What should I do when I grow up??? (I mean NOW???) (payment, degree)

[Kellypink]

So my Dear Husband would like me to go back to work after uh um 9 years!
He would like to have more free spending cash to have fun with....

I have not worked since I was 19 years old.. When I got pregnant I said to him I was going to stay home with my child till she went off to preschool, well three years later we got pregnant and had another, then three years after that yet another baby to keep me home and occupied. Although my son is only 14 months I think I am ready to begin the searching process, Or at the very least consider my options.

I have my GED and AA degree. The type of work I used to do Before was Restaurant service and Banking. Done with that. I don't like people all that much to deal with the varying kinds of customer service all day long.

I also do not want to go to work just to pay my daycare costs.. So earnings would have to be more than say 3000.00 per month to make my time away from them worth it.

Does anybody have any suggestions???
What do you do???
What should I do???

[flkleez]

I was in your stay-at-home shoes and quite frankly wanted to have my own 'adult' life again. I ended up becoming a 911 operator/police dispatcher. It was the best decision I could've made. The pay is quite well for a career that doesn't require a bachelors degree and it's hard to beat the benefits offered by government agencies. You must have a 'clean' background. There is room for youthful curiosity, as long as you are honest about everything. There is a testing process to go through but otherwise on-the-job training. Also, it is a female dominated workplace, and tends to attract other moms, therefore you can find a built-in support system as well as lifelong friendships.
Downside is shift work- you must be able to work a variety of shifts, especially through training. Also, it is likely you would have to work holidays and weekends at some point. Once you build up seniority you can then have a better pick of shifts or vacation days off. If you have any more questions, let me know. Good luck!

[mamatotex97]

How old are the other kids?
Well, it really depends how much you want to work and how much you want time spent in daycare. Also consider the factor of summer when they are not in school during the day.
With you Associates have you considered working for a school district?
The pay for that type of degree would probably range from 16k-26k BUT you would have off when the kids have off. That would include being off in the summer WHILE getting a paycheck. Granted it's not the 3k per month you are wanting but weigh all your options.

[Canine*Castle]

Well, I'm from the old school and if you've made up your mind to go back to work, that's great for you. Just remember the most important and rewarding "job" in the world is motherhood and being there for your children. Money only buys things and things come and go, but the love and time you give to your children will last a lifetime. Good luck to you.

[stargazer]

I agree that working at a school district would be a good move for you due to having kids in school. Working full time can cost tons of money for day care when they are off on break, even before and after school can add up too. As someone also pointed out, you would have all vacations off as your kids if you worked in distict. Good luck.

[momof2dfw]

I'd also recommend trying the local schools. Even in the front office or a library aide. You can try to get your certification for a higher position in the library. The pay may be less and probably will be than the $3K a month your wanting but the $$$$ saved in childcare for the summer months may very well make up for it. Keep that in consideration along w/ the benefits that would be offered thru the school district as an employee. Your health insurance could very possibly be lower a month in premiums than what your husband is getting and a better policy all around w/ less out of pocket expenses (lower deductibles). All of that adds up and must be considered when your looking at childcare for 3 (after hours care if your working late hours and your husband is too) and benefits for a family of 5.

[FarNorthDallas]

I looked into working for a school district as an school office person or aid or something (I have a Bachelor's degree, but not a teaching certificate) because I thought the hours and days off would be better for my then young son. The pay was only about $1200 a month. If I wanted health insurance for me and my son it was going to be about $400. It was clearly a gig for a married mom just looking to get out of the house why school age kids were in school. One mom who did it said it was just grocery money.

I don't know what you are going to find making $3000/month without any specific skills. I mean once taxes are taken out, that means what? Finding a job for $42-43,000 a year? I would look into sales, commissioned sales maybe.

[BstYet2Be]

You could also look into working at any of the area colleges. They usually include free tuition as part of their benefits package and then you could work towards completing your BA degree which would greatly enhance your chances of finding a much better-paying job.

[mamatotex97]

I've been doing the school gig for about four years now and though it's the LEAST I've made compared to corporate America.....it's the most rewarding. And you are right about it being 1200, however for many that's a mortgage payment. It's not for everyone I admit. There are other perks to it. Just one of many options she can consider.

[rb4browns]

Originally Posted by Kellypink

So my Dear Husband would like me to go back to work after uh um 9 years!
He would like to have more free spending cash to have fun with....

I'd tell your dear husband that there is no going "back" to work. You are a full time mom raising kids, that's more than enough work already. He should man up and make more money if he wants more cash to have fun with.

But that's just me....