Club 3 or more Kids

[Diesel]

SAHM_TAN:

Diesel:

Hello ...

I think I can qualify here.

I am a FTWM with 4 kids, aged 4-9 yrs.
I am soon will be doing without a maid. As it is more pain than of a gain to have them.

Have / Still thinking about SAHM option. Among them is to get PT / Flexi work. Havent conclude yet.
We have a OPC car.

You are thinking about the SAHM because you will be without a maid or even before you decide to not have a maid?

Hello dear,
Yes ... partly considering SAHM since will be without maid....

I am giving her up .. anyone wants???????

[MummyThreeStreams]

i3mum:

Wonder if anyone has managed to work part time with 3 kids? If you do, can share the working hours & job ?

Hi i3mum,
I was working part-time and partially from home before I went on maternity leave. It worked out very well for me.

I'm a civil servant. My bosses were very supportive. I think there was also a lot of trust involved, which they could afford to place on me because I had built up a solid reputation over the years. They didn't worry so much about the actual hours worked, as long as I delivered quality output in a timely manner.

In return, I was careful not to abuse that trust, since I realized that such a working arrangement was a privilege and not an entitlement. I would always keep them posted on my whereabouts - when I would be working, whether I would be working from home or the office, or at a meeting etc. etc.

The hours were erratic, sometimes major OT, but my bosses were happy to give me time off for those extra hours. So overall, the hours balanced out.

Of course, I tried to coordinate my schedule with the kid's - not work when they were home, and off to work when they were at school. But not always possible. So it was helpful to have my mum and in-law's help for those times I had to work OT etc.

as PT staff, my career has taken a big hit. But it's worth it. I don't think I could be happy working full-time when all I want is to be home with the kids. Although, on many days, I did think that working part-time was more stressful than working full-time because I still had to worry about both home and office and I was running around all the time with no break in between (morning crazy busy dealing with kids, then when they go to school, crazy busy dealing with work, then when they get back, crazy busy dealing with kids, then when they sleep, crazy busy doing household chores, and maybe more work) I guess it depends on the job.

[Diesel]

Hi MummyThreeStreams


Then all I can say is you are lucky
Enjoy the balance of work & family ...
I think in Singapore there is very limited such arrangements for work.
In Europe and America, families survive without a maid and it is affordable to put their kids up at daycare , etc.
Its ironic, in Sg, per kid, daycare is 300 at least.
Standard of living is getting higher.

[i3mum]

Hi MummyThreeStreams,


You are really very lucky & blessed! :love:

I guess for my job is not possible.

MummyThreeStreams:

Hi i3mum,
I was working part-time and partially from home before I went on maternity leave. It worked out very well for me.

I'm a civil servant. My bosses were very supportive. I think there was also a lot of trust involved, which they could afford to place on me because I had built up a solid reputation over the years. They didn't worry so much about the actual hours worked, as long as I delivered quality output in a timely manner.

In return, I was careful not to abuse that trust, since I realized that such a working arrangement was a privilege and not an entitlement. I would always keep them posted on my whereabouts - when I would be working, whether I would be working from home or the office, or at a meeting etc. etc.

The hours were erratic, sometimes major OT, but my bosses were happy to give me time off for those extra hours. So overall, the hours balanced out.

Of course, I tried to coordinate my schedule with the kid's - not work when they were home, and off to work when they were at school. But not always possible. So it was helpful to have my mum and in-law's help for those times I had to work OT etc.

as PT staff, my career has taken a big hit. But it's worth it. I don't think I could be happy working full-time when all I want is to be home with the kids. Although, on many days, I did think that working part-time was more stressful than working full-time because I still had to worry about both home and office and I was running around all the time with no break in between (morning crazy busy dealing with kids, then when they go to school, crazy busy dealing with work, then when they get back, crazy busy dealing with kids, then when they sleep, crazy busy doing household chores, and maybe more work) I guess it depends on the job.

[lostbunny]

i3mum:

Wonder if anyone has managed to work part time with 3 kids? If you do, can share the working hours & job ?

I consider myself lucky to have a very pro-family superior. Come July, I will be switching to part time. I will be working 4 hrs every day after DS1 goes to school. From next month onwards, my mum will not be able to help me with the kids. I discussed with my superior and she agree to let me work from home for May and June. But we spent some efforts to convince my biG boss that my work will not be affected (as big boss was concerned that I could not work since the kids are at home. But actually my DS2 and DD are in full day child care). So basically, I only have DS1 at home for 2 to 3 hrs in the morning. Big boss eventually agreed.

[Kabby]

SAHM_TAN:

Which branch did you go to? I was the one at Bugis Parco with my bb. It was very crowded and I was thinkiing of leaving my bag on the seat to get a drink when a staff and offered to get my order for me. I only paid for it after I rec my drink. McDs seem to be improving its service.


When the kids are older, I was thinking of taking up some courses in NIE

Went to the Jurong Point Branch. Yah, my hubby said, if only his fav restaurant is so child-friendly. Cos we adults don't like McD food lei.

what kind of courses are you interested in NIE?

for me, I have spent quite a bit of time in NIE before, so I might want to do something different. if early childhood masters, probably from wheelock? or Montessori training maybe, very interested in her philosophy now.

then again, i keep saying i want to pick up scrapbooking or more fanciful cake decorating after the kids are grown...

or i might just go back to teaching? thinking about a full time job again makes me stressed. haha

[Kabby]

lostbunny:

i3mum:

Wonder if anyone has managed to work part time with 3 kids? If you do, can share the working hours & job ?

I consider myself lucky to have a very pro-family superior. Come July, I will be switching to part time. I will be working 4 hrs every day after DS1 goes to school. From next month onwards, my mum will not be able to help me with the kids. I discussed with my superior and she agree to let me work from home for May and June. But we spent some efforts to convince my biG boss that my work will not be affected (as big boss was concerned that I could not work since the kids are at home. But actually my DS2 and DD are in full day child care). So basically, I only have DS1 at home for 2 to 3 hrs in the morning. Big boss eventually agreed.

MummyThreeStreams and you are very fortunate indeed!

3 cheers for such employers!

I was from the civil service too (teaching at a JC), and they (P, VP, HOD) are very pro-family even though it creates a lot more admin nightmare for them when teachers go on maternity leave or no pay leave.

For me, I have been on flexi-scheme (2006) and no pay leave after that, for several years already till now.

Initially they said they could let me work with even more flexibility. Like arrange my classes only 3 or 4 days a week. Some of my colleagues do that. Or if I preferred, can go half day for 5 days. Like 8-12pm. Depending on how many hours I want. Of course, the pay is pro-rated accordingly.

I felt that it is so pro-family nowadays, compared to my parents/ mil's time. Mil was also teaching and she said she had to return to work 1 month after giving birth, and there was no such thing as NPL or flexi-scheme.

Really thankful that after dd goes to school, I can just return to my previous position and opt for any kind of scheme that suits me.

[SAHM_TAN]

kabalevsky:

Went to the Jurong Point Branch. Yah, my hubby said, if only his fav restaurant is so child-friendly. Cos we adults don't like McD food lei.

what kind of courses are you interested in NIE?

for me, I have spent quite a bit of time in NIE before, so I might want to do something different. if early childhood masters, probably from wheelock? or Montessori training maybe, very interested in her philosophy now.

then again, i keep saying i want to pick up scrapbooking or more fanciful cake decorating after the kids are grown...

or i might just go back to teaching? thinking about a full time job again makes me stressed. haha

hmm...maybe ad-hoc courses on English

[Kabby]

SAHM_TAN:

what kind of courses are you interested in NIE?

hmm...maybe ad-hoc courses on English

that's nice. when do you foresee yourself being able to carry out all these wishes? for me, quite distant in the future i think, with a 14mth old. must wait patiently...

[i3mum]

Hi lostbunny,


You are so blessed! I think I don't ever have a chance

lostbunny:

I consider myself lucky to have a very pro-family superior. Come July, I will be switching to part time. I will be working 4 hrs every day after DS1 goes to school. From next month onwards, my mum will not be able to help me with the kids. I discussed with my superior and she agree to let me work from home for May and June. But we spent some efforts to convince my biG boss that my work will not be affected (as big boss was concerned that I could not work since the kids are at home. But actually my DS2 and DD are in full day child care). So basically, I only have DS1 at home for 2 to 3 hrs in the morning. Big boss eventually agreed.