back to work full-time after I had Lucy as even with nursery fees we were better off and we needed the money. Plus I like working (strange I know) as I'd felt so isolated during my mat leave. As it happens Lucy loves nursery so it worked out for the best.

This time I'm not sure. I think I'll be returning to work in the August and Lucy will be starting school in the September so we'd only have to pay one set of nursery fees but then I've got to figure out getting Lucy dropped off at school and then baby at nursery when they're both in different directions.

So I'm thinking of reducing my hours but have no idea really.

 

[muppetmummy]

I went back to work part-time when James was 6 months old (mat leave was only 6 months back then). My mum looked after him until 18 months, then I got him a place in my employers nursery. He was getting bored at my mums and wanted the company of other kids.

This time around I will be going back to work (hopefully part time! ) after xmas when Logan is about 8 months old. He will have to go straight into nursery as there are no family up here who would be able to look after him.

I'd rather not put him in nursery so young, but there's no way we can afford for me not to work

 

[kalia]

I'm going to go back 3 days a week.
OH works from home so he will work evenings on the days I work so we won't need to pay for childminding and we can both bring up LO instead of one of us spending less time with him or her

I've decided to go back the last week of November as that's the week I get my pupils to write to Santa in French (I teach primary school French) and then December is Christmas songs, games, cultural stuff and other fun things. So it's a nice way to ease back in to working, will earn me extra pennies before Christmas and baby will be 7 months old.

 

[ASD123456]

At the moment my plan is to try and start a part time access course in September- this will be two days a week (not full days) andOH mother has offered to look after the LO during this time. I will also be on Mat leave from work at the time but TBH I won't be going back. The access course runs for a year and then on completing that I should be able to apply for a full time degree course. The plan is to go into midwifery, it's something I've wanted to do for a while, I applied last year but didn't get in because of the lack of A levels/ an access course.

I'm aware that I might not be raedy to leave the baby in September as, depending on when I give birth, the baby would be very little. If it s the case that I'm not ready I'll postpone the access course for a year and if money is tight I'll consider getting a new part time job when mat leave is over.

Alex xxx

 

[Lulubelle]

I'm going back to work full time when term starts in September (I'm a high school teacher) My husband is registered disabled and is not allowed to work so he is going to be a stay at home dad. On his regular hospital appointments babe is going to a child minder. We jus can;t afford for me to stay off any longer than that, disbled living allowence is crap!!!

Luckily my friend, who had her baby 3 months ago is a registered child minder and has space on a tuesday (wich is when his appointments are) so she is going to have babe. I was actually surprised at how affordable it is. I think Id feel differently about the price if babe was in fulltime, but for one day a week, I'm chuffed.

I also think I would feel differently about leaving babe with a stranger, so as I say, I'm really lucky that Karen has the spce to take LO.

 

[joj]

I'm taking my years maternity before we decide who'll stay at home with LO. I'm a teacher and OH also works in schools on similar pay so the plan is either I go back full time and he stays at home and works evenings/weekends (He's in IT). Or I go back for just 2 days a week and Mum would have her while I'm at work. We're gonna wait and see how money is and on how we both feel closer the time before we make a final decision, atm as far as my work are concerned they think I'm going back full time. Our school is also going through reorganisation atm which is a pain so I imagine a lot will depend on the 'new' job I get offered.

 

[NickyB]

My DH has old fashioned values, apparently he's grown up knowing he wanted to support his wife and have her and the kids at home. I can't say I'm complaining! I'd love nothing more than to be a full time mum.

I'm worried about the novelty of it wearing off with him at work all day, me not, not much spare money and no new cars for him to show off (he's a petrol head through and through).

That's the plan, I reckon I'll leave work, see how the first year goes then re-assess.

 

[lulu]

When I had jack I started a new job when Jack was 6 months old, full time, but after a few months found it really hard as I also had a 60-70 mile commute each day. Jack was with his nanna when we were both working. I then dropped down to part time hours, about 3 days a week.

When this little one is born I am hoping to start uni in october (got a place confirmed), jack will hopefully go to nursery when I am at college and OH is at work - he will be almost 3 then and feel he needs interatcion with other children. The baby will hopefully go to its nana's like Jack did. If not, then they will both have to go to nursery which isn't my ideal situation but some weeks OH has a block of 10 days off or his shifts fall so he is off most days anyway.

I worked out that what i was earning part time I would prob get the same if I went back studying due to qualifying for extra help financially. Just need to fill out the forms and confirm this.

 

[jendav81]

I'm going to be a SAHM until baby(s) (we want to have 2) are up and at primary school then will prob work part time during school hours as I would probably make a very desperate housewife!!!

 

[leckershell]

I've just gone back this week, 3 days a week. It sounds terrible, but after 7 months of (near enough) nothing but baby company, I feel so much better for having adult conversation. I didn't want to go back at all, and I've been miserable about it and dead against it for ages but now I'm glad I did.

 

[DaisyRose]

Hi,

I left work when I had Daisy over 5 yrs ago (could have gone back but with all the hassle and the childcare costs, it didn't seem worth it, plus I wanted to be at home with her). Haven't worked since and it has been tough (have had to make a fair few sacrifices) but it has really been worth it. I do want to go back to work one day as I didn't do years of higher ed. for nothing but having had the kids I've changed so much and really don't know what I would like to do now!! I guess I've got a couple more years to really think about it!

 

[sarafet]

i'm going back to uni in september can't wait to go back, i'm a student nurse and have 2 yrs left to do now.

there's a nursery in my uni, so hoping to get lo in there, if i can't i'll need to get other childcare. i'm usually only in uni 3 days a week at the most for 4/5 hours a day, so it's not so bad, and i know i couldn't cope staying at home with a baby all the time, so it works out best for us

oh works full time, so we have his wages, my bursary and any benefits we might get, things will be tight, but worth it when i qualify.

 

[Geordie&Bairn]

Well you know my plans
im hoping to make my skills in art craft and design and experiance and knowlege in childcare to good use

and set up my own buisness selling children's story sacks to nurseries and schools
ie putting a story book such as 'The very hungry caterpillar' and creating a themed story resourse, the book, soft toys, puppets, photo's, posters, colouring pages, factual info cards, key written words to accomapany the book all kept together in an atractive story sack

i want to earn to support my child but childcare costs make this a nightmare.And as a childcarer i see full time kids more the thier own parents i do not want the same for myself.
i feel bring your own child up is the best job i could ever do.
So having my own buisness hopfully will solve that problem

so im hoping me testing the waters by selling all the supplies ive acumliated over the years by creating story/ role play sacks on ebay. i'll make some extra cash, then create a real buisness later

set up my own website, buisness cards, posters use my contacts in childcare to create a clientel list

and then create standard story sacks and supply and demand one that a school is looking for to go with a specific topic

did the cleaning idea not pan out Suzie????

 

[debecca]

I am taking the money (what little of it I get - just SMP!) and running.

I am a secondary school teacher and before Connie I was working 6 days a week til 8pm most nights and 11pm one night on duty (and that's not including marking and preparation). I just can't do that with a baby.

So I think I will stay at home til at least September 2009 and then possibly look at going back part-time to the state sector or doing supply. I may not. It depends how bonkers I go at home with Connie!!!!

 

[Lulubelle]

I tell you what, I was very glad I worked in a state school when I discovered the difference in maternity benifits some of the private schools offer!!