Finding a good working/family balance

[Mummy May]

How do you do it? I've been working all weekend and my OH works all week ( my little boy is 14 weeks and DD is almost 3). We're really struggling with this and it's really not working for us at all so I'm going to drop back to one day a week. But once my maternity allowance stops were really going to struggle for cash. How do you manage to balance your working and family life? Or to SAHM's how do you manage for money? Thanks in advance xx

 

[suzib76]

It's really hard sometimes, if I work a full time week I find that everything suffers at home, I have piles of washing and ironing to catch up on and end up not being now to enjoy time together as I am chasing my tail with things. I am very fortunate I can pick and choose week on week if and when I want to work now but for a long time it was trial and error.

You should be able to claim tax credits, depednding on income it may or may not change with you dropping a days wage, I thought maternity allowance stopped when you went back to work though?

 

[littletobyj]

Have you considered a career break until the kids start school or even until they start the pre-school sessions that are free?? I think career breaks have to be offered to all working parents and basically allows you to take unpaid leave for a period of time and your company must offer you a job upon your return? It won't help much with money though but perhaps with some clever budgeting and other ways of stay at home income you might be able to strike a balance. I still work but I did take a step back from career after having our son and now I only work part-time which is definately the right balance.

 

[Mummy May]

You are allowed to do a certain amount of work on MA. I would love to work from home but I've no idea what I could do! I used to make my own things on the sewing machine so maybe I could give that a try! I couldn't really take a career break though, we couldn't afford it plus I have a job rather thanb a career. I work for a really small company. Its just so hard I don't know what to do for the best xx

 

[littletobyj]

You could try selling your things, homemade items are very fashionable these days-I have lots of friends who sell on Etsy. I always sell things on ebay! It's easy to sell anything these days-just go down to the wholesalers get a bit of stock and off you go-Alan Sugar style

 

[Mummy May]

Yeah I was thinking of maybe having a go at doing some hanging hearts and things and selling them to people I know at cost price, and see how it goes! I sell our old things on eBay but its not been worth it recently with postage costs and stuff. Might try out getting some stock though. Thank you xx

 

[supertabby]

Be careful as you can only work 10 days before losing all your maternity allowance. That's 10 occasions going into work, so you can't do 20 half days.

 

[bookreader]

It is hard. I work 2 nightshifts and a late shift per week. So we are lucky in that we still all get days off together, although still not many. Something always has to give, and for us its my sleep!!

 

[EmziixBo0o]

I work fulltime and its such a struggle! I cant afford to drop a day, ive been thinking about training to be a midwife but I dont think ill get any kind of help at all!

 

[Buttercup84]

I work 3 days a week (22.5 hours) and it works well for us, most of the other mums in my workplace do the same.

 

[Mummy May]

I work 3 days a week (22.5 hours) and it works well for us, most of the other mums in my workplace do the same.

We have no help with childcare at all, so if I wanted to do that I would have to pay for childcare which would probably outweigh the good of me working

 

[fairygirl]

We tried me working 3 days a week and DH working full time, we only ended up seeing each other 1 evening a week and 1 day at weekend. I found it too hard as we were both living like single parents. So we swapped, I do a full week teaching, and he does 2 evenings and a day at weekend. I miss my son terribly and I fear how much I will miss two children. I'm working up until 39weeks and hoping for an induction. Then we are going to be living on £60 a week for food and shopping (excluding baby milk and nappies as I will keep child benefit for that). We went to Tesco yesterday to do a food shop and walked around adding it up and choosing the cheaper ranges and spent £36! We get a freezer box from the butchers for £50 which will last over 2 months (we bought a second hand freezer for £30 just to store it all in). My dad said we should try Farmfoods and Lidl for some bits, I know toilet roll and kitchen roll is better there. Looking at Aldi nappies too for our son. We are learning this month as once baby is here we will have no choice. The amount we will save once I return to work after 20weeks is incredible even with DH having my SMP for 19weeks and not working himself! DH has been stay at home pretty much for a year now and I've just had to start bugging him as housework wise he has just done the bare minimum but he needs to get used to doing more and juggling 2 children! I'm hoping it will really work for us, the guilt is the hardest thing and I think other people making comments makes it harder. But we have been lucky in that our children will always be with one parent, although I do want to find a nursery a couple of mornings a week for Noah in the new year just from a socialising and development point of view as I think children can learn loads at a good nursery!

Because of my earnings we don't get any government help. So this next few months living on a shoestring will be a lesson but so worth it!

 

[R_x]

We are like this.
hubby works through the week, I work at weekends. He's getting abit of overtime at the mo too. But we are trying to save for a house so it won't be forever.
We try and do things as a family when one of us finishes early, just means we can't go far

 

[Buttercup84]

I work 3 days a week (22.5 hours) and it works well for us, most of the other mums in my workplace do the same.

We have no help with childcare at all, so if I wanted to do that I would have to pay for childcare which would probably outweigh the good of me working

Yeah I can see how it wouldnt work for everyone. I don't pay for childcare as oh works different shifts but one of the girls at work (we work in a nursery but get no staff discount) has her dd in nursery 2 days a week and tax credits pay £17 of the £42 a day nursery costs so she has to pay £50 a week. Still a lot on our wage but any help is good of course. I think shes worried about finding another job if she quits so is doing it to keep this one. Her mum helps out one day a week but its still not much back for working 3 days a week.

 

[Mummy May]

Its really nice to know I'm not the only one tbh, sometimes you feel a bit like everyone else has help but you. I'm sure we will work something out, thanks for all your comments ladies xx

 

[LynseyPynsey]

Its really nice to know I'm not the only one tbh, sometimes you feel a bit like everyone else has help but you. I'm sure we will work something out, thanks for all your comments ladies xx

Sorry to hijack hun but how are you able to work weekends and receive MA? I've looked into it to earn extra money on Mat Leave but couldn't see any sort of loophole? (minus the 10 KIT days)

 

[Mummy May]

Using my 10 days until we figure out what to do

 

[Mrs R]

Im going back to work in a fortnight, for 22.5 hours per week. I work about an hour's drive away so I will be away at least 30 hours per week.

DH is on the brink of accepting a really well paid job, but it means we won't see much of him during the week. I will pretty much be going it alone 5 days a week, but 3 of those are spent in work. It may or may not work, but full-time is not an option for me at present with my babies all being so young. 3 days may even be a push. DH'S possible new job will ease the money worries that come with me working part time x