I dont know what to do ... any ideas,

Our baby girl is only 6 weeks old, I love her soo much so does my Husband.

The ways things are, we can hardly live. He works in retail and it just doesnt pay enough. I'm a baker and have always earnt the most. Because of that it looks like I have no choice but to go back to work in the next month.

I dont want to go back, because I know what I'll be missing out on, yet if I dont go back. Then we cant afford to live.

I'm kinda starting to get really angery at myself. Beacuse I dont know what I should do.

If I go back, I'll never see her. I'll miss out on everything I want soo much to be apart of.
If I go back I know that I wont be the Mum I want to be. I'll be going to work, working 9 - 11 hour days. Comming home shattered, eating then to bed.

But if I dont go back. She misses out on the most simple of things.

Ps been to WINZ and they wont really help.

So any ideas?

It will end up costing more than what I could sell the product for. Big companies are able to sell more product at a cheaper cost.

We thought of part time, only noone wants a "part time baker" full time or nothing.

we got on the working for families web site and it took us to IRD to work out how much we could get and that was $26 a fortnight was all we could get, so that gas for one week.

Hiya.....I really feel for ya.....lifes so bloody hard sometimes eh.....What about looking into caring for other kids at your hm????I dont know much about that sort of thing but maybe put ad in paper or talk to anglican care.I know a girl that works for them.has two other kids aswell as her own two......that way your hubby can keep working too....(thats if you can handle that many kids at once)I probly couldnt.But at least you get to be there all the time for your little girl

I'm still employed by a supermarket. Only thing is around where I live its all full time bakers sad ay.

I dont think I could handle too many kids. Chasity is out 1st baby.

I kinda dont like barnados, very long story, lets just say one baby would still be alive and almost 9 if it wasnt for them

Family assisstance is different to working for families apparently, but ring up IRD and request a family assisstance form anf fill it out because there is no harm in applying, I didn't know about the $1200.00 till my mums friend told us, and at least you are pretty much guaranteed to get it, almost everyone gets the full $1200.00. Or ring them and talk to someone about it. I know what you mean about WINz, all they could offer us was $33 a week which if you ask me is pretty pathetic.

You must be entitled be more then that. Its blows me away sometimes how the govt expects families to live on next to nothing. Do they think raising kids is cheap i dont think so!

Sorry, I dont have any other ideas but I hope you are able to sort something out with IRD.

If all else fails I'd go in to WINZ and make an appointment with a case manager. It really depends who you get as some are extremely helpful and will do everything they can to help you while others let their cynicism get in the way of their job. Grrrr. They annoy me.

if you ring winz or really any government agency, write down the time and name of the operator...as well as the info they give. if anything is contradictory you can then make a complaint. doesn't really help too much, but makes you feel better.

BTW I completely understand the dilema about to work or not to work. In japan i went to work at 8am and got home at 7 pm. saw jake on weekends and about 30mins during the day. It was tough and i did it for a year. Don't know how looking back.