Good luck MN!!
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Good luck MN!!
:hug: hun, wish I could make you feel better, just know you're not alone, and you're doing the best you can. Try to enjoy the time you have left xxx:
Well first day was good, commute better than expected about 50 mins each way - still keen on the folding bike though. Am working with mainly women for the first time in my life (several of whom are part-time) - I think that might help with my issue with totally disconnecting from family while at work, as there was plenty of talk of children. Might mean I need to update my wardrobe though - what I could get away with in a windowless room full of sweaty male geeks might not work so well here, judging by outfits I saw today - I haven't bought any new clothes in years and my mum kept nagging me when she was here - so maybe it is time and this might be enough of a nudge.
Can get decent free coffee - a big plus!
The rush this morning didn't seem too bad today - and tomorrow is not a work day - so a nice gentle intro really.
Glad to hear it went well wysiwyg, and decent free coffee - yay! Definitely go shopping! I have been thinking I need to update my work wardrobe, its sadly unfashionable LOL
Job Application in, The Hiring Manager wasn't available today but I will catch up with her tomorrow for a brief catch up, just want to introduce myself properly and maximise my chances of getting an interview
Teeki - Hugs Honey, I remember that feeling prior to returning to work from maternity leave, I felt that way with both my kiddies, and its quite devastating and consuming. I'd often rock them to sleep knowing in a few weeks I'd be at work missing out on that :( Be kind to yourself, I found that the actual reality of returning to work was easier than I had it in my head both times, so that made it easier.
Talking of rushing etc. Is it only me that finds articles like the one on here - Morning Mayhem about tips to avoid morning mayhem by Pinky McKay highly irritating - suggesting that in the hour or less between 6:00 and 7:00 where I have to get washed, showered and dressed, (DH too) eat breakfast, get the kids ready to leave for daycare at 7:15 - not sure I can squeeze in a bit of yoga, or a walk to greet the day :-)- so it is fine if you need a lay-in on the weekend - but not if you need it to stop them wreaking havoc and disturbing the neighbors while you are in the shower so can go to work!:
there is no excuse to prop them in front of the television (except for weekend ‘lay-ins’ – video hire was invented for parental respite under exceptional circumstances!)
I would prefer ideas on quick snacks they can have prior to their proper breakfast at daycare (like bananas) or tips on how you persuade three year olds to put on their socks. Or convincing 5 year olds it is not the time for drawing etc :-)
umm, yeah that article, whilst well meaning is not that practical in reality (well for my family).
I don't like making lunches the night before, anything cut loses nutrients. Ok with making ahead and freezing, but I find things like carrot sticks, or cut fruit just does not turn out nice by the middle of the day. Anything like leftovers, which DH and I eat, is a bit different, as that is usually reheated, but the kids food is quite a different matter.
I thankfully don't have to get up till 7am, so if I want to, I get up earlier to exercise. Thankfully the girls tends to sleep through that.
TV does go on. I don't like it of a morning, but DH does and of course the girls do. I find if they really drag things out of a morning, the threat of losing TV will generally pull them back into line. After one threat, the following morning DD1 got dressed straight away, got her own breakfast and was ready well before anyone else!
Well, I've finally had some luck come my way! I've been offered a job, permanent part time 25 hours per week, 15 hours in the office and 10 from home. The 15 hours are to be done over 3 days, the other 10 whenever I feel like it! DH and I discussed it at length tonight and I'm accepting the offer!
I'm so excited and nervous at the same time, I've been working for the same company for almost 9 years so it's a bit of a risk for us, but definitely one that will be a huge benefit to our family if it works out! Woohoo!
Fantastic Jaycee! Congratulations!
Great news Jaycee! Very exciting - the 15 over three days especially seems good, not having to do a 7.5 hour day in the office seems particularly useful to me.
Today seems to be the day for annoying me on this type of thing - just went to a talk on 'School Readiness' organised by the council by someone who is well known in that arena (KW) - that was so geared towards sessional kinder and people staying at home until child goes to school - I clearly live in the wrong council area.:
I was also very annoyed that she kept equating school with "the end of childhood" - childhood does not end when school starts, there are still many years of fun filled childhood ahead - putting that idea into parents heads all the time, is not going to do their children any favors at all.
Sounds like you're doing well then WYSIWYG! er yeah about the dress code ... thankfully (for me at least) Target does some quite nice basics these days!
I don't get the whole childhood ending thing ... seriously, anyone's who's been into a prep room knows they are still kids! Although it may be that the kids themselves think they are grown up.
Morning snacks ... I give a drink of milk and that's it. Number of times I've dropped the kids off and they are screaming for food makes me a very bad mummy- but they tend not to with milk. Although toast fingers are quick & easy with some vegemite.
Congrats MN!!! I hope it works well for you!!!
Jaycee - wow, great hours ... I'm kinda jealous.
Me - so chatted with my boss ... and I don't need to work from 830-5:30, just till 4ish is OK!!! Guess that means I need to be on the 6:40 train though... yerk
Yes although even Target is really more shopping than I like. Clothes to just magically appear in my wardrobe is what I would like :-):
My two get toast when they get to daycare - so I don't like to do toast at home - a couple of dried apricots / alternated with bananas are seeming to do the trick at the moment. Or an apple but they take way too long with apples and want to nibble them right up to daycare door, and two kids, two bags, on the tram is bad enough without adding two half eaten apples into the equation (reminds me tomorrow is show and tell day so will have a bag of some other creation as well)
I felt really bad one day because they only run breakfast till 8:00 and I wasn't at work but the plan was to get them there for breakfast - well the kids dilly-dallyed on the walk there so we missed breakfast. They only had to survive till about 9:10 when they have early morning snack but I hate it when I miss breakfast so I did feel a bit guilty.
Agreed - I link most of my childhood memories to school age - what a stupid concept :(:
Yay Jaycee, that is awesome!!
Found another very suitable internal role to apply for, doesn't close until next week so have set up a meeting with the hiring manager. Putting my fingers in a few pies now. Both roles I can easily do, but my interview experience is so rusty, my boss will help me with some mock interview practice........ Fingers crossed one of these roles works out!!
How did your chats go MN?
Two weeks down, I am enjoying new job - going to try different commute methods from now on. Nice to have a long weekend (apart from the loss of days money - as now haven't had any pay since beginning of May - starting to notice it)
Super glad it's going well :)
Great! Waiting on interviews now, neither have gotten to that stage yet. One was supposed to then the hiring manager got sick. It's hard waiting! Fingers crossed something pans out as both roles are really interesting.:
Good luck MN. Waiting sucks!
There is big positive change at work in a few weeks and I'm really excited about it. Feeling more optimistic already after a stressful time so far this year.
So. I'll be joining you ladies here on Monday. One more week to go then back to work for this little black duck.
hello OP, not sure if welcome is appropriate as I know you were not so keen on returning to work. Hope it goes better than you expect, for what it is worth - the thinking about going back to work I found worse both times than actually doing it.
Lol thanks wysiwyg. I'm finding lots to look forward to already plus the benefit of REGULAR INCOME!!!! :confetti:
It was just a huge mental shift for me and took ages to get myself used to the idea but I'm pretty good now.
You're not in the CBD, are you?
No unfortunately not - I am working in Broadmeadows - I come up your way and round the ring road - when I drive to work - it would be a good commute for you :-):
I am finding this job is having positive affects at home - I am in a sorting mania and getting far more organised round the home. I think I get in a real slump when am just at home (it would be different I think if I knew I was at home long term, but at home and job hunting I think is not a good combination for me).
Daycare fees are going up though :-( - DS will now be 115 a day and DD 110 a day (when paying full fees) - from July. It used to be the disincentive to work kicked in at more than 3 days a week - due to the CCR limit, but is getting to be more like after 2 days a week now. The place they are at is fantastic, but the limit on the CCR is a killer.
Yea we can only afford 2 days a week care max. Our is going up...but only by $2 a day, and still heaps.cheaper than the big cities (will be 85 a day here).
Spock has only in the last few months started enjoying care tho, took months for her to not cry at drop off and pickup, all the photos they took of her she looked so miserable =( bit now she is happy to go and is laughing and smiling in all the photos =) deffinently makes it easier.
Whats happening to master B qhen you go back OP?
Vacation care has gone up as well. Just trying to sort out what we are booking these holidays. Thankfully DH is going to take a couple of leave days and a friend will help out on another, so they wont be in care the whole time.
Found out some interesting info on the weekend, the main trouble maker at work, also caused trouble at her last place of work. Does not look like my boss did his proper resume and reference checks. So now we are all suffering and he is too blind to see it :wall:
Anyway, today is a sick day. DD1 is not well and I am coming down with a cold. Bad timing for work, but these things happen.
CBD, FTW!!! :confetti:
We should bump sandwiches sometime soon :)
Enjoy your last few days at home though, love. I feel for you :hug:
Welcome OP - hope the return to work does well, for you and the kidlets!!
WYSIWYG - crap, thats expensive. I think we have it very good here. Daily rate is $84, I opted to have my CCR taken in half fees so it certainly takes the sting out. Helps that DS is at School (even private school fees are cheaper then 2 days of childcare). DD has just gone to 3 days of CC so its a bit more, if I land one of these jobs she will need to go 4 days :( Hoping that once I am established I can organise a work from home day again - IF I land a role, and if it pans out. If I end up external f/time she'll definitely be stuck with 4 days. Time will tell
Apparently ours is one of the cheaper centers round here too :-) When CJ first started at daycare in 2010 - the rate was about $84 - so that is a 37% increase in 4 years! If you work out the hourly rate and leave them there for the full 11 hours it doesn't sound so bad.:
Welcome OP xo
Our FDC is going up too from about $89- $92 and that's for up to 10 hours. It's more expensive than others in the area which are as low as $65 a day before CCB and CCR.
I have a swollen throat :-( I think I caught if from one of the children at work today. I hope I won't need time off as ive only got 7 sick days left until may 2015.
Wow, I'm shocked at some of the childcare costs! Ours is $85/day part time, the daily rate is a bit lower if the kids are there 5 days a week.
Good to read that you're finding things to look forward to about Monday OP. I'm nowhere near that stage yet lol.
Still unsure how many days I'll actually be working. I had a few options and have let my old boss know what I'd like, but I don't know yet what they can do for me. The waiting sucks!
Childcare around here is pretty consistent - $80-$100 a day.
We are fortunate though that my ILs are going to take the boys (to answer your question TT) for the two days that I'll be in the office (Th-Fri) and so they will do the school runs as well. We are fortunate. Basically the only reason I am going back is $$$ and they see it as a bit ridiculous that they are retired and basically spending time here or travelling, so they are able to help out, and save us a significant bit of cash each week.
The third day I will do from home, sort of spread over the other three days. So I'll check emails at least twice on the three days and respond where I need to, plus make phone calls if I need to, while DS2 is sleeping. Again, I am fortunate that I can do this. ILs weren't willing to commit to three days, especially spread across the week, so this works for all of us. They can still do their beach life for five days and then come back for Thurs-Fri.
It's going to be difficult to juggle being at home and making sure I do my hours, but it is in my best interest to make it work, so make it work I will. Again, fortunate. I have an understanding employer. Mostly ;)
Nutter, lunch, when? Monday?? :lol:
Well I guess I'm going to find out what our full time care rate is :( After a few months of my boss searching for something else for me, the only thing I can return to is my old job, full time. I'm pretty upset by it really. I hate the thought of my kids in care 5 days a week. And when am I going to get anything done? Family life is going to suck for a while. It may be that I stay until I'm certain of a LSL pro rata payout and search for something more suitable, which I'm not really all that happy about either. Oh well.
Oh hun, that sucks, you must be devastated :(
How long until you are certain of a pro-rata payout?
I'm not sure, we haven't been able to figure out the policy properly, I can't work out what, if any, of my leave is counted. So I worked out to be eligible I need to work there 7 years, or 364 weeks. Including two lots of maternity leave, when I return I'll have been there 443 weeks. If I take away all of the maternity leave, even the parts paid by the company, it's 359 weeks. So, if they include 24 weeks of leave that they paid me for, I'm eligible now. And if not, I'm only 5 weeks away anyway.
Oh no! Would your DH be able to be part time at his work, and spend some time with kids and at home. That way the kids aren't in care 5 days and he can do things at home.
Unfortunately there's no scope for him to do part-time. He's a maintenance fitter at a factory that operates 24/7 throughout the year, so under normal circumstances he does a fair bit of over time and gets call-outs at all hours. I mean he can say no, but the guys doing this job all ned to take turns doing some of the extra work, it can't just be restricted to certain hours.
As it is he works 7-3 so he picks up the kids earlier than I could and therefore can't do overtime unless I can re-jig something at work to leave early. Friday is the only difference, they all go to the pub after work and I don't want to make him stop that, it's the only thing he does all week. So I'm going to ask if I can leave early on Fridays - no doubt I'll be taking work home with me anyway.
With our policy at work, maternity leave, either paid or unpaid is not counted towards pro-rata, however annual leave is.
I had a feeling ours counted the 12 weeks of paid leave, but I'm not sure anymore. Not that it matters anyway, there aren't any part time jobs available that I can do right now - I did find the perfect one but it turns out it's in the hills and the drive would be too long.
Ah crap Teeki that sucks, I'm so sorry to read that. And I don't know about the leave either. :(
Oh Teeki I'm so sorry hon, that sucks. I know u were hoping to find some flexibility.
I've recently gone full time while we ride out the impacts of redundancy and I'm working Mondays from home. It's bloody hard to keep up with everything. The only suggestion I have is whe you have the full time income is it feasible to get a cleaner to help with maximize family time? We find this gives us back valuable time with the kids and it's not as expensive as u might think
That is rubbish Teeki.
Good luck on your first day back OP. Hope your little man gets better soon, after DD I was back full time for three months and the first week of it DD had HFM so was home with DH - kids have impeccable timing!
Good luck today OP! I hope it goes smoothly and quickly for you and your babies xxx