Single Parent - Possible move to Boston area

[hingham-x]

A little 1-bedroom cottage was just renovated behind a house in Hingham and it is for rent at $1400./mo. It's a great place to bring up a child and you can walk downtown and to the library from the cottage. I will send you the details and contact information.

[melgirl30]

Originally Posted by SpringMom3

LOL, really? As a 5 yr old, when my family moved here from out of the country, all 5 of us lived in a 1 bedroom apartment. 2 parents/3 kids. My parents had the bedroom and we had the living room transformed into a bedroom. Never even felt small- they kept everything super organized and our beds transformed to couches. Within a year they upgraded to a 2 bed then a 3 bed in the same neighborhood of apartment complexes in Chestnut Hill. Then they bought a house and the rest is history.

Laws are different now and that would probably (or most definitely) be illegal now, however who are you to say a 2 year old needs their own bedroom while this mom is trying to do the right thing for her child to move to a good place with good schools? If it's not illegal, I would hardly say a 2 yo needs their own bedroom.

OP- this is a tough one bc if you look in let's say Cambridge, the apartments and daycare are way more expensive (depending on neighborhood though) but its cheap to use public transportation. (and Cambridge for example lets you do a junior kindergarten really cheap comparatively.) You move to the burbs and get cheaper housing/daycare but then spend 250 commuting into the city and need a car etcetc. Def check all those places out but once you figure out job situation it will be easier to recommend for a full picture where you can add up your whole budget of rent+daycare+commute. Not that I'm recommending Cambridge but just that it would really vary based on where you're going to commute to, etc.

Thank you! My son is 17 months now. He is still a baby. I don't think it's weird to share a room boy or girl! He has a room now and only uses his room for sleeping and is hardly in it. We co slept for a while too. I would much rather have a larger living room/space good than 2 bedrooms, if I can only afford a 1 bedroom.

[melgirl30]

Originally Posted by Whatsnext75

Yeah the 2 year old having their own room is kind of the OPS decision...my son is 20 months, had his own room, crib, etc but he's still in my bed. Anyways...it's helpful that your child's father will be here. Are u hoping to rekindle something with him? 50k is not a lot for boston especially as a single parent.

No, but he will still be very involved with our son and parenting. Fortunately, our relationship remains friendly and he is a good father.

[melgirl30]

Originally Posted by MrLinderman

What field are you in? The economy is doing pretty damn well here, but the competition for good jobs is still insane. It may not be as easy as you think to land a decent paying job.

I am looking for work as a Legal Secretary or Paralegal/Legal Assistant. I am finishing a Paralegal Certificate over the next few months. I met with some recruiters this week and they are optimistic about placing me. It's just a bit early because I am not moving until the end of May. So I will have to see. For someone at my level, 60K would most likely be the most I could make at this point. I also have a background in Figure Skating and am starting to teach lessons.

[Whatsnext75]

If you take the 1400 a month place in hingham there's a also a skating rink there (:

[Nobodybody]

Best advice I can think of is to find a job a town you'd like to live in, outside of Boston. If you can live and work in the same town, commuting costs and daycare costs are reduced, and you will always be close to your child if you needed to get to him pick up/drop off for school (eventually) etc.

[MrLinderman]

Originally Posted by Nobodybody

Best advice I can think of is to find a job a town you'd like to live in, outside of Boston. If you can live and work in the same town, commuting costs and daycare costs are reduced, and you will always be close to your child if you needed to get to him pick up/drop off for school (eventually) etc.

Agreed.

There's a few other points to consider. I used to be a lawyer (thankfully I'm not anymore). Fact of the matter is, unless OP has connections or is very lucky, she's not getting a job at a big firm (the ones paying 50-60k) a year. Those jobs are VERY hard to come by. On top of that, the second the find out you're a single mom, unfotunatley, you're screwed. Those firms are the ones that expect you to work a ton, and be at their beck and call. Paralegals and Assistants probably have it easier than attorneys, but a lot of firms expect their attorneys to bill 2000-2400 hours a year, which means working 3000-3500. 60-80 hour weeks are the norm.

Also, we need to be realistic as well. Many many many of the smaller firms in the burbs don't pay well at all. OP is probably looking at somewhere around 35k a year starting out, so living in the burbs to save costs is a must. They will probably be a bit more flexible with the kid though.

Fact of the matter is, law is a land mine of a career field right now, for attorneys and paralegals alike. Best of luck, but please don't move here without a job in a hand, or you'll be screwed.

[CaseyB]

This is true. My husband is an attorney in the suburbs with his own practice. He doesn't pay anywhere near 50-60K. No benefits, either.