Χά�ων Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 I am planning to return to school while DS is in highschool with the goal to reenter the workforce once he has graduated. I cannot imagine continuing to stay at home after. I would be bored stiff! What are your plans for once you have launched your youngest child? ETA: I would love to hear from those who have been there done this. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clementine Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 Well that's a long way away and I don't believe we are done with children, yet, but I have a business to restart as soon as I'm not dealing with small people and much active homeschooling. I also have political and church work to keep me busy. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 I started working part time about five years ago when my oldest was 15 and my youngest an infant. I took a brief six-week training session to become qualified for the service I provide for hearing impaired high school and college students. I continue to work now and will continue for as long as my hearing, sight, finger dexterity and quickness of mind continue (if the service remains technologically relevant). If I need to work and can't do what I do now, I very well might return to the first job I loved: waitressing. Once the last of the kids is launched, the olders should be well into or entering their early family-building years, so I also plan to grandma with the best of them! I'm pretty sure there will be loads of volunteering with our local parish as well. Other thoughts: I'd love to travel more. I'd love to do service projects more. My husband and I have also considered getting a cabin cruiser type boat to live on for a couple of years sometime later (I can do my current job from any location as long as I can get the internet). Lots of thoughts and ideas, it'll be interesting to see which play out! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 I started tutoring online in a very part-time way during the last 18 months or so that my son was still technically homeschooling, when he no longer needed much attention from me. Once he was on his way to college, I sent out resumes to every tutoring center and similar service in town, touting my pre-kids work experience in technical writing and instructional design, plus my homeschooling and tutoring abilities,and had a second part-time job in about two weeks. I don't make a lot of money at either one. Between the two, I work 20 - 30 hours a week and more or less cover our out-of-pocket portion of my son's tuition. I've held onto both gigs for the last year, because I like the flexible scheduling each allows. I'm starting to feel antsy and like I'm ready to move up or move on to the next phase, but I'm not sure what that will be. I do know I want to stick with something related to education and working with kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 I don't know. Youngest is in a public high school now and has his drivers license and a car. So he doesn't need me much. I kinda sorta wouldn't mind finding a very part-time job, but on the other hand I don't really want to unless something really interesting (or at least non-stressful) comes along. Youngest has been driving himself since January, and I've yet to have more than an hour or two of boredom here and there And we're planning to start construction on our "retirement" home within the next couple of months -- we have a general contractor lined up and are in the process of having some property surveyed and re-deeded and then we can begin. So that kind of puts me in limbo. I have enough to keep me plenty busy getting this house ready to go on the market, packing up stuff, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 I have a zillion hobbies and I'm sure by then I'll have come up with more. Other than that I don't have plans at the moment. A bit too far ahead to make any serious plans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 No idea and it's coming up pretty quickly. My only will be a sophomore in high school this coming year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah CB Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 My kids are all in school this year, for the very first time. I'm spending my days reading and writing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 My son's grad ceremony is in two days and I don't have a clue! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 Professional volunteer and grandchild spoiler. I have zero plans of ever being employed again. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 If my event planning business does not take off well enough to make the dollars that I'd like to tuck away to shore up our retirement, then I will see if a position opens at the Lutheran K-8 where I was once on faculty. I liked the part-time work I did at the quilt store a couple of years back, but the pay was pittance, and when the owner's traveled and left me to manage the entire store alone including teaching classes, ordering fabric, and taking care of the books, I was still only paid minimum wage. They are nice people, and the job in and of itself was low stress, high satisfaction. But, it was a skilled labor job (especially some of the advanced level quilt classes) for minimum wage, and I will be looking for more than that. Mostly, I'm just hoping to do enough events to make what I need and then retire when we have enough for dh to leave the rat race. Then we'll travel, spend a lot of time with grandkids, volunteer, and knowing him, he'll do quite a bit of woodworking on the side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 I have worked from home since DD13 was born. This year, I upped my hours to full time. When she graduates, I might go back to working in the office if it's just me and the dogs at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnniePoo Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 Sleep. And then when that's done I'll take a nap. And then I'll go and exercise. Then I'll meet a friend for lunch, take another nap, grab takeout for dinner, and go to bed. 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 Our three girls are done with college and son is in college now. I tutor part time during the school year (very part time- six hours a week) and other than that, I take care of the house and pursue hobbies. I quilt, cycle, and renovate our 1880 era home. I meet friends for lunch. I read. I travel to see family. After years of constantly being on the go, I love this new pace. I've been doing this for a year, since I quit my 25 hour a week part time job last May. Bored? Nope. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 My original plan was to go back to school myself, eventually pursuing a degree in counseling. This would take YEARS, since I have very little college right now, but I love school so I think that will be okay. I would just pursue it at my own pace. I say original plan, because I am feeling so worn down these last couple of years, and so much less capable mentally than I used to be. My brain just doesn't seem to work well anymore! Also as an introvert exposed to WAY to many people, I feel like I just want privacy. I'm hoping a little time off might cure me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunflowerlady Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 If I still have my work at home job, I will continue with that. If not, I will look for something else part time or maybe full time. I am also considering taking up yoga. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 I just started a 2nd bachelor's in Communicative Disorders online to get the pre-reqs I will need to apply to a master's in speech & language pathology. If for some reason I couldn't get in anywhere (SLP is very competitive), then I'm leaning towards ed therapy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heatherwith4 Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 I'm thinking of nursing school, assuming my health is good. However, if we are in a good place financially, I may just indulge in all the hobbies and books that I've not had time for in the last ten years. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 Once the boys went to school, I took on the local post office, working as postmistress three mornings a week. I wanted to go back to work, and the PO would have closed if I hadn't taken it on. After I had been there about a year, Husband lost his job, so I started working out how to work more and earn more. I took a (free) Microsoft Office course - mostly to document my existing knowledge - and started applying for admin jobs. After seven months, I finally got a job and have been in that company (working 28 hours a week) ever since. Now that I've been there for three years, I have enough experience to start applying to a large employer nearer home. I'm applying for all suitable jobs - full-time or part-time. Husband is now employed, and job security is more important to me than the precise number of hours. It's not the most inspiring line of work, but it's fine and it was cost-free to enter. I have fifteen years until I get my government pension (Social Security equivalent) so I'm happy to sit tight in safe-ish jobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hjffkj Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 My hope is that by that time we will have multiple rental properties and I will just manage those while pursuing hobbies. I'd also be interested in expanding my pet sitting business but that is quickly becoming a reality while my kids are still home schooling. But if dh and I don't decide to turn to that as our full-time business soon it will likely be that once the kids are done home schooling if we don't have a few rental properties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 My youngest are 10. I went back to school two years ago to finish my undergrad. I graduated Friday, summa cum laude... Only took 26 years. I start grad school next month and will ponder a PhD for the next two years (because the boys will only be 12 when I graduate again). Regardless, I'll be poised for my second career when they're indepenent enough for me to jump in. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loowit Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 Volunteer work mostly, is my plan. I also have some hobbies that I have just recently been able to start doing again now that the kids are older and having more time on those would be nice. I may even finish the novel I have been working on and off on for years. I had considered going back to school because I enjoy taking classes, but I know that realistically I do not want to have to go to work unless I have to. I have some health problems that would make it difficult to keep a regular schedule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daria Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 Sleep. And then when that's done I'll take a nap. And then I'll go and exercise. Then I'll meet a friend for lunch, take another nap, grab takeout for dinner, and go to bed. That sounds like a great plan. Except for the exercise part. I think I'll take a bubble bath instead. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hikin' Mama Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 I am currently homeschooling the junior year of my youngest child. Next year when she graduates, I will have been doing this for 19 years. I would like to have some sort of *meaningful* work outside the home until I'm at least 80, whether that be volunteer or paid. I don't yet know what that will be. I really don't want to "retire," although I do desire flexibility that allows me to see my kids and grandkids often. If my grandkids lived close by and their parents desired it, I would seriously consider homeschooling them. I would also like to go back to school. I've got a BA degree, but I want to take some classes, science and math, just for fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 I don't know but I've been thinking about it a lot lately. Ds has one more year left and honestly I've been more of a supervisor than a teacher the past 2 years. The thing is, I'll be 60 when he's done. Dh will be only a few years away from retiring. I don't want to go back to work full time and I certainly don't want to go back to teaching in ps (my pre-sahm career). OTOH, I don't want to sit around the house all day and putz. I'm looking at some volunteer options, possibly at the local no-kill animal shelter. I also wouldn't mind doing some type of work from home thing but I don't know what. I expect ds will be living here for several years, so the nest won't actually be empty. It's just that he won't need us (and especially me, his teacher all of his life), like he once did. It's my time I'll have to fill, not the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squawky Acres Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 It is a long way off for me, but I might consider returning to law. Before children, I was a corporate attorney (doing M&A work), which is difficult to do part-time or outside of a large urban center. I was thinking of re-training to do simple real estate transactions, wills and trusts -- things that one can do from a small office out in the country. Or I may do nothing of the sort. Reading, volunteering, pursuing hobbies and travel also sounds wonderful right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raptor_dad Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 I didn't plan on HSing... my plan was to send DS8 off to school have a couple of years of solo time as a SAHD with DS6 and then retrain/upgrade my skills doing something in computer science, maybe with an advance degree in bioinformatics or grad school in AI. Now. I my plan is to HS DS8 until launch. DS6 is is B&M school but may or may not get pulled out to HS middle or high school. After that I might pursue a programming career as an entry level 50+yo or I might pursue some educational variant on that depending on opportunities, interest, and ageism. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 I'm seriously considering applying with dh's employer. It's hard to have both partners with international careers, but once the two oldest have graduated it would be a lot easier to manage. I've long thought about getting a master's degree, but I'm just not sure it's worth the investment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 I have already started working on my eventual my post-homeschool life by going back to work part-time. I have a very flexible job in education research. :) My youngest is 10, and my eldest child at home is finishing his 8th grade year, so I've got a few more years to go, but my grown daughters' lives remind me that it goes by super fast. I don't know if this job will be on-going or just a resume builder, but I love the work and hope to continue in the field. Not to mention that it would be super awesome to eventually get a permanent job at the same university = reduced tuition for any offspring who want to stay here to go to university. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah CB Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 Or, I will travel full-time with my retired hubby. I'm really looking forward to traveling with dh. He travels frequently for work and I'd love to be able to go with him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runningmom80 Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 I plan on getting an MFA in Creative Writing, and then teaching at a college part time until my kids move out, and then I'll attempt full time. (If there are any Humanities classes left, and we aren't just a bunch of STEM robots. ;)) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 I'm planning on a career of Nuanced Tweeting. It's a thing. Really. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 I plan on taking care of elderly relatives (because that's what my parents and in-laws were doing as empty nesters) and we want to get into some sort of sustainable, off grid type living where we produce our own energy, grow/raise the bulk of our own food, preserve our food, and have an incredibly energy efficient type home. I have a lot to learn, so I'm studying up now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 Sleeping, eating and reading. Nonstop. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wabi Sabi Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 I have worked full-time since my kids were born, but working nights/weekends in a very low-paying hourly job so that I could still be home with them during the day. If I had to take a guess, I'll probably be done homeschooling in seven years when my youngest would be entering high school. At that point I'll probably stick with my current job because I'll still want the flexibility that comes with having my daytime free. I need income, but I really have zero interest in a career, so I imagine I'll always stick with a fairly low paying, entry level job in which I can clock in, do my job and do it well, but clock out and be done. I am not opposed to taking a menial hourly job at the nearby state university once my children are teens either simply for the tuition benefit for my children would receive, but I really do want just a job and not a career. If it wasn't for our financial needs, I could never work again a day in my life and never be bored or unfulfilled. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 I'll go back to using my degrees. It is a sought after and lucrative field, which is great. I may do some specialized training to go a different direction in the field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earthyfamily Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 Let's see, travel with DH, catch up on some of the hobbies I love (astronomy, puzzles, reading...), I imagine by the time by youngest is graduated the possibility of grandchildren in the near future would be plausible and I've already been promised partial homeschooling rights with the grandchildren. :D I've also always wanted to teach preschool-non competitive gymnastics. Either owning my own gym or teaching with a local gym. ETA: Oh and I totally forgot...one day I'd love to go to Space Camp! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 I will be 60 when Ds goes to college. I will most certainly find full time work. I will have to in order to pay for college, possibly even before he finishes high school. No clue what that will be, though I do think about it now and then. As Ds will be a second grader next fall, I am not in a rush to make a plan. ;) I have an acquaintance who went back to school while her kids were homeschooling high school and became an occupational therapy assistant. 2 yr degree. She makes good money and has a flexible schedule working some for home healthcare and some for an assisted living/rehab place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 I don't know. Dh would prefer that I didn't go back to work just because his job is kind of hard to work around and we wouldn't have the same days off and probably wouldn't see each other very often. I think I probably should to shore up retirement, etc. I would have to go back to school because even though I have a college degree I will have been out of the workforce almost 20 years at least (depending on how we do high school) and I'm figuring they won't see me as employable even though I'm (obviously) awesome. Lol I have no idea what I would go back to school for or what I would do. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 My oldest is only 11, but as my youngest is 4 and is a bit more independent now, I've been thinking about this. So far all I got is taking some courses, focusing on my writing, and perhaps getting my tutor's certification. This way it will help me both in homeschooling my future high schooler and will be a skill I can use anywhere. I'm 38 and my youngest is only 4 so I'll be 52 when my youngest leaves the nest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 If DS goes to high school as hoped, I would've been out of the workforce( I'm an attorney) for only 3 years so I hope I'm still employable then. There's the matter of my youngest but I have the feeling she won't need me as much as I think DS does. I also have a book which has been waiting to be born for a while. I don't know if I can write, but I want to give it a try before I eliminate the possibility. I thought quitting my job and "just" homeschooling would give me the creative space to write but thus far that hasn't been the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 I will only be 46 when my younger son is 18. I am not really able to conceive of not wanting a career to during those years. So I have kept myself employable with very PT contract work and I am working towards my CPA which will allow me to earn a lot more money than I presently bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kari C in SC Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 I will be 51 and dh will be 52 - just 8 years away. We hope that he will be able to retire from his day job and focus on our rental properties. I might like to get my real estate license. If I made any actual money, it would go towards travel and college expenses for our youngest. I also suspect that I will be caring for my mom and my disabled sister more and more over the next few years. I would be thrilled if my dd would have started a family by then. If she has, I am all for grandkid spoiling at a super ultra level! And... We will begin renovating bathrooms and kitchens at some of our rental properties. At that point, some will be really needing a more modern facelift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 I don't know. Dh would prefer that I didn't go back to work just because his job is kind of hard to work around and we wouldn't have the same days off and probably wouldn't see each other very often. I think I probably should to shore up retirement, etc. I would have to go back to school because even though I have a college degree I will have been out of the workforce almost 20 years at least (depending on how we do high school) and I'm figuring they won't see me as employable even though I'm (obviously) awesome. Lol I have no idea what I would go back to school for or what I would do. Sounds very much like me. Dh works really hard and his job is stressful (Stressful enough that he has 8 stents in his heart!) so when he's off, he wants me to be there to spend time with him. We take day trips, work on the house, visit friends, etc. It makes his M-F job tolerable to have me by his side when he's home. I was out of the workforce for 20 years when I decided to find a part time job. I did that for a few years and it was ok, but it just wasn't worth it. In this day of online applications, it can be difficult to even get an interview to explain that 20 year gap. I wonder how many potential employers thought maybe I'd been in jail all that time... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 I've also returned to school as my kids are getting closer to graduation (one down, two to go in just two years). Plans are to have some sort of career afterwards. I'm young yet, so I have time to launch a new career and get my 20 or so years in before I even hit retirement age :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RKWAcademy Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 I'm a CPA, and I will kept my certification up. However, I'm not sure I'll go back into corporate tax accounting, which is about all I know (or used to know)! My DH will be retiring from his law enforcement job by the time my kids are in high school. We have to decide if we are staying where we are for the kids' college or we jump ship to Florida or somewhere else. If we stay, I'm sure I'll end up in an accounting job. He's not sure what his next career will be. If we get bold and pack up and move, we dream of running a dive boat. Not sure that pays the bills and pays for two college kids, but that's the pie-in-the-sky dream. My kids will be old enough to have an input at that time. One wants to be a vet now (at age 6), and there is a great vet school less than an hour away from us now. So, we don't really know but I won't be a SAHM because we will be cash-flowing college! We are sacrificing now by barely making it with me at home, in order to homeschool. The best of all worlds would be if I could find something where I could work from home nights and weekends to make extra and still be here with my kids - now. Easier said than done! ETA - for ego's sake, I might also go back to school for a PhD. My grandfather, dad, sister, and brother-in-law all have PhDs. I do not. So. But they all did science/engineering. I dropped the science major and ran to the business school my sophomore year. So maybe I need to mature above the ego. I don't know :) Graduate School vs Dive Boat - dive boat wins every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 I don't know yet, but this thread is giving me a lot to think about. I've been out of the full time workforce for 12 years now (I did part time retail work for a few years in there). So I would need to very purposefully relaunch... I'm not going to fall into a situation where someone is dying to hire me, LOL!! Right now things hinge a bit on whether DS goes back to school in the fall, or returns home. If home that obviously delays things longer. If he stays in school at this point, then the homeschooling door will likely close, and I will start figuring out what steps I need to take. I will only be 45 at his high school graduation, so as mentioned above, that's a lot of years left and I can't imagine not wanting *something*... although I'm not sure I see myself in a traditional full time office role either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 I'm a CPA, and I will kept my certification up. However, I'm not sure I'll go back into corporate tax accounting, which is about all I know (or used to know)! My DH will be retiring from his law enforcement job by the time my kids are in high school. We have to decide if we are staying where we are for the kids' college or we jump ship to Florida or somewhere else. If we stay, I'm sure I'll end up in an accounting job. He's not sure what his next career will be. If we get bold and pack up and move, we dream of running a dive boat. Not sure that pays the bills and pays for two college kids, but that's the pie-in-the-sky dream. My kids will be old enough to have an input at that time. One wants to be a vet now (at age 6), and there is a great vet school less than an hour away from us now. So, we don't really know but I won't be a SAHM because we will be cash-flowing college! We are sacrificing now by barely making it with me at home, in order to homeschool. The best of all worlds would be if I could find something where I could work from home nights and weekends to make extra and still be here with my kids - now. Easier said than done! I know a CPA in my area who got started auditing non-profits part time when her kids were young. She'd do most of the work at night from her home office. She charged a little bit less per hour than the firms and non-profit audits can be small jobs- 25-45 hours a pop. Now she has employees and bought an office but she's an empty nester now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RioSamba Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 When youngest graduates high school I will be 63, Oldest will be in her early thirties, middle will be in his late twenties, so I suspect I'll be a grandmother then. We plan to homeschool DS1 through middle school and probably high school. We are imagining the same path for DS2, but who knows? I hope there will be more time for my passions, my places, and for sleep! What that will look like, I just don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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