Working on DBP

Puts hands up!

I went back to work when Issy was 4.5 months and even though I my job .. I her more and missed her terribly.

But I wanted her to have what I had ... a parent at home (and DH is fab with her), so at least my situation isnt as bad as those who have to leave their precious bundle with someone other than the other parent!

SimSam wrote: nikkiwhyte wrote: lilfatty wrote: in todays climate its not that hard to find flexible working hours. Ahhh see here's where I beg to differ. I believe it is REALLY hard to find flexible working hours. I consider my job really flexible but I still struggle at times. I doubt if I was a single mum with a limited education that a fast food chain/super market/large company would be quite so generous. After all, business is business and if a parent has to leave early, take extra sick days, potentially turn up to work more tired than a non-parent, they are effectively costing a company money. Now I'm not saying all employers think that way but definitely some. ETA and as a single mum I have very limited babysitting options. I agree Nikki, and I think this is one of my main concerns with the policy. Even if at the moment employers are flexible....when there is suddenly a lot more people being forced back into the workplace, employers are going to be able to be a lot pickier and a lot less flexible. I suspect this will end up forcing single mums into low paying, low skilled jobs that arent flexible about childcare arrangements - which has all sorts of flow-on effects. I know a single mother who is on the DPB with 3 children under 7, she has 2 degrees, but struggles to find a job that allows her to care for her kids the way that she needs to (drop off  & pick up  kindy / school etc). She has no family in auckland to support her, so she has very few choices. She could work part time at a supermarket / retail etc, but she woudlnt earn enough to make the logistics of that work for them. I also worry that children are going to end up being left at home, with neighbours, and in potentially unsafe situations, as mums struggle to get home from these so called "flexible" jobs!

agree i relly dont think it has been looked at properly even when i am studying i will have to cover the cost of travle and food for my self and james puls travle to and from his appionements for speech ect ect and these soo called jobs we are all spose to be getting were are they

I was the same lilfatty - when I used to hire people I was always thinking "are they going to get bored or think this job is beneath them"...

 

I do like the policy. You don't have to do "nothing" until your child is six, but it gives you plenty of time to sort out any difficulties especially if your child has health issues in the early years. I think 15 hours is not much and shouldn't be too difficult to do, especially while that person's child is at school. Not sure how school holidays would work and maybe there ought to be a greater allowance of time off over Christmas? Maybe? It seems the policy has some thinking through.

But I don't think anyone is saying that a solo mother (who usually is solo not out of her own choice) with a child under the age of 6 is having a 'free ride'. It's after the child is settled in school that is being talked about. They are also old enough to leave with friends and I'm sure babysitting swaps over holidays etc could be arranged between other solo (or otherwise) friends.

But from what I know about student allowance (been on it with two kids) and UB (ditto) and DPB, they all are due a rise because of inflation. They should be, IMO, reviewed on an annual basis perhaps as a % of the average wage. They can't be too high or no one would work but I think they are too low for today's climate.

I also agree with the comment that student loans should be made available to those on the DPB (well I think they already are, but no need for free course fees) because they won't be required to pay them off until they earn enough anyhow. If a family on one wage can do it, anyone can.

How can solo parents not be eligible for the DPB??

eeek But what if prior to the separation the father had been the SAHD??

Then I think he would be eligable for the DPB .. but you would not be (as you would voluntarily leave the workforce)....well you would be after a stand down period but YKWIM

As always Maya articulates so much better than I do

i,m sorry but i do not just sit on my ass and do nothing that was very rude for you to think just because i am a solo mother that all i do is sit on my butt and do nothing how very very very rude and how good do we all think we are were if you were in this sution you may not be soo very judging some people need help not all of us plan on staying on the dpb some plan to have better lifes but sometime life will thrw us a cruve ball and our plans are putt of for a year or two so how dear you all sit in jugdement of us who died and made you all boss

RachandJack wrote: I disagree with everyone. What the problem is in NZ is that mothering is not an accepted job. Every woman who has a baby is going to miss out on money (that she could of had if she never had the baby) at some point. Yet the survival of our race is dependant on women having babies. Why isn't there more support for ALL mothers. Mothering is a full time job so why can't any woman get to stay home as long as she likes and still get credit for it. Mothers won't be able to make any contribution to kiwisaver, they miss out on job opportunities when off having babies etc. There should be a universal payment for mothers. It doesn't need to be huge but just enough to recognise that mothering is a job, probably the most important job there is.

Well said!!!  Its silly aye, even after being at home for 7 years now raising children, I still feel guilty in some ways that I am not contributing financially to our household  I am fortunate that DH earns a good wage, and I feel its a priviledge for me to stay at home as lots of mums I know dont have that option.  I also wonder what my options will be when all my babies are at school, I have no idea what I will do next?!?

I agree with Rach too, well put

I often get really disheartened as my DH struggles to recognise that this is a job. He always says 'but you chose it'. What he fails to realise is that he chose to spread his seed and impregnate me and therefore has to pay the bills!

I really wish men (and lets face it, its men) would recognise what we do, working or not, but I doubt it will ever happen. It used to be a woman's job or right to stay at home and look after the kids but now its like 'hurry up, get back to work'. Anyway, I'm just throwing a pity party cos after the next baby's born I'm back to work full time and while I want to, I don't want to at the same time

Anyway, OK this has NOTHING to do with the DPB thing lol so sorry