If you work part time...

[EmilyGF]

in home or out, what do you do?

 

 

Especially interested in people who took a while off with littles.

 

Thanks.

 

[lmrich]

I teach homeschool classes both in my home and outside my home. I was a teacher before kids (and after kids as well) so it is a perfect fit for me and my family. 

[Scarlett]

I took 14 years off. :). I now am a personal assistant. That is the best way I can think to describe my position. I clean house, grocery shop, organize a home. Run errands of all sorts.....do laundry.....cook... Work approximately 15-20 hours a week.

[HSmomof2]

I work 15 hrs/week for our local library. I'm making way, way less than I did working in IT before kids, but the schedule works for us, it's close by, and is enough to just take the edge off the budget. I'd eventually like to do something else as dc get older that has better pay and benefits.

[bettyandbob]

I was out of the work force for several years.

 

My first job returning was swim instructor at the YMCA. The Y did not require any current certifications. I had been a member and knew some of the coaches. This was a great Job to start with. It gave a great discount on family membership and on classes for my dc. I did get my certifications current and took a different swim instructor position which paid significantly more at our community center. Initially, I worked Saturday's, early am (6am adult lessons) and one preschool morning block a week. The pool were I work now has some discounts available for classes and I get to bring my family to swim free.

 

When we were having financial problems I sought another job. I took a 2 day a week position at a private school. The school has an online program and onsite program. Most of the onsite students are placements made by the local school district. My dc have all returned to public school. So, I've increased my hours. My hours there are completely based on the hours my 13 yo is attending his sp Ed program.

 

I am considering seeking a more tradional teaching position with my local district. I don't know if I'll be successful.

[ajfries]

I work as a banker from 11-2 everyday.My SIL watches the kids. She's homeschooling her 2 boys so it works out really well. They all do content subjects together.

[LucyStoner]

I provide a variety of services for small, social change minded non-profit organizations. I am shifting to do mostly bookkeeping and accounting work but previously I did a lot of grantwriting and fundraising. I also bring general management, data and marketing skills/advice that my clients appreciate. I keep it very, very part-time. It is ideal work for me.

 

-no marketing costs as all my work comes to me via LinkedIn and word of mouth.

-selling a skill and not something I have to keep an inventory of or incur many costs to provide.

-decent per hour rate means I can work very few hours per month and still bring in a decent amount of extra income.

-most work can be done from home.

-keeps my contacts fresh and my skills updated enough that if I needed to find a FT job or wanted to work more hours, I would most likely be able to do so. Basically, if my husband were, gosh forbid, to be laid off, disabled or deceased, I most likely wouldn't have too long of a job search. I get feelers from people looking to hire fundraisers and non-profit managers fairly regularly.

- it's different brain stimulation than I get at home. In short, non-kid time. I get a little of both worlds without many downsides.

 

The one downside is that this isn't super portable because contacts and reputation are mostly local. If we moved a lot, it might not be the best. I know I could establish myself elsewhere but here, my prior career and job contacts established me and it's not too difficult to ask around for work if I want more hours than are finding me.

[myfunnybunch]

I do data collection for education research.

 

My degree is in special education. I took many years off and found part-time work when my littles turned into bigs.

 

I wasn't really actively searching for work. I found my job on Craigslist while helping my teen dd look for a job and thought the description (temporary, part-time, flexible hours, working with children) sounded perfect for me. I love it. Sometimes there's lots of work; sometimes not so much, but it suits me either way.

 

Cat

[hjffkj]

In home, I homeschooling my nephew. Out of the home, I pet sit and have been doing so since I was 18, so 10 years. The pet sitting is great money and great because I get to choose how many clients I take on. Son when I need to scale things back I do. When my kids are older I will be able to do it fulltime if I want pretty easily and make really good money.

[linguistmama]

I'm a freelance translator.  I have a degree in a foreign language and did some translating when my oldest was a baby.  It didn't work out for long at the time because she was high needs and then I had 2 more kids.  Now we are done having children and my youngest will be 3 next month.  She loves to play with her older sisters and they are very willing to get her the occasional snack.  It is working out for us because it hasn't cost anything to start up again, I can do it from home, I decide how much I will work and I don't have to arrange childcare or even go anywhere.  

 

One of our neighbors does medical transcription at home.

[Jenny in Florida]

My background is in editing and technical writing, pre-kids. I took 18 years more or less "off" to be home with my kids. (During that time, I worked a couple of part-time retail jobs, one of which I kept for about three years, but nothing remotely "professional.")

 

About 18 months ago, I started tutoring English, essay writing and social studies online from home. This past summer, I began teaching reading, study skills and test prep in person at a chain learning center. Between the two jobs, I work an average of about 25 hours a week. I could have more hours, but that's what works for my life right now.

 

I also occasionally do some general transcription through Rev.com. The pay is very low, but the work isn't difficult. I use that to fill in when the online tutoring is slow, especially during the summer.

[laughing lioness]

I work from home as a high-school Academic Advisor for a homeschool company that works with students world wide. I have been out of the professional world for twenty years. 

[texasmama]

I took about seven years off with babies.  I am a therapist.  Since returning to work part-time, I have done adjunct teaching at a local university, private practice therapy, contract therapy at an agency, supervision of other social workers towards advanced licenses, editing of mail order CEU courses for my profession, lay doula for an adoption agency (birth moms living in a dorm) and utilization management.  I am currently mostly unemployed, but I will pick up a social worker to supervise next month and will begin a few hours a week at a local counseling agency which wants me to supervise graduate school interns there.  I am a dabbler.  :)

[Liz CA]

Crisis Counseling. I had volunteered at a place when my son was still being home schooled. The facility lend itself to his volunteering as well so it worked out very well for all of us. I eventually became staff but we have moved since then. I am now at another crisis clinic. I can work as little or as much as I want even though people are needed and I will probably increase my hours in 2015.

[EmilyGF]

Thanks! These are interesting so far. Keep 'em coming!

[KungFuPanda]

I teach bellydance classes at a community center, and in my home studio (empty family room with a wall of mirrors). It's more like 1/4 time.

[milovany]

I didn't work for about 16 years and then got hired/trained in providing real time transcription service for hearing impaired college students when my olders could stay home with the youngers for 1-3 hour spurts (we lived 1.5 blocks south of a state university at the time). I would go to class with a deaf/hard-of-hearing student and, using the software program I was trained in (which involves both an abbreviation system of typing as well as shortening/translation techniques to "chunk" what is being said), I would listen to the lecture and classroom discussion and type it out quickly for the student, who was sitting elsewhere in the room, to read on their laptop. There is about a 3-5 second delay but all in all, it allows them to participate in the class more fully. I did that for 2.5 years and then got involved in working from home for students all over the country.  Now I work for both colleges and high schools, skyping into the classrooms that the students are in and using a web link to transmit the transcript to them, still in real time.  I'm on the west coast which means I can take classes on the east coast beginning at about 4:30 or 5:00 a.m, working until it's time to start homeschooling at about 9:00 a.m., and then I can also perhaps take an afternoon class or two.  It pays pretty well and I love it. 

 

The hardest part about breaking into this field is that the software company currently requires transcribers to have 50 hours of onsite experience before they can start working remote from home.  So finding a college that uses the service and that will hire you (and possibly train you, too) can be challenging.  If that possibility exists, it's a great career for homeschooling parents. 

[Lucy the Valiant]

I was a teacher before home schooling, and I tutor part time now. I love the teaching part of it (I don't love the after-school hours, but - it's okay), and it pays quite well, so the few hours I do work do make a (small but important) difference in our budget.

[Reefgazer]

I teach part time at a local college (at night when DH is home, mostly).

[Arctic Bunny]

I work as a waitress at a local diner 9-2 on school days. Not having to pay for daycare after school or on holidays is great, as are the tips.

[Tap]

I am a pharmacy technician.  I have always worked but there are lots of people in the field who start it as second career even after the age of 40 or 50. 

 

You need a decent memory, good math skills and are able multitask or do a single task all.day.long.  

[G5052]

I started as an adjunct professor, teaching one night a week, then added local paid homeschool classes that I taught while mine were in other classes.

 

Now I work full-time, teaching both online and face-to-face classes.  It gets a little crazy, but I work mostly from home and mine are in high school now.

[momofkhm]

I was a bench scientific analyst before kids.  Took off many years, maybe it was 20?  Now I am the church secretary.  I work about 10 hours a week.  It's great because I can work around my youngest' outside class schedule.  More important for next year though when my youngest driver heads to college.  I'll have a year of driving youngest kid before he has his license.

 

 

[DawnM]

I haven't worked in 10 years.  I am seriously considering going back part time teaching ESL at night at the Community College.  It doesn't pay all that well, but it will get my resume back up to speed hopefully with some current work experience.  I am planning to go back to work full time in about 3 years if not sooner (school counseling.)

[regentrude]

I am a physicist. After staying home for a few years when my kids were little, I began teaching part time at a university. Now my kids are older, and I am teaching full time.

[Firefly]

B.C. (Before Children ;) )  I worked as a therapist, but took 14 years off to be a SAHM.  When the kids' school work was becoming largely independent and they were taking a lot of outside classes, I decided to look for something PT and found a job in a little art gallery as a program manager.  It was a total fluke and I actually found the job on Craigslist! lol  So, I field and coordinate exhibits, lectures, concerts etc.  It's a very small venue and I've been here about 3 years now.  Fortunately it's only about 7 minutes from the house and is completely flexible-- I totally make my own hours and love it!  In fact, we are really expanding our programming here, and now that my youngest DD is attending the local high school and DS will be graduating early in May, I'm transitioning to FT this summer.

[Anne in CA]

I no longer home school, but when I did I was banquet staff at a large hotel. The work was very flexible and paid well for blue collar work and I could mostly work in the evenings when dh was home, although the last three years I did that I worked a lot of lunch and breakfast because ds was getting ready for/ in college and we needed the money for that. 

[ScoutTN]

Great thread! Fun to see what people are doing and have done. We are such a diverse community!

 

I work very part time in children's ministry at my church. I had 16 months off when dd was born, then worked for another church for about 2 years, then returned to my own church. It pays enough to cover my kids' piano lessons and sports and a few FTs each year. A good job for a homeschooling mom since I am working when we are at church anyway and the other time is flexible except for an occasional meeting.

[laughing lioness]

I've noticed several therapists on this thread. I have an MFT but the cost of getting licensed in my area is a deal breaker. 

[Stratford]

I've worked part-time since my oldest was born (with 1 year full time thrown in somewhere.)  I'm an RN and have mostly worked a weekend-only schedule for the past 7 years.  I was an ER nurse for a long time but currently work in the hospital logistics department doing transfers and bed placement.  I miss the patient contact but I enjoy my little office and it's much less stressful.  Working weekends is great for not needing daycare, being able to homeschool, etc. but I do miss (A LOT) having "normal" weekends with my family.  I am home on Sundays, so we go to church together, but I'm pretty exhausted by that time.  

[Firefly]

I've noticed several therapists on this thread. I have an MFT but the cost of getting licensed in my area is a deal breaker. 

 

 

Yes, this was an issue for me as well.  That and the extra courses I would have been required to take for re-certification.  :001_unsure:  It worked out for the best in the end, though!

[bettyandbob]

I've worked part-time since my oldest was born (with 1 year full time thrown in somewhere.) I'm an RN and have mostly worked a weekend-only schedule for the past 7 years. I was an ER nurse for a long time but currently work in the hospital logistics department doing transfers and bed placement. I miss the patient contact but I enjoy my little office and it's much less stressful. Working weekends is great for not needing daycare, being able to homeschool, etc. but I do miss (A LOT) having "normal" weekends with my family. I am home on Sundays, so we go to church together, but I'm pretty exhausted by that time.

The RNs I know work 2 or 3 overnights a week. 3 = 36 hours, which some places is full time benefits. I dont think I could do night shifts. But full time in three days with no daycare sounds like something I'd consider if I could.

[EmilyGF]

This is interesting! I was an engineer BK and it just seems that one can't work as an engineer part time (unless you've been with the company 10+ years and are indispensable). Since having kids I worked as a church secretary remotely for a few years and nannied for a few months (mainly to help a friend in a pinch). 

 

Emily

[laughing lioness]

This is interesting! I was an engineer BK and it just seems that one can't work as an engineer part time (unless you've been with the company 10+ years and are indispensable). Since having kids I worked as a church secretary remotely for a few years and nannied for a few months (mainly to help a friend in a pinch). 

 

Emily

 

A SAHM I know who worked as an engineer BK, had patents and made great money, recently went back to work. She can't get hired as an engineer and went back to work as an actuary. 

[laughing lioness]

Yes, this was an issue for me as well.  That and the extra courses I would have been required to take for re-certification.  :001_unsure:  It worked out for the best in the end, though!

Your current job sounds wonderful! 

[Firefly]

It is, Lisa!  I really lucked out with it.  :)  Sounds like you found a good fit, too.  As much as I love my job, being able to work from home seems like the ideal!

[OhanaBee]

I was out of the work force for over 20 years.  Two years ago a friend of mine let me know that they needed someone to do light secretarial work in a special department at out local university.  She recommended me for the job, which is, basically, the only way I got it.  I'm still officially "Part Time Temporary" which means they don't need to worry about providing benefits for me at any point.  It was a good way to transition back into the work force, and my boss is really good about my working from home one day a week [i work three days out of the week].  In my area, getting a job depends a lot on who you know.

[texasmama]

I've noticed several therapists on this thread. I have an MFT but the cost of getting licensed in my area is a deal breaker. 

I got my LCSW license prior to launching into the three babies in five years phase of my life, and during the years I did not work at all, I still kept my license current with CEU's. 

 

Paying for private supervision for the time needed to obtain an independent license can be costly.  It can also be difficult to find a private supervisor.  Are these your barriers to getting licensed?

[laughing lioness]

I do love being able to make decent money and still be home to homeschool but it's been a huge juggling match. I always feel like if I am concentrating on one thing, I'm ignoring another- maybe that is just the plight of the working woman? 

The job is a good fit, but it is much more computer work than I thought it would be and I'll tell ya'- this year has about cooked my grits with the incessant computer learning curve. We have changed 3 different systems in the past year. I am much more of a people person than tech person-lol! They sure didn't hire me for tech, but I'm learning it anyway!

[texasmama]

I do love being able to make decent money and still be home to homeschool but it's been a huge juggling match. I always feel like if I am concentrating on one thing, I'm ignoring another- maybe that is just the plight of the working woman? 

The job is a good fit, but it is much more computer work than I thought it would be and I'll tell ya'- this year has about cooked my grits with the incessant computer learning curve. We have changed 3 different systems in the past year. I am much more of a people person than tech person-lol! They sure didn't hire me for tech, but I'm learning it anyway!

The computer/technical aspect is the main reason I don't plan to go back to adjunct teaching at this point.  I was teaching direct practice/therapy courses, but so much techie stuff was required or expected that it took the joy out of it for me.  I conducted my classes without using Power Point, and I asked students to put away laptops, which was really unpopular, but I disliked discussing direct practice topics to a sea of laptops and no eye contact.  It seemed ironic.

[LMV]

I am an Emergency Medicine Attending Physician. Technically I work part-time but I will work some extra shifts when we're shorthanded in the department. My husband and I are generally able to coordinate our schedules so he can be home with the kids while I am working and I'm home with them while he works. For those rare impossible schedule days we rely on family/extended family in the area.  We usually fill this role for them as well so it all works out.

[PeachyDoodle]

I freelance marketing and design services, mostly for the church I worked at before ds was born. I handle their website (we're finishing up a major redesign) and produce their newsletter/magazine, weekly enews, brochures, etc. They have a staff person who does a lot of my old job, but she doesn't have all the technical skills I do, so they asked me come back and pick up some of those tasks. It's less than 5 hours/week and pays very little but I can do it all from home on my own schedule so it works. We put aside whatever I bring in for fun stuff. We're going to Disney in February!

[1bassoon]

I'm doing a whole bunch of different jobs currently:

 

1. teach private bassoon lessons early Monday morning at the local high school

2. work for an online homeschool company as the teaching assistant for 5th grade, which means I log on and grade papers during the week (they are hiring now; if anyone wants info, let me know!)

3. teach h.s. biology at a local co-op

4. teach 5 piano students; I travel to their houses

5. clean for our church nursery 2-3 hours per week, while my daughters are in ballet (pays the gas)

6. in the summers, I run science camps for local kids at area churches

 

I feel stressed, stretched, and like it's never enough. . . .. :crying:  May need to think about going back full-time in the next two years. Hoping the local co-op will hire me for 3-4 classes next year, then I could cut back and maybe only work 1 job.

[Laura in CA]

I work 15 hrs/week for our local library. I'm making way, way less than I did working in IT before kids, but the schedule works for us, it's close by, and is enough to just take the edge off the budget. I'd eventually like to do something else as dc get older that has better pay and benefits.

 

Wow, for a minute I thought *I* wrote that post! Substitute "other high-tech field" for IT, and I could have written it, word for word. Perfect for right now.

 

:seeya: Hi! :)

[Rivka]

I am a clinical psychologist. I used to work part-time as a researcher in academia, but it made me really unhappy and stressed me out. A year and a half ago, I quit my job and struck out on my own.

 

Now I have a private practice working with families and children. I focus primarily on the assessment, diagnosis, and therapy needs of homeschooling families, although I also work with kids who go to school. I do evaluations for learning disabilities and ADHD, I do some gifted testing and achievement testing, and a fair amount of therapy for anxiety, behavior issues, depression, etc.

 

I love it. I'm really, really happy.

[MarinesWife]

Before I had my 16 year old I worked in the accounting field for various companies, mostly as the bookkeeper for a smaller business. 

 

I started working in April, after 16 years off, as the bookkeeper for our church.  It's 2 days a week, very flexible, and perfect for me. 

[Isabella]

After my kids finished homeschooling, I had a couple of years off with sickness (Hodgkin's Lymphoma) and recovery.  During that period, I did lots of thinking about what I really wanted to do with myself.  I'm not sure that I've narrowed it down, as I have a few things on the go, and I love each one of them.  I'll stick with them all until one of them doesn't work for me, or doesn't feel right any more.

 

I work as a 'home help'/housekeeper/nanny for a lady with a two year old and 9mo twins.  At the moment this is 3 days a week for 5hrs each day (15hrs weekly).  

 

I also do remedial English (reading & spelling) tutoring for 5 boys who come to my home (individually).  This mostly works out for around 12hrs per week.  

 

And I also have been trained in Bowen Therapy (a kind of remedial massage), and I see clients at my home.  This varies from 5hrs some weeks to none other weeks.  

 

I want to pick up the Bowen Therapy a little more, as it's the most profitable of all my ventures.  

 

I really love all my different areas of work, but I am finding it harder to keep up at home, so I have a couple of teens from a neighbouring family come to help out.  The son does 2hrs of gardening/mowing each week, and the daughter does 2hrs of housework. :-)  It's a real blessing for me. 

[lewelma]

I tutor high school math, science, and study skills in my home.  I'm not a homework helper.  Instead, I design and implement year long programs to remediate each kid's individual situation. I love it! 

 

Ruth in NZ

[creekland]

I substitute teach in our local high school.  This is my 15th year and I've no plans to stop unless we move someday.

 

BK I worked in industry - quality control (used my degree, but VERY boring) - then I took time off when my kids were young.  I was going a bit batty being at home all the time, so picked up an overnight job stocking a grocery store.  That was ok (gave me an outlet), but it certainly wasn't a dream job.  When hubby started his own business he was far more free time-wise (could work from home), so that changed my opportunities (since we're not into childcare and don't have family nearby).  That's when someone suggesting subbing.  I never wanted to teach, but I figured, "Why not try?"

 

From the beginning I loved it and over the years I've been crafting my position.  I'm a math/science person (or psych/French) so mainly stick with those classes except when I really want a job (or am doing a favor for a friend) and one of those isn't available.  I pretty much know ALL of the teachers in the math/science dept well, so get to actually teach (same thing they would have done) rather than just subbing.  I'm allowed to change things as I want with an extremely free rein.

 

There's not much money involved, so I could never do it for a living, but it fits my personality and "outlet" needs very, very well.  It also keeps my brain up on oodles of academic things - at least through a high school level.  I only do high school.  I'm not talented enough to handle younger kids.  I love teens and vice versa.

 

I could pretty much work every school day if I wanted to, but that would defeat the "part time" aspect of it.  Instead, I try for about 3 days per week on average.  I'm too spoiled to want a full time job at this point in my life.  I love the freedom part time gives me.  Since hubby is still the owner of his business, both of us have really flexible schedules that allow us plenty of time for things we like to do (like travel).  Full time working for someone else would take that away.  The money is not worth it to us.

[deerforest]

I never stopped working, but DH was a SAHD for 7 years. He was an IT guy so having skills that were 7 years out of date was a concern. However, we totally lucked out when he started looking for a job 4 years ago. A local food co-op was hiring an IT guy, and they loved the fact that he was a SAHD, and their technology was all so outdated that his skills were still relevant! He's the IT manager now, and both theirs and his skills have joined current technology.

 

But, having outdated skills might actually be a benefit to smaller or non-profit companies. They tend to be more open minded about transitions back to the workforce too.