Career Mums & School kids.
Hi IMs, I've been thinking of late what to do next in my career (after being retrenched while pregnant with #2). I've got a 1yo & 3.5yo, eldest starts kindy (QLD) next year.
At the moment I'm tossing up between if its worthwhile to further pursue my career (which would have to be full time), or if I should just get a part time pay-the-bills kind of job, which will be far more flexible while the kids are young, for the next few years (with then the ongoing fear of not being able to 'break back in' to the industry)
I'm just wondering how other mums handle having a prep student & full time, especially with regards to the school day being 9.30-2.30 for Preps. Do you put them in both before and after school care? How much does this work out at? (His kindy is through a long daycare service - so this wouldn't be a problem until he's due to start school). And then from year 1 and up do they just need after school care?
I'm very career driven, so would love advice from other career driven mums who have either continued to build their career despite young kids or those who have temporarily shelved their career in lieu of either a SAHM or general Part time job just to make ends meet or for the work/life balance - what are your pros/cons? Please share your advice & words of wisdom!
2 Replies
I've struggled a bit myself finding a good balance but as an RN/midwife I've found ways to be there for the kids most of the time for school drop off and pick up, and work about 3 days per week for now. The sacrifice I make is that I work only casually, so I don't get any paid sick/holiday leave. But the increase in hourly rate makes it more appealing. I have avoided child care of any kind - I work after hours or on weekends, and one afternoon a week my mum comes over and does the school pick up run and has a play with the kids before my husband gets home. I love the arrangement I have at the moment, but I do feel that everything's on hold while the kids are little. I have academic and career aspirations that I am getting impatient to start working towards, but I just can't fit anything else into my life, at least until my youngest is in school. But when I have those impatient days where I get so sick of running around after kids, and watching my husband succeed in his career, I remind myself of how lucky I am to be there after school, have the time to help with homework, take them to gymnastics, swimming, etc after school, cook decent meals, hear their stories, and all the rest. It drives me nuts sometimes but I wouldn't have it any other way. We have enough money to have a nice house, an investment property (we used to have two, but just sold one), send the kids to a lovely private school, have two cars, the odd holiday, have just done some renovations, and my husband has a ridiculously expensive hobby (which I hate, but that's another story!!). Wow, just re-read that and it sounds like I'm bragging but that's not my intention at all, I'm just giving you an idea of what our life is like with one full time working parent and one part timer. I'm 35, so have decades left to reach my career goals, but my kids are only going to be little for another few years. I don't want to regret anything where they're concerned. Hope you find a good balance too :)
I have a little one in prep and I work 8-9 days per fortnight. He goes to before school care at 7am in the mornings but rarely needs to go to after school care as Im finished by 2pm most days. It is definetly doable and I love it. As does he. I cant afford to not work and to be honest I think id go bat shit crazy staying home every day. On the school holidays he goes to famiky day care and he loves it there, thank god! I dont pay much for before school care, I think its around $5 per day. Good luck! Ps I only work around 25 hours a week, not full time. Gives me more time for house work hehe