| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Work at home mum - can I realistically work as a freelancer? Thread poster: Robyn Auer
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| Do babysitters still exist? | May 22, 2014 |
My oldest daughter was 6 months old when I went back to work. Everything went like clockwork because a young widowed mother who had a 10-year-old daughter of her own lived next door and she was more than happy to look after my daughter while I was at work (I wasn't a translator at that time).
A couple of years later my second daughter was born and I managed to be a full-time mother until she was 10 months old (by then, her sister was three and a half). I use the word 'managed' beca... See more My oldest daughter was 6 months old when I went back to work. Everything went like clockwork because a young widowed mother who had a 10-year-old daughter of her own lived next door and she was more than happy to look after my daughter while I was at work (I wasn't a translator at that time).
A couple of years later my second daughter was born and I managed to be a full-time mother until she was 10 months old (by then, her sister was three and a half). I use the word 'managed' because I'm afraid I had the same problem as Sheila:
Sheila Wilson wrote:
I personally admire anyone who can be a full-time parent for four years. I managed 15 months before I just had to do something: I was talking baby-talk during the day and finding I had nothing to talk to my husband about other than the baby, and I found it stifling.
When I went back to work the second time we had moved to a different town and I didn't have a job to go back to! However, my mind was made up and I opened a business, with premises and the like. I was able to do it because I hired a babysitter to look after my children while I was at work.
Only one year later I was earning enough money to be able to pay a person to help me with my housework
I think that if a person REALLY wants to do something, they do it. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Andrea Diaz
Mexico
Local time: 23:22
English to Spanish
+ ...
Helena Chavarria wrote: My oldest daughter was 6 months old when I went back to work. Everything went like clockwork because a young widowed mother who had a 10-year-old daughter of her own lived next door and she was more than happy to look after my daughter while I was at work (I wasn't a translator at that time). A couple of years later my second daughter was born and I managed to be a full-time mother until she was 10 months old (by then, her sister was three and a half). I use the word 'managed' because I'm afraid I had the same problem as Sheila: Sheila Wilson wrote:
I personally admire anyone who can be a full-time parent for four years. I managed 15 months before I just had to do something: I was talking baby-talk during the day and finding I had nothing to talk to my husband about other than the baby, and I found it stifling. When I went back to work the second time we had moved to a different town and I didn't have a job to go back to! However, my mind was made up and I opened a business, with premises and the like. I was able to do it because I hired a babysitter to look after my children while I was at work. Only one year later I was earning enough money to be able to pay a person to help me with my housework I think that if a person REALLY wants to do something, they do it.
Hello Sheila, I'm glad to hear of your success story. If I may ask, in which year did you open your business? I see that you are located in Spain, and I'm surprised that your line of work "survived" the economical crisis.
| | | | | Sheila or Helena? | May 26, 2014 |
Andrea Diaz wrote:
Hello Sheila, I'm glad to hear of your success story. If I may ask, in which year did you open your business? I see that you are located in Spain, and I'm surprised that your line of work "survived" the economical crisis.
Andrea, are you asking Sheila or me?
I opened my first business (a dance studio) in January 1986, though I started getting the place ready in October 1985. I worked there for 12 years.
I opened my second business (an academy of English) in June 1998 and I am closing it on 30 June I'm really looking forward to being able to work when I want to and not having to keep my eye on the time!
It's not really a success story, I'm not Bill Gates It's just a case of having confidence in myself and not being afraid of hard work.
I only posted here because I wouldn't have been able to work without having someone to look after my children in the afternoons, because although I used to teach during the day, my main workload was from 16.00 to 22.00.
Incidentally, my daughters are now grown up and married, and I have two grandchildren
| | | | Sheila Wilson 
Spain
Local time: 06:22
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
Helena Chavarria wrote:
Andrea, are you asking Sheila or me?
I went into teaching the year before Helena did, 1997, and did that until I left France two years ago, adding translating in 2007. Teaching here in Fuerteventura is a non-starter with rates of 7-10€ per hour of teaching being normal . Seeing as 1 hour of teaching = about 2 hours' work/travel, I don't see how it can be made to pay. Not when clients in other countries pay 30€ per hour of my time. I've only ever had one Spain-based client in all those years, and I doubt that side of my business will grow much from what I've heard about Spanish agencies. But I did at least have a very positive experience with that client - mind you, she was Dutch!
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| Spain crisis | May 26, 2014 |
Andrea Diaz wrote:
Hello Sheila, I'm glad to hear of your success story. If I may ask, in which year did you open your business? I see that you are located in Spain, and I'm surprised that your line of work "survived" the economical crisis.
By moving to the Balearic Islands in 2011 I was able ro realize that Spanish Islands virtually see no crisis, not sure in other towns but surely not in the Spanish Islands,
[Edited at 2014-05-26 16:17 GMT]
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 06:22
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| Very much OT | May 26, 2014 |
Angie Garbarino wrote:
By moving to the Balearic Islands in 2011 I was able ro realize that Spanish Islands virtually see no crisis, not sure in other towns but surely not in the Spanish Islands
I'm afraid the opposite is true in the Canary Islands. Unemployment in the 18-25 age group on my island is over 50% and it's well over 35% overall. The councils are all bankrupt (and having a job paying for essential services such as rubbish disposal) and the police, who have over 50% of their cars off the road, have just been stopped from gaining part of their pay from fines (thank goodness that's been declared illegal at last!).
But none of that has any relevance to the OP's point about returning to work!
| | | | Andrea Diaz
Mexico
Local time: 23:22
English to Spanish
+ ...
Helena Chavarria wrote: Andrea Diaz wrote:
Hello Sheila, I'm glad to hear of your success story. If I may ask, in which year did you open your business? I see that you are located in Spain, and I'm surprised that your line of work "survived" the economical crisis. Andrea, are you asking Sheila or me? I opened my first business (a dance studio) in January 1986, though I started getting the place ready in October 1985. I worked there for 12 years. I opened my second business (an academy of English) in June 1998 and I am closing it on 30 June I'm really looking forward to being able to work when I want to and not having to keep my eye on the time! It's not really a success story, I'm not Bill Gates It's just a case of having confidence in myself and not being afraid of hard work. I only posted here because I wouldn't have been able to work without having someone to look after my children in the afternoons, because although I used to teach during the day, my main workload was from 16.00 to 22.00. Incidentally, my daughters are now grown up and married, and I have two grandchildren
Sorry, I meant you! I was talking with a friend named Sheila on the phone while I typed that message. Somehow that happened while trying to multitask. Anyway, thank you for sharing that little story. Best of luck for Spain.
Yes, sorry for diverting the discussion. To be honest, I chose translation due to my love of languages, but it seems like this is one of those professions where women can have it all. Whatever that means! The Mexican job market is not really kind to women or pregnant women: I've been asked before if I was pregnant during job interviews. I highly doubt I would have gotten hired if I were. Fortunately, as a freelance translator, it seems I won't have to give up my job if I play my cards right. Good to know you all managed to do it.
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