I DO want to

[jeteaa]

I'm currently a sahm. I would like to get a job when both kids are of FT school age, but I just don't see how it is possible. Things I know: dh has a job in which he CAN NOT ever take time off to deal w/ any parenting issues during the day. In our area I won't be able to find a well paying job using my degree (we live in a college town where many graduates stay in the area so it is very saturated w/ geologists). Although we have a few relatives/friends in the area, I can't depend on them for any free childcare, so unless I get a job w/ same hrs as school, I WILL need paid childcare. And with knowing that any job I get will not be high paying, childcare will be a great cost relative to my income.
So how would it be possible to even work? I would be fine w/ working a PT job during school hrs, but what about summers? And to make matters worse, any income I make will put us in a higher tax bracket so I'll essentially be taxed at 25% YUCK! Any ideas?

[Alyantavid]

Well right now, I work a different schedule (7-3:30) so I can pick my son up from the bus stop after school. Dh drops them off in the mornings. I do have a very flexible boss who doesn't really care when I'm here as long as she knows and I get my work done.

It is possible, but you may have to do some looking.

[samy23]

Yeah I totally know where you're coming from on this one! I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to work but also be home when my child is...I wish more jobs out there provided work hours to fit in with school hours yk? Why don't they?

I'd love to find a job where I can work during school hours, so I can be home for dd in the mornings, take her to school, go to work, finish work shortly before her school finishes, pick her up then be home for her in the evenings.

It would have to be a part-time job though wouldn't it? Since kids are in school 30 hours a week, and you would need to start minimum 30 minutes after they do -to give you time to get there, and finish minimum 30 minutes before they come out of school to give you time to leave and get to their school, so maximum hours this job could be if it was close by, is 25 hours.

I guess if it's a good enough paid job then you could still make enough money with 25 hours?

But yeah who will be with the kids when they are too sick to go to school? And during school holidays?

[Quinalla]

Yeah, I would think a part-time job would be about your only option. I know the local Dairy Queen actively seeks out folks in the same position as you to work the lunch rush and an hour or two around that time for prep/clean up. It works well for them since in the summer, they just employ more teens to compensate for the Moms that aren't working during that time. Something like that might be a good fit if you can find it!