Good Morning!
Monday after I had left for work DH got a phone call here at home. The superitendant of a school in NY (about 45 minutes from here) is lookingf or a long term SpeechTherapist sub. She heard through my BIL that I had done speech in the past. She called and asked if I would be interested in doing it part time, full time, anything. $150-$200 a day part time or $42,000 a school year full time. The per day rate is a bit less than what I make in a WEEK between teaching preschool and working in the daycare.
Now that I am not babysitting in my home anymore and only teahcing preschool 3 mornings a week and working in the daycare in the afternoons, I had been really looking forward to finally having my kids on my own, being able to spend time doing all the things that we've missed out on have 2 extra kids in the house. I wanted to work on my son's letters and numbers, counting, potty trianing. My daughter needs to get back into working on reading. I wanted to play games that we couldn't with a 1 year old in the house b/c he'd eat the Candy Land Peices.
Plus, I really like my current job. I don't really want to give that up. This speech job would run from now until the end of the 2008 school year. So it's temp. and if I leave my other job I may not be able to come back.
But the money is almost too good to pass up. I don't know what to do. It's my daughter's last year before she goes to school. I HATED doing speech before, I am not sure I am up to handle some of teh children taht are on the case load as they may be beyond my scope. I didn't ahve to work with severely autistic children before. I am not sure i know how to best serve their needs.
But I think if I sacrifice one year we could get so far ahead. DH's job is not super stable. He is pretty sure things will be ok during the time that I would do this job. But that kind of money would pay off all of our credit card debt, plus my student loan. Plus we'd still have a large chunk left over to put into savings or to make improvments on the house.
I am so stressed out. I probably could continue with my preschool job and do 2 days a week of speech at this school. But I'd lose my two days a week with my kids. It's a school so the hours would be 7:30-3:00 or something. If I had to be there by 7:30 I'd have to leave my house by 6:15, which means I'd have to get the kids up at 5:45 am. Part of me wants to quit the preschool and give the speech job three days a week, leaving me with two days a week to be with my kids. But after this gig is up I may not be able to go back to doing preschool, which I love, b/c they will of had to hire someone else. Plus next year I'll have my son in preschool with me if I stay.
I think I am stupid to give up that kind of money and stupid to give up the time with my kids, time I will never get back. Both of my good friends with small kids that have had to work full time since having kids told me that the money is good and it's kind of dumb to turn it down, but not to forget the value of being with your kids. Both at first said, "Tell me you are going to do it", but the weren't so addament after I explained my reservations.
I have never had to juggle full time work and my kids. I babysat 5 days a week but I had my kids with me. I don't know if I could handle 5 days a week, plus all the house cleaning, laundry ect that I do now, plus feel like I was giving my kids the best I had to offer.
But $42,000. Part of me wants to say so long preschool hello big pay check! DH won't say I think you should or I think you shouldn't, actually nobody I have talked would say I think you should or I think you shouldn't except my sister and she doesn't have kids so she said I should.
Maybe I will finish my school year with preschool, and do the speech 2 days a week on my days off. If I can handle it give up the preschool next year and if I hate it maybe keep doing the two days a week as long as they need me.
I guess I am pretty blessed to be able to even consider not doing and to have the opportunity to pick and choose, I have had 4 years at home with my kids and though financially it has been a struggle it's been worth it. But maybe now is the time to take charge of our finances and get ahead for once isntead of always playing catch up.
What do you guys think?