Should I take the job??

[Doglover8180]

It sounds like you may have already made your decision but just in case, I will throw my two cents in the mix. Being a person who has done a fair bit of hiring, I look at it from the employers side not the employees. You made the comment that if you don't like it come Christmas, you could just quit. I would advise against this. I would rather someone not take a job I offer to them, then take it with the mentality of, if it doesn't work out - I will just quit. People invest alot when they hire someone, training them etc... I would rather someone not take then take it with the mentality of just quiting down the road. I also agree that jobs don't come along too often in this economy so to be the selected person out of 75 applicants (I belive was the # you said), it is a compliment - they had their pick of people and they picked you. Good luck with your decision. Follow your heart and you will usually make the right choice.

[JulieDB]

What are the laws in your area regarding leaving kids home alone? Here there is no specific law but the youngest recommended age is 8 and that is not recommended for everyone. If I were you I would try to find a babysitter or two to watch the kids on those days when they are not in school or see if you can do a drop in at a day care somewhere. You would also need to formulate a plan for when the kids are home sick. If I were you I would take the job because jobs are so hard to come by these days!

[borntoshop]

There is no minimum age in our state. I checked on that. My son took a home alone class last year and we have left him alone for a max of 2 hours. As we talked it though, my husband and I are not comfortable with them being home alone for that long.

Doglover, you touched on something that I have been thinking about and wrote about briefly. That is, taking the job, seeing how it goes and then quitting if it doesn't work out. In my position before staying at home with my kids, I did a lot of hiring too. It takes a lot of time and money to train people so I was apprehensive of the thought of doing that and also like I said, I'm not a quitter, so I didn't want to deal with that possibility.

Today, I spoke with the person who interviewed me and we talked about my concern for my kids while I work. She is being very helpful in answering questions and giving me time to decide which is best. She told me that I stood out in the interview and that they would go back to the drawing board if I didn't accept the position. I am not sure why this is such a struggle for me to make a decision on, but the decision will affect my family. As of now, I'm still on the fence and am anxious to figure out which side of the fence I should be on.

[Troop1379]

Find a high schooler that needs extra money for the few hours.

[Doglover8180]

It is nice that the employer is being understanding and addressing your concerns but I wouldn't drag it out any either. If they are expecting a decision by tomorrow, I would give them that. They want to fill that position and if you don't accept, they will need to go back to the drawing board and the sooner they have your answer, the sooner they can progress to whatever next step may be (whether that is starting the paperwork to get you hired or going back to the drawing board). Deciding whether to take a job is a very hard decision that I have had to make a few times in my life. I go back and forth up till the actual day that I have to make a decision. It's amazing when you are looking for a job, your current situation/job seems to be unbearable and then when you get offered a job, you only focus on the good things about your current job but I always remind myself, there is a reason I applied for this job - even though you don't currently have a job, there is still some reason that made you apply for the job, whether it was a need to feel like you were contributing to an organization, need to get out of the house, need to have more income, something. Food for thought.

[Doglover8180]

Find a high schooler that needs extra money for the few hours.

Yes, that is a very good (and cost effective idea). If the only hang up you have is what you are going to do when the children are home for Christmas break, a high school student would have the same break as elementary and middle school kids and high school students work for cheap. Although I am sure there are some high school kids who aren't as mature and responsible as some 10 year olds.

[Doglover8180]

So, did you end up taking the job?

[borntoshop]

I did not take it. The costs associated with summer and non-school days care for the kids were too high for it to work out. I appreciate the input given here. It made me consider all of the angles.