6 hours of work per work

[2steps]

I quite enjoy my 'work' as it grew from a hobby. I have no idea how many hours I spend on it a week. I would hate to go back to 'real job' but wouldn't want to have no money at all either - I wouldn't be able to have the internet or afford the hobbies I love or the things my children like to do

and my other job of veing mum, chef, gardener, nurse...... is pretty great too

[Goodlife1970]

Ive not been in paid employment for a while now and find that Im "working" even harder now,true thats mostly down to having the children but Ive also taken on the role as provider,I grow,forage,prepare and cook the food for the family.This is partially down to economic necessity but also out of some moral duty,eg the need to feed my family on something more wholesome than fish fingers and oven chips.We have,as a family,almost achieved a balance of the OH working and quality time together,as we have downsized so much we need less money to survive on. My day is much longer than my old 9-5 days but the difference is that the work I do is totally upto me and Im doing things that are far more enjoyable than the paid work I used to do. As a consequence of this we are not only happier as a family but I feel,far healthier.

[gunners71uk]

im a carer for my disabled son but do you define that as work or a vocation.having lived in the south of england and here in notts i have worked 80-90 hr weeks but have downsized my wife has a good job and i am a househusband,and everything else.if we can live simply and not dictated by materialism or our own apetite to keep up with the jones,s.prioritising needs not wants things like that. on this side of the planet we have alot of things we take for granted.contentment is an art of self control................gunners
and im still working at it ..........

[ina]

Yes, I think downsizing has a lot going for it - living with less money, but more contentment.
I've been following the radio news about the Government's failure (yet again...) to reach it's target of pulling so and so many children out of poverty - and I am constantly asking myself, why are they only talking about money poverty? I'm sure that some of those who live on very little money don't feel the need to call themselves poor, whereas others, who've not managed to leave the race of keeping up with the Joneses, feel poor although they have more than average wages?

[glenniedragon]

I can honestly say I have never worked so hard, since I gave up paid employment- and I had quite a hard job both physically and mentally with 12 hour shifts! The lack of breaks and inconsiderate employers (toddlers) has meant many early nights! Only surviving on one NHS income has been a challenge, but having our own eggs and veg help the load a little. And although we haven't had a proper family holiday for five years, only have 1 K-reg car, and have a deficit of ipods,GPS,and the like I don't feel that my children lose out- one thing that they get loads of is TIME, and they may not have all the dohickeys and such, but they have at least one parent around all the time. Ina has a point
" I'm sure that some of those who live on very little money don't feel the need to call themselves poor, whereas others, who've not managed to leave the race of keeping up with the Joneses, feel poor although they have more than average wages?"
poverty is more than just a money issue, you can be poverty stricken in emotional, and social matters- at least the government has established a level at which financial support is available, there are those out there who fall way below the level of the more social measures and the wider society will suffer as a result......whew I must lay off the elderberry wine now as I'm getting all deep and philosophical!
-and no I don't consider ourselves poor (banks would argue), but rich in our lives and with each other

kind thoughts
Deb

[Shirley]

well said... both of you!!

How old are your little ones then Deb? What is a holiday? Isn't that where you just spend time with your loved ones - so we are on permanent holiday even though it is hard work and tiring?!

We've been struggling lately as we've BOTH been out of work - now that has been tough and we certainly haven't been trying to keep up with the Joneses (although I did get a moment of weakness and buy a tshirt recently LOL but actually I had most of the money for that in my paypal account anyway)

[glenniedragon]

Morning Shirlz,
I too had a moment of weakness and bought a T-shirt, we're not keeping up with each other-we're showing solidarity! my 2 are 5 (in reception class at local school, walking distance away) and 3 in May. Now the eldest is at school I have had a bit more time in the garden as youngest is a bit of a mud monkey! The smallest things are entertaining to a 2yearold, it took us 40mins to walk a 10minute walk from school on Thursday as every puddle had to be jumped in, regardless of depth! he was in his waterproof all-in-ones with his wellies but he was in his element, and exhausted! and it was free! so many kids were picked up in 4x4's and ushered out of the rain, they don't know what they are missing.
It does sound like things have been tough for you up there, both not working must be hard, I'm rooting for you sister!

kind thoughts
Deb

[Goodlife1970]

Hi Debs,regarding your little ones having a whale of a time jumping in puddles,dont you find that both of your children have better imaginations than other children their age? Its awful that most children grow up with an "entertain me" attitude,the only way that they can be occupied is by the latest PS2 game,until they tired of it and want a new one. My kids (and Im pretty certain yours too) have grown up without these things and dont feel deprived at all,the opposite in fact,why be stuck inside on a boring game when you can be outside playing in Dads sand (a beach,castle,desert island,ect) or picking things out of Mums garden to eat,or climbing trees? The education our children are getting is amazing too,learning the cycles of the seasons,where our food comes from and even in simple terms where baby anythings come from,its all there to see and its INTERESTING. Why be forced into working for most of their childhood to buy them expensive toys when theyd much rather have an empty cardboard box and YOU to play with,wasnt a tough choice for me!

[glenniedragon]

Yes, actually you're right, his imagination was something that his teacher commeted on at Parents evening. He draws space battles- he starts off with a piece of paper, bad guys on one side and good guys on the other and then he draws 'fire' or 'lasers' from one side to the other until a victor is decided (more often the good guys!) a very low tech version of a PS2! And he has quite a knowledge of animals, correctly identifying mammals, reptiles, birds which I don't think is bad for a 5 year old. You are right our children are getting a great education, my boys school wouldn't let me take in a newly hatched chick to show the other, less fortunate, children the wonder of new life from an egg- because of AVIAN FLU and health and safety regulations regarding wildlife! I was gobsmacked! I wonder if all the focus on 'targets' and SATs results has skewed the focus of Primary eduation-the first few years should be learning HOW to learn and giving kids the thirst for knowledge to last a lifetime............Okay I'll step down from my soapbox now!

Kind thoughts
Deb

PS no slight to primary school teachers is intended, my gripe is towards the political changes forced on education during my lifetime. I remember Baker days and the cackhanded introduction of GCSE's.

[hedgewizard]

Well my wife Toni is a primary teacher, and she agrees with you 100%!

Toni's finishing a short-term contract in two weeks which means our work/life balance swings firmly back to "life" and we won't have any spare cash any more and... I'm glad. Hey, I never thought of this before - the "work/life balance" states pitches the two things as if they were opposites!

We've got two kids - Connor's 13 now and thanks to timing and my ex-wife buggering off I had to raise him in a more or less "conventional" way (if you can call frequent house moves, a single father with grandparent backup, and one disasterous live-in girlfriend conventional) until a few years ago when Toni's arrival changed everything.

Harry on the other hand has grown up with less ready cash around, but more time from me and Toni and a wonderful wild environment to explore. He still loves his Thomas the Tank Engine and all that but getting outside is his first love and he's absolutely fearless. A&E here we come!

The contrast between the two boys is startling. Of course they have different temperments, but sometimes I look at Connor and wonder how things might have been different for him... should the title of this thread be "per week" btw?

[glenniedragon]

Lets hope that our (being the children of the forum members) are truely the children of the revolution! I would consider it worth all the hard work if we get a few alternative thinkers from the crowd!

Kind thoughts
Deb

[albert onglebod]

I gave up paid work 18 years ago this August Just before my son was born.We dumped the TV just after he was born and didnt get one for 6 years.
When he was 9 and DD was 7, we started homeschooling as they were considered wierdo's at school (questioned teachers statements and didnt talk about tv programmes) . Most people seem to think we must be rich because our kids dont say 'init' or swear all the time and we survive on one wage but really it is just that they've been able to be kids and not drones.
I cook everything and make anything I can and Im always learning how to do new things. We used to have the veg garden in production when the kids were little but with one thing and another it was abandoned. Now Im getting it established again (my turn this time as now the kids are big,I am the one with the time).
I really want the food production to be my 'JOB' now the kids are able to sort themselves out( one is at college now and the other soon will be). I expect it to take up a lot more than 6 hours a week but as has already been said,who cares,its great fun.

[Goodlife1970]

Wow Albert! That was a very bave thing to do! How did you go about it? Do you have any teaching background and what are the legal issues surrounding home schooling? I wanted to home school my little ones but as we are in a little village with a school register of only 14 pupils i thought it would be okay to send them to school,now Im beginning to worry,it seems that even with such a small population the Head is having trouble coping..............

[albert onglebod]

Ours had already started school so we had to tell the LEA we wanted to deregister them. (Tell,not ask!) If they dont ever start school,you dont have to deregister them as they are not registered anywhere yet.
We joined education Otherwise ,a registered charity for supporting people who wish to homeschool which has lots of advice,a newsletter,camps,local meeting groups etc. We had an LEA appointed inspector who came to see us once a year(we havent seen him for about 3 years).He was a very nice man and the kids looked forward to showing him their work though he did say they didnt have to (you dont have to be inspected though but we didnt see the harm in it). I am so glad we went ahead with it and so are they .My DS is now at 6th form college(which is school really) as he wanted to take A levels and go to Uni and my DD is due to go too in September.

[albert onglebod]

Oops forgot to say...legally anyone can homeschool.The law says children must be educated but this can be in school or otherwise (hence the name of the charity ) .You dont have to get permission to homeschool at all.I just wrote to the headteacher saying we were taking our 2 out of the school.My OH rang the LEA and told them too.
I do have some Montessori training but it is only in the theory of the system ,I never taught as a proffession and it was more useful before they started going to school as it was a nursery course.you dont need to have any training or experience at all.
Most of our equipment was gleened from charity shops as many children nowadays scorn 'educational materials' as presents. I think the most expensive thing we did was buy a second hand PC and get internet access.
HTH heres the EO link
http://www.education-otherwise.org/