Flexible job to balance child school

[Anonymous]

I've always been career driven and enjoy challenges but I'm finding it difficult to cope now that my daughter is in school. She's only 3 and in preschool but I'm thinking ahead and concerned that a 9-5 with commuting will be difficult. I'm a motivated employee, even when working at home and curious about ideas I could pursue. I just don't want my daughter growing up remembering mom always away or at work. I appreciate your ideas and specific things that have worked for you.

TIA

[Anonymous]

Well for starters we should stop all that tearing each other down. You know, the "I did what it takes" etc., and maybe instead of being resentful of someone having or wanting flexibility, we could all strive to have it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've always been career driven and enjoy challenges but I'm finding it difficult to cope now that my daughter is in school. She's only 3 and in preschool but I'm thinking ahead and concerned that a 9-5 with commuting will be difficult. I'm a motivated employee, even when working at home and curious about ideas I could pursue. I just don't want my daughter growing up remembering mom always away or at work. I appreciate your ideas and specific things that have worked for you.

TIA

You could get an education that enables you to afford first rate full time childcare. Just a thought.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've always been career driven and enjoy challenges but I'm finding it difficult to cope now that my daughter is in school. She's only 3 and in preschool but I'm thinking ahead and concerned that a 9-5 with commuting will be difficult. I'm a motivated employee, even when working at home and curious about ideas I could pursue. I just don't want my daughter growing up remembering mom always away or at work. I appreciate your ideas and specific things that have worked for you.

TIA

You could get an education that enables you to afford first rate full time childcare. Just a thought.[/quote]

Seriously? This is a shitty answer. How do you know that OP hasn't received the best education available in her field? She's just looking for opportunities / methods to dial back. Get off your high horse.

[Anonymous]

OP here, I was honestly expecting more helpful advice. I appreciate the PP reply though! ?
To clarify, I have an advanced degree (MS) and quite respected in my field. I'm not looking to make tons of money to have other people with my child all of the time...it's the opposite. I want to take a step back and have more time for my daughter. I don't take her to school and I don't always pick her up, instead I'm home in the evenings but I'm feeling as though these are the years I don't want to miss out on. I want to have more time with her, hence seeking a job or profession where I can do this. I feel that she and family is worth the sacrifice. I do enjoy my career but feeling regrets already.

[Anonymous]

OP - I went PT WFH for the same reason. But it does have its challenges. If you are planning to scale back, then you have to set some expectations of yourself, ie, don't think you can be as productive as when you were FT. And turn off work when you are with your kid since this is the reason why you are scaling back. I was finding (and sometimes still do) it hard to turn off the laptop when DC was home. I check email regularly even though I'm not supposed to be working. I feel guilty sometimes that I am not responding to people quickly like I used to, and they have to wait a day for me to respond.

Anyways, I'm not sure what advice your are looking for exactly. You haven't mentioned your field or anything.

[Anonymous]

OP I'm with you. I really wish I had focused on kid friendly careers and mommy tracked myself. I wish I was a teacher. I just wish job hours and school hours went together more.

[Anonymous]

Can you request a part-time or more flexible schedule? I work 4 days/week (32 hours) and having that one day off to spend time with my DD is great. It's also good for dr's appts, etc., so I don't have to take PTO.

[Anonymous]

Working four days a week--sounds like heaven. Does that affect your health benefits?

[Anonymous]

Many government agency let federal employee work from home as many as 2 to 3 days per weeks which is very good for someone who has school age kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've always been career driven and enjoy challenges but I'm finding it difficult to cope now that my daughter is in school. She's only 3 and in preschool but I'm thinking ahead and concerned that a 9-5 with commuting will be difficult. I'm a motivated employee, even when working at home and curious about ideas I could pursue. I just don't want my daughter growing up remembering mom always away or at work. I appreciate your ideas and specific things that have worked for you.

TIA

OP - great question and I totally get it.

I have two kids who still need me to "be there" after school, yet I love working. Cannot picture myself at home doing laundry all day. believe there there is plenty to do at home, I just don't want to do it.

I cleaned up my resume and started focusing on PT jobs only, and jobs that did not require me to be "on call" or to travel, or be involved in work events in the evening. I actually found my job on Craigslist. Found two of them actually. I searched for about 6 weeks before getting two offers in the same week.

The job I chose is very professional/challenging job. Its a very small office, and casual environment so no need to get "dressed up" every day. I leave the house when the kids get on the bus and am home in time to get them off the bus, so I work about 30 hours per week and make about $40K per year. Yes its much less than what I made FT but the trade off is worth it. Its 10 mins from my house, my boss is very flexible and I am able to stay in the workforce while still raising my children. honestly, its a darn near perfect job. At least perfect for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP I'm with you. I really wish I had focused on kid friendly careers and mommy tracked myself. I wish I was a teacher. I just wish job hours and school hours went together more.

Me too.

[Anonymous]

Unless you have a job that has built-in flexibility, it really is a question of making choices.

In most companies, depending on the nature of the job, such flexibility is not feasible. At that point you have to choose between working full time or being a SAHM. In both instances there is obviously an adverse financial impact.

Don't mean to be unsympathetic but that is the reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unless you have a job that has built-in flexibility, it really is a question of making choices.

In most companies, depending on the nature of the job, such flexibility is not feasible. At that point you have to choose between working full time or being a SAHM. In both instances there is obviously an adverse financial impact.

Don't mean to be unsympathetic but that is the reality.

+1. This is something that needs to be thought through BEFORE you embark on your career. Sadly most people earning their BA/BS are not focusing on this. In today's market place some flexible jobs that I can think of are: univ. Professor, teacher, CPA in private practice, IT person either working with an overseas team or as a consultant, nurse. But I can't think of any professional, flexible job that you can just walk into with no experience in the field.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless you have a job that has built-in flexibility, it really is a question of making choices.

In most companies, depending on the nature of the job, such flexibility is not feasible. At that point you have to choose between working full time or being a SAHM. In both instances there is obviously an adverse financial impact.

Don't mean to be unsympathetic but that is the reality.

+1. This is something that needs to be thought through BEFORE you embark on your career. Sadly most people earning their BA/BS are not focusing on this. In today's market place some flexible jobs that I can think of are: univ. Professor, teacher, CPA in private practice, IT person either working with an overseas team or as a consultant, nurse. But I can't think of any professional, flexible job that you can just walk into with no experience in the field.

This. The people who have flexible jobs that earn a substantial amount of their HHI, are people who have had enough years of experience that they are either able to start their own business or been promoted to positions where they can call the shots on their own hours and time.