Friday 28 August 2015

What To Do With Myself Now The Kids Are Getting Older?

Next week the girls go back to school and Layla will start doing more hours at playschool now that she receives 15 free hours each week. This is a huge help to us not having to pay for playschool right now as the husbands wages have gone down yet the bills have predictably gone up. It was also a huge reminder of just how fast my children are growing up!

what to do when the kids grow up

At first I have to say the thought of Layla spending more time at playschool scared me. I've always had another child /baby at home with me which has always kept me busy but Layla being my youngest (darn hubby having the snip) means no more babies which in turn leads to me having not a lot to do.

If I had it my way I'd keep Layla at home with me for longer, I want to enjoy her company whilst she's still young but I know the interaction with other kids will help her development and I don't want to hinder her learning because of my fear of being alone, left behind.

My initial thought was that I'm going to be found at home twiddling my thumbs, not quite knowing what to do with myself. I have been a stay at home mum for almost ten years now. Lets be honest, I've not had a lot of adult interaction over the past few years that doesn't include my mum taking me food shopping and I'm definitely used to being able to do things without atleast one child in toe.

The thought of going back to work terrifies me, not that I'm not willing to go out and work, the trouble is combined with my fear of actually trying to hold a full blown conversation, the 15 hours which Layla is provided with, spread over 4 days does not leave me enough time to actually look at getting a viable job just yet because I have noone else to look after the kids and we can't afford any childcare costs right now. I'm not just trying to come up with excuses, honest!

But on the flip side I don't like the thought that my husband goes out to work to provide for our family whilst I get to sit at home. Ok yes I do everything at home ie cook, clean, look after the kids when home but as many will say, that isn't a job, well not one I'm paid for anyway.

So I've been thinking hard about what I can do.

The results of my brain ticking over, I have decided to volunteer at the primary school that my children attend. I always had two things I wanted to do when I was younger, one was to be a hairdresser, something I achieved but no longer enjoy doing. The second was that as I'd really like to work with children in some capacitiy so going back to college to obtain qualifications to be a teaching assistant would be wonderful.

This would give me the chance to hopefully do a job that I will love, do something that I have always wanted to do but it would also mean that I'd be off whenever the kids are off school, taking away the worry of finding and affording childcare.

People always tell you to go after your dreams and this is one of mine, one that I hope I can make a reality one day.

How did you find going back to work after having kids? Did you go back to the same job or did you end up changing your career?

xxxx

linking up with #picknmix

3 comments:

  1. Hi just followed over to your blog from your comment on my Maternity Leave post - you are right about the free 15 hours (we won't get ours till next year) but its just not enough to help Mothers get back into work! Your volunteering idea is excellent, experience is everything in my book. I have a friend who did a similar thing, and is now a paid pre-school assistant - which totally fits around her kids school day.
    Anyway nice to connect with you! x #picknmix

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  2. I went back to work part time after having my four and then increased to full time once they were all at school full time. It will be great volunteering at the school as you will get a better picture about what being an assistant is actually like as well as gaining invaluable experience.I think it is brave of you as it is never easy to re enter the world of paid work after being a stay at home mum. Really good luck - I bet you won't look back :) #PicknMix

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  3. That's a great idea volunteering. If you do decide when they are all at school that you would like to work with kids the experience could help you get a job as a TA. Thanks for linking to #picknmix

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