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An extra day with baby or more money?
PaulaLarr
Regular
I just wanted to ask some fellow mamas their thought on a dilemma I’m in.
I returned to work in January. I dropped down to 4 days a week so I could have more time with baby boy! I’ve never loved my job. It’s tolerable but it’s not a job I am passionate about by any stretch. Because of my lack on enthusiasm I’ve been casually looking at other jobs. The other day I applied for a job that is £10-15k more than my current salary!! I got a call the day after I applied and an invitation to a phone interview. Today I passed the phone interview and I’m onto the next stage!
I’m so excited by the prospect of more money! The job itself seems ok. I can’t say it excites me as such but it’s so much more preferable to my current role, and I may love it? I just won’t know until I do it (if I’m successful of course!) The only nagging thing I have is that I would be working 5 days again. As fellow mums do you think the pay bump is worth sacrificing that extra day I currently have with my baby?
I returned to work in January. I dropped down to 4 days a week so I could have more time with baby boy! I’ve never loved my job. It’s tolerable but it’s not a job I am passionate about by any stretch. Because of my lack on enthusiasm I’ve been casually looking at other jobs. The other day I applied for a job that is £10-15k more than my current salary!! I got a call the day after I applied and an invitation to a phone interview. Today I passed the phone interview and I’m onto the next stage!
I’m so excited by the prospect of more money! The job itself seems ok. I can’t say it excites me as such but it’s so much more preferable to my current role, and I may love it? I just won’t know until I do it (if I’m successful of course!) The only nagging thing I have is that I would be working 5 days again. As fellow mums do you think the pay bump is worth sacrificing that extra day I currently have with my baby?
Just to add, one of the other reasons I sought another job was to get a job that paid a decent maternity leave. My current role only paid the statutory and 6 months was a huge stretch for us! In fact we could only do that long as I had some money left from a relative that passed just before we conceived. If we were to have another baby or two (which I’d love!) maternity leave would be almost non-existent in my current role. I don’t know what this new role offers with maternity but the pay-rise alone could certainly go into savings towards a future maternity.
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Replies
I think things to consider would be if you have family childcare support (I was happy to go back FT for a while as DD1 was with grandparents twice a week and I used annual leave every other Monday so I had time with her); how much financial strain you are under; your future job prospects eg could you go for the new job then change jobs in a few years; childcare fees (eg I can’t afford to work FT with DD1&DD2 as nursery fees would be too high). But it’s important you enjoy your job - happy mum happy baby. I personally don’t think money is comparable to time with my child as long as I have enough to be comfortable but I think being happy is vital. Good luck weighing up the pros and cons xx