Anyone given up work / not gone back?

[Snow Owl]

I've been back a few weeks and HATE IT. It's just not the same and I don't enjoy being there at all. Every Sunday I dread the thought of going in.

We've worked out we could just afford to lose my wage (just!) but I imagine our tax credits would go up a bit as well.

After petrol / travel costs and other work related costs we could actually be better off as I do pay ALOT!

I just feel like I'm missing out on everything and this isn't the life I had planned!

Has anyone made this decision? I'm a bit morally undecided on what to do!

 

[BellaBoo0512]

I decided not to return to work. We moved house whilst I was on maternity leave and live in another town, for me to go back to work I would have to get up at 5am, get dressed, wake LO up and have him ready for 6, catch the bus to town which is a 5 min walk to the bus stop and 10 min journey, then I would need to wait for the bus to take him to nursery, drop him off then catch a bus to the next town, then catch a bus to work. All this would be a push to get there for 9. According to HMRC they will only pay us £22 per week for child care and we would have to pay the other £120. It would cost me around £22 for a weekly bus pass and my weekly earnings are little over £150 per week. I don't have anyone that could look after LO for me full time so it just isn't worth me going back.

I am however going back to college in January and doing a teaching assistant NVQ which is a one day placement in a primary school and 1 evening in college. This means when LO starts school I will be off during the school holidays and hopefully I will be able to get a job in the school he will attend.

My OH brings home £240 per week, we get £59 a week in child tax credits and then £20 a week child benefit. It is a struggle but we are doing what is best for us as a family. I do miss working though.

You have just got to do what is best for your family x

 

[Kitteh_Kat]

I left my job back in August after only being back for three weeks (had to turn in my notice and wrap things up). At first I really missed it, because I loved my career and being able to excel. Now after being home for a bit I actually truly enjoy being a SAHM! I get to wake up to her smile every morning when she decides to get up, instead of me having to wake her up and send her off to child care. And I swear every day she is doing or learning something new! She just rolled over for the first time, and I was able to record it so her daddy could see her do it. She did it during the day, so I probably would have missed it had I been at work. To me the joy of getting to spend all day with her makes up for the money I lost when I quit. I would definitely be working still if we couldn't easily afford for me to stay home, but thankfully the military pays hubby a base pay, housing allowance, and provides healthcare so it's an option we could choose. We still have to decide on when I will return to my career, because I do want to get back to it at some point. Until then I'm taking an online program through the military spouse scholarship so I still learning new skills and keeping my mind active!

You can always do a trial run, and if it doesn't work out to be what is best for your family, just return to work. You won't know until you try it!

 

[Snow Owl]

Kitteh - I'd have to find a new job tho!

 

[aimee-lou]

You have just got to do what is best for your family x

This! I am now a SAHM as putting 3 small children into childcare, regardless of cost, is a nightmare as it's rare to get someone who can take all 3 and faffing about with multiple nurseries/cm's is a pain! It's also an expense that given the fact that currently I would struggle to get a job over minimum wage, wouldn't be 'worth it' over and above the costs going out.

Prior to having Eddie I was working 29.5 hours a week. I enjoyed it and the money was good and with 1 child it wasn't too bad, plus it was shifts so I spent most of the day at home with him anyway.

For us, me being at home with the children, running the home and ensuring everything runs smoothly makes sense. We get enough (just) from tax credits and student finance (OH is a student) to get by and his degree finishes next year so things will begin to change from then, plus Earl starts full time school and a number of other factors.

Things change so quickly....you have to do what works otherwise you'll go crazy. Don't waste time being unhappy - just my own thought there!