Working 'round' the kids
 

I wondered if anyone could offer some advice?

We are just waiting to sell the house and then we are ready for off. Iniatially I am not looking to work. We have 3 children - 8,5 + 3 and I think it's more important initially to make sure they are settled.

As I've been at home for a while I quite fancied a total change. My last 'proper job' was as a Service Level Manager and I don't want to go back to full time.

Is there the potential to work school hours only? I quite fancy something like a teachers/special needs assistant and am more than happy to go back to college to retrain but I just wondered if anyone had experience/knowledge in that area.

cheers,

Shelley :)

Re: Working 'round' the kids
 

Hi Shelley,

I will watch this post with interest. I quite fancy a change too and doing something to fit around my 2 young boys. Like you I am not looking at working initially but once they are settled I would even like to do a few hours volunteering or a like you say retraining. Paid would be nice though! I haven't been paid for ages!!!!!!

options, options!

Carmel

Re: Working 'round' the kids
 

Thing to remember is a lot of part time jobs are casual work, as in if and when they need you - last min phone call quite often. Teachers aid, you often volunteer first, do the study then if the jobs come up a LOT of people apply and there is a selection criterea to be filled out and its very competitive. Know mums who do the work and generally its all on call as in 15 mins before they need you, but that is a lot of jobs here anyway. Most part time jobs out of schools say you need to be available for a 7 day roster as in avail the wide range of that business hours.

Re: Working 'round' the kids
 

A lot of parents, especially mums, rely on daycare to look after the kids after school and in school holidays, and it seems common in some work places to bring your kids to work with you. Not practice I'm keen on, on a purely personal level, as it doesn't make it easy to try and talk work with someone who has a child hanging off their coat-tails all the time, but I do feel sorry for the parents that do it who say they really have no option cos the daycare is so expensive.

Re: Working 'round' the kids
 

Hi Shelley,

I completely understand where your coming from I have a 6yr old who I am fortunate enough has never had to be in daycare (not that I have a problem with daycare) it's just that I always had family around me to look after my children if need be. Having moved to the GC 8 months ago with no family I have struggled finding a job that fits in with school hours.

You suggested a teachers aide and I can tell you there is a shortage of them over here and there is quite a short course you can do at TAFE to qualify, not exactly sure how long but could find out if need be as I looked into it myself. I am actually in the process of trying to open a coffee shop now so a complete change of direction for me but looking forward to it.

If you need any more info let me know and I will try to help.

Take care

Jodie.

Re: Working 'round' the kids
 

i think it would depend on where you are going then. i am a trained teachers aide and cannot get a job in that field for love nor money. there does seem to be a couple of jobs advertised round here which state 'would suit back to work mum', 'flexible hours', 'school hours', etc. but, as i am aware of, these are mainly admin/accounts jobs, and as polly states, casual based, and are often chased by literally 100's of applicants :( (i know this as i am chasing the same thing). where are you thinking of heading?

perhaps we should move to the GC, as you never see a TA's post advertised here, they have too many volunteers. i did try the volunteer route, but it didnt help me.

Re: Working 'round' the kids
 

Sleeping Beauty,

I know you usually need to be a trained teachers aide to get a job. I am a trained teacher with a degree (high school math). Do you think I could get a job as a teachers aide? Or would they insist on having teacher aide training? I wouldn't mind volunteering initially either.

I do love teaching. But right now my kids are still pretty little and I when I go back to work eventually I would prefer a job where I didn't have to bring home marking or lesson plans.

Re: Working 'round' the kids
 

well, from what i have been told by the TA's over here, is that about half of them are not trained, they just helped out at the school, and then at some point, the school took them on. these seem to be the older ladies. it seems the new ones, are doing their training whilst working as well. since we have been here (nearly a year), i have seen 2 TA jobs advertised in papers!!!!!! 2 :eek: there are websites, but these jobs are not usually advertised. i did go for one job, it was only for something like 6 hours a week. i got a call off the head advising me i didnt get the job, a nicer bloke you couldnt meet. i had a chat to him for nearly half and hour. it went to one of the mums who had been working in the class helping out. i very nearly got it, but because she knew the class etc........he was very helpful, he made me feel so much better.

they have criteria, which you need to meet. however, this does not guarantee you an interview, even if you meet the criteria. i am sure they would snatch your hand off if you were a teacher applying for TA posts. when i was helping out at my kids school for 3 mornings a week, my sons teacher thought i was a teacher for some unknown reason? i think it helps if the head actually talks to people. my kids head is an arrogant rude man who doesnt acknowledge parents or their kids when passing them in the corridor, and who has publically said that english children are rude and bad mannered (another story :rolleyes:). so, if you get a head that is approachable, and you get on with them, they may let you know that there is a job in the future. good luck :D

Re: Working 'round' the kids
 

Thanks,

It helps to know that option is available. I figured they would either love that I was a teacher, or they would ignore me because they thought I wasn't serious.

I'll definitely be getting to know everyone once my kids start school, that way if something comes up they know about me.

Thanks again.

Re: Working 'round' the kids
 

hi there! it realy depends on where you are as to the opportunities available.

for info in NSW>

if you go to the https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/employment/recruit/index.htm site you are able to gain more information ( hope i have given the right link here)

also
TAFE NSW http://www.tafensw.edu.au/howex/serv...ON=&VLOCATION=

will give you detailed info on these courses
8559 Education Support - Teachers Aide (Special) - Certificate III (AQF)
4162 Education Support - Teachers Aide (Special) - Statement of Attainment (AQF)
3216 Health Care, Teachers Aide Special Recertification - TAFE Statement - TAFE PLUS

yes it is very competitive to get into however not impossible to gain employment as a teachers aide!

good luck everyone!

Re: Working 'round' the kids
 

...............no, not impossible, but extremely hard, from a trained teachers aide (where i am, anyway).

Re: Working 'round' the kids
 

yes i so hear you on it. i have a freind who did the course before i did. she couldnt' get any work where she was which was where i was.:o.so i decided NOT to do it. however i then moved up the east coast of OZ..and i could have had at least 2 jobs as an aide if i had the certificates...LOL..:curse:

however i have another friend who did the course and scored a job in Sydney as one..so...who knows huh....good luck with your future endeavours...:)

Re: Working 'round' the kids
 

Hi Shelley, how are you? I decided not to work for a while but now we are here it seems I am going to need to work. I have found it difficult to find anything suitable. My youngest is now three, but won't start Kindy till Jan, and then it is only 2 days a week, so we figured for what I could earn part time it wasn't worth putting him into childcare. Like other posters have put alot of the part time work is casual so you never know when you can work, the childcare doesn't work like that, so you could end up paying for days that you don't need. I am applying to become a family daycarer (childminder). This seemed the best solution for us. It means I can be at home with my own children and still work. Childcare places seem to be in demand, so hopefully I will be able to contribute to the family income. I will see how it goes for a while and then reassess in a few years when the youngest is in full time school.
Good luck with the house sale.

Nicky x

Re: Working 'round' the kids
 

I also worked round my daughter here in Oz for about 9 months my hubby was making a poor wage and we needed extra cash so i got a job in a pharmacy 3 night a week to start after a few months it ended up 4 nights and every sunday, my hubby would come home at 5.15 i would leave for work at 5.45 he worked Saturday i worked Sunday we hardly had any family time together in was a nightmare!! Things are better now though and we can manage on his earnings without me working my one bit of advice is try not to let your family life suffer for work we did because we had too unfortunately.

kezx

Re: Working 'round' the kids
 

Hi. Nicky,

Wow your there at last.... can you feel thegreen vibes generating through the PC.... only joking..... houses are ttaking ages to sell at the mo in Rothwell so we are sat patiently waiting to get on the plane out to brissy...

I may need to re think my plans. hopefully we will just manage on Mitchell's wage untill Zax is at full time school, which I think will be a year this coming January he's 4 at christmas.... I'm happy helping out(school/playgroup) in the interim at least it get's me a bit more exposure. I just figured OH and the kids are going to make friends at work/school I don't want to be just sat at home swimming up and down in the pool....LOL:rofl:.... only joking.


thank you all for you comments/thoughts it's given me something to study!