View Full Version : childcare and work help!
annemarie482
14-Apr-09, 11:59
is there somewhere in wick like a daycare centre for kiddies?
i've 2 young children (2 1/2 and 20 weeks) and am due to return to work soon, unfortunatly childminders are just too expensive (although they do a good job) as my wages wont cover fees.
im just trying to decide if i should return to work or not, so exploring all possiblities.
i work 2 1/2 days a week: wed 9-2 thurs & sat 9-6
any ideas?:confused
ShelleyCowie
14-Apr-09, 12:41
is there somewhere in wick like a daycare centre for kiddies?
i've 2 young children (2 1/2 and 20 weeks) and am due to return to work soon, unfortunatly childminders are just too expensive (although they do a good job) as my wages wont cover fees.
im just trying to decide if i should return to work or not, so exploring all possiblities.
i work 2 1/2 days a week: wed 9-2 thurs & sat 9-6
any ideas?:confused
Hi there!
I was in the same situation as you nearly, i could not cover the cost of a childminder.
I decided recently not to return to work, i worked out that if i did return that i would be working for just a few pound as the rest would be paid towards childminding costs.
Me and my OH have had to make some sacrafices due to me not going back to work but to be honest it is fine.
Its a decision only you can make. There are so many possibilities. Personally im quite happy not returning to work just now because im happy at home with my son.
As i said though the decision is up to you. Best of luck! :)
I have probably got this wrong as my children are much older but can you not claim back registered childminder costs through you tax credits ?
Good luck AnnMarie, I was in the same boat when mine were younger.
annemarie482
14-Apr-09, 12:55
im not sure starry, my partner earns to much to get most help.
i'll look into it though.
(and before anyone says well stay at home then! i want to work for me getting out the house and doing something for myself! i enjoy my work, but there's no point working if i'm no where near even breaking even!):)
there must be a solution out there:confused
Well if you pull your wages together then childminding isn't as huge.
Other than that you could look for someone in similar boat and watch eachothers children for free ?
toodiemac
14-Apr-09, 20:46
We earn too much to get any tax credits too, but most employers run a childcare voucher scheme which you can use no matter how much you earn. It means that you take the childminding fees out of your salary before you pay tax. For example, if you are a basic rate taxpayer paying 25% tax then for every £100 you pay your childminder it only costs you £75. Obviously works out much better for higher earners who are paying 40% tax as the £100 only costs them £60!
There is a maximum you can take out of your salary each month, about £240 I think, but you can both use that limit, so up to around £480 altogether.
It's quite a good saving. Different employers have different schemes, but they are all basically the same thing just with different names. If your employer doesn't offer it at the moment, it's very easy for them to sign up to it and it's costs them nothing.
Hope this helps.
annemarie482
14-Apr-09, 20:53
that is really helpfull and i certainly hadn't heard of it. thank you. i will contact my work tomorrow about that one!:)
i thought the salary level before you dont get tax credits was quite high
annemarie482
14-Apr-09, 21:06
i dont know how much it is? anyone know?
alanatkie
14-Apr-09, 21:47
you can check here to see if you qualify -
http://www.taxcredits.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/Qualify/WhatAreTaxCredits.aspx
Can you not delay going back to work....
I have taken the whole year off which Im entitled to do (at statutory mp after 6 mths and no pay after 9 mths)
That way your eldest will be entitled to a free place at nursery so will hopefully ease up the childcare costs a bit...though the holidays will sting!
My mum is taking my 2 this time so I dont have the childcare nightmare this time... the tax credits didnt help me any ... I was better off not claiming and using the childcare vouchers from work.
Ps dont earn anything like 50K
When we were doing our child tax credit claim we asked about working tax credit and was told we weren't entitled as O H earned too much, not even 22K. But doing that ready reckoner on the link we should be getting something :roll::confused Might be worth phoning them and get it from the horses mouth, so to speak :D
You cannot claim twice on childcare benefits if you use tax credits for x amount of childcare you cannot claim the vouchers for that too!
That is what I found out at the time I was researching it!
is there somewhere in wick like a daycare centre for kiddies?
i've 2 young children (2 1/2 and 20 weeks) and am due to return to work soon, unfortunatly childminders are just too expensive (although they do a good job) as my wages wont cover fees.
im just trying to decide if i should return to work or not, so exploring all possiblities.
i work 2 1/2 days a week: wed 9-2 thurs & sat 9-6
any ideas?:confused
have yo not got any family who could look after the kids, that way you dont hsave to fork out to much, i know before i was putting my youngest some, well at the time to a x=childminder but had to stop as what i was getting from the tax credits barely covered 4 hours a week, so now my oh's nephew watches the 2 youngest.
purplelady
14-Apr-09, 23:26
I have probably got this wrong as my children are much older but can you not claim back registered childminder costs through you tax credits ?
Good luck AnnMarie, I was in the same boat when mine were younger.
yes you can get up to 80% back in tax credits worth looking into x
Metalattakk
15-Apr-09, 01:30
(and before anyone says well stay at home then! i want to work for me getting out the house and doing something for myself!
Stay at home. What can possibly be more important than giving your young children the utmost attention during their formative years?
If you 'wanted to work to get out of the house and do something for yourself', why on earth did you have kids in the first place?
Honestly, they'll let anyone be parents these days...:roll:
Stay at home. What can possibly be more important than giving your young children the utmost attention during their formative years?
If you 'wanted to work to get out of the house and do something for yourself', why on earth did you have kids in the first place?
Honestly, they'll let anyone be parents these days...:roll:
Metalattakk maybe she wants to go back to work to have her own life outside the house? did you think about that?
I know when i have kids i'm not going to be staying at home. I'll be working part time so i have time and space outside the house.
Go on as you want about parents having kids and then dumping them on someone else, but alot of women don't want to be at home all the time with the kids going mad. Alot of women want to work or have to work even if it's jus part time. It's an old fashioned view that women must stay at home and look after the kids. Women in this age want to be more than a mother and wife/partner. They want to be themselves and sometimes to be truly that they have to have a life outside the house.
Annemarie good luck on your search, wishing you lots of luck.
But Balto has a point though if you can delay starting work untill your eldest is 3 years old then that'll cut your childcare costs for most of the year.
Metalattakk
15-Apr-09, 02:20
Metalattakk maybe she wants to go back to work to have her own life outside the house? did you think about that?
Yes, of course I did. She's financially stable in her environment, she doesn't need to work. She gave up her right to a "life outside the house" when she had kids.
I know when i have kids i'm not going to be staying at home. I'll be working part time so i have time and space outside the house.
Go on as you want about parents having kids and then dumping them on someone else, but alot of women don't want to be at home all the time with the kids going mad. Alot of women want to work or have to work even if it's jus part time.
Your attitude towards bringing up your own children appals me. As for "alot of women don't want to be at home all the time with the kids going mad", again, I am utterly aghast.
No wonder the country is in such a malaise.
Yes, of course I did. She's financially stable in her environment, she doesn't need to work. She gave up her right to a "life outside the house" when she had kids.
Your attitude towards bringing up your own children appals me. As for "alot of women don't want to be at home all the time with the kids going mad", again, I am utterly aghast.
No wonder the country is in such a malaise.
This is such an old fashioned view, next you will be saying that women should be chained to the kitchen sink[disgust]
If she wants to work part time then that's her choice, people with old fashioned views such as yours jus have to like it or lump it.
You don't know me so don't assume i'll be a bad mother jus because i want to work part time when i have my kids instead of going out of my mind at home all the time. I'm a person that needs to work, to have something to get up in the morning for. Interacting with my work collegues and friends keeps me sane. I can not stay at home with my kids when they come along as i need adult company as well and that is why i will be working part time. The only reason i'll be staying at home is if something happens that makes me unfit for work or i lose my job and take some time to find another one.
I'm not someone who takes other people's opinions into consideration when making a big descision as Annemarie is making jus now. I won't be caring about anyone's views on this matter when i am in Annemarie's dillema.
Children are alot more resilent that you seem to think Metalattakk. When my kids are old enough to be ok for a couple of hours with someone other than me then i will be going back to work part time. Three days out of seven for mum to be away working does not harm any child.
Metalattakk
15-Apr-09, 03:10
This is such an old fashioned view, next you will be saying that women should be chained to the kitchen sink[disgust]
That's a rather preposterous notion.
If she wants to work part time then that's her choice, people with old fashioned views such as yours jus have to like it or lump it.
If that's the choice I have, I'll lump it, if you don't mind. Call it 'old fashioned' if you want, but the welfare and proper care and upbringing of the child, to me, is paramount, and far more important than the wishes of the parent.
You don't know me so don't assume i'll be a bad mother jus because i want to work part time when i have my kids instead of going out of my mind at home all the time.
Seriously, please don't have kids.
I blame the parents. Will nobody think of the children (that aren't ready to have children)?
I'm a person that needs to work, to have something to get up in the morning for.
Yeah, and your kids won't fit that bill, eh? <face/palm>
Interacting with my work collegues and friends keeps me sane. I can not stay at home with my kids when they come along as i need adult company as well and that is why i will be working part time. The only reason i'll be staying at home is if something happens that makes me unfit for work or i lose my job and take some time to find another one.
I'm not someone who takes other people's opinions into consideration when making a big descision as Annemarie is making jus now. I won't be caring about anyone's views on this matter when i am in Annemarie's dillema.
Children are alot more resilent that you seem to think Metalattakk. When my kids are old enough to be ok for a couple of hours with someone other than me then i will be going back to work part time. Three days out of seven for mum to be away working does not harm any child.
I've always said there should be a legal limit to parenthood, with full parenthood compatibility testing carried out before a 'Breeding License' is issued.
Some people just don't deserve to be parents.
Sent you a pm;)
Metalattakk Lets jus agree to disagree on this topic. Clearly we're both stubborn and opionated people and will not persuade the other to see the others view. So lets jus agree to disagree and stop before we get out of hand.
Metalattack, there are those that stay at home with their child 24/24, 7/7 and yet spend no quality time with them. There are those working two jobs each that make time for and know their children. Your black and white opinions would work in an utopian world, but that is not where the most of us live.
To use your words, if a mother chooses to have children she "gives up the right" to a life outside the house. Why "she" only? Second, how can you give a good example to your children, teach them about living as a social group and values if they cannot see how both their parents interact in that group? As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child (not "just" a mother).
In this modern world,you bring kids into the world not for the love of them but to be upside the neighbour,I too went back to work when they reached High School age and Mother was an embarasment to them I was not in Annemaries position who has the option to stay at home or work it was a tough struggle many a day for lack of money but not change it for the world--as my children had parents who really loved them they were brought into the world because they were wanted and I was prepared to forego my life style:~(
I'm a person that needs to work, to have something to get up in the morning for.
With children you don't have any option but to get up in the morning!!!!
i work, because, it allows me to treat my kids, that i wouldnt beable to if i wasnt. some folk are happy to live on benifits and stuff, but i applaude woman that go out and look after their kids and keep a home, i have 4 kids and find it hard, but at the end of the day it wuld be a lot harder if i didnt have the money to feed and cloth them.
With children you don't have any option but to get up in the morning!!!!
Absolutely and they are worth getting up for....... :D But as balto says when you work and have a family it gives you a chance to give extra treats etc... I am all for going out to work while you have children, just because you have kids doesn't mean you have to give up on work, nor does it mean that your kids will benifit less from your attention.....
Metalattack, there are those that stay at home with their child 24/24, 7/7 and yet spend no quality time with them. There are those working two jobs each that make time for and know their children. Your black and white opinions would work in an utopian world, but that is not where the most of us live.
To use your words, if a mother chooses to have children she "gives up the right" to a life outside the house. Why "she" only? Second, how can you give a good example to your children, teach them about living as a social group and values if they cannot see how both their parents interact in that group? As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child (not "just" a mother).
Exactly Ju:) Was too late last night for my brain to get that out lol
With children you don't have any option but to get up in the morning!!!!
I only meant it in a general term. Can't understand people who sit on the doe and don't try to get out of it if they're able. I certainly couldn't do it. I need to be doing something even if it is chasing after the kids when mine come along or meeting friends or exploring places with my partner. I get bored easily and like to be busy;)
i work, because, it allows me to treat my kids, that i wouldnt beable to if i wasnt. some folk are happy to live on benifits and stuff, but i applaude woman that go out and look after their kids and keep a home, i have 4 kids and find it hard, but at the end of the day it wuld be a lot harder if i didnt have the money to feed and cloth them.
i certainly got no nhelp what=so=ever did with-out to pay rent etc:eek:
I am disappointed that childcare still seems to be the woman's concern, surely in this day and age it should be just as much the fathers responsibilty as the mothers :confused
well i find myself with the same problem now, my oh nephew looked after my boy when i was at work, but now he has to go to collage, so what do i do, use most of my wages plus what little amount the tax credits give me and get a childminder or do i give up, oh what to do.
You could hire a nanny.
would do that but to be honest what little the tax credits give, i would have to use a fair bit of my wages to make up the difference.
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