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She says: “I chose to have 6 years off work on a very low income and have survived to tell my tale and it’s been interesting, surprising and full of the new. I think it is very much what you make it. If time off has been forced on you through redundancy or other circumstances try and see it as a chance to spend more time with your child which can be a real blessing. It may be more rewarding than you could ever imagine.”
Becky Goddard-Hill was working as a social worker in the UK teaching childcare issues when her son Frankie was born. She had been in her job for about four years and enjoyed it. She was also the main earner in her family. She planned to return to work four days a week after her maternity leave. What her plan failed to foresee was how she would feel after having her son. Frankie was in a special needs unit when he was born. Becky’s maternity leave was extended from six months to a year and she says the year off was “magical”.
She decided she wanted to have more time off with him. After careful thinking and discussions, the family realised it could be done. Now on a six-year career break, she has written a book, How to Afford Time Off With Your Baby, which contains 101 tips to help avoid the financial strain of parenting whether you take six months, six weeks or six years off work with your baby.
She says: "Even if you do work, a baby brings additional financial cost and often-reduced income (you may go part-time, for instance, or not be able to do overtime). It is really important to enjoy your maternity leave however long you have, as these are the most precious of days and it seems such a shame for money to be more of an issue when you want a gorgeous nursery, beautiful clothes, amazing pram, gym classes for you and so on."
She says: "Even if you do work, a baby brings additional financial cost and often-reduced income (you may go part-time, for instance, or not be able to do overtime). It is really important to enjoy your maternity leave however long you have, as these are the most precious of days and it seems such a shame for money to be more of an issue when you want a gorgeous nursery, beautiful clothes, amazing pram, gym classes for you and so on."
Among her top tips are to become part of the local community and get to know the different playgroups, libraries and parks available that, as a working mom you don’t have time to visit. She shops locally which she says is cheaper and has got to know her neighbours well so can ask them for help when she needs it. “All these benefits are either free or very budget friendly and are well worth embracing,” she says.
She is a also a big fan of creative play and puts it to good use when gift time comes along. The children make their own cards and bake cookies as gifts. They create huge seasonal murals in the kitchen. Her husband gives her gifts of a whole day off being a mom rather than jewellery. “Materialism has massively been reduced in our lives,” she says. “It may sound a bit hippyish but children do love you to get down and play and to be out in the world with them much more than a bit of plastic or an hour at a soft play centre.”
She has also looked into different ways to make a bit of money on the side and develop new skills. For instance, she bought a baby signing franchise which she worked one morning a week with her babies in tow and made a clear £100 for a morning's work. “It taught me how to sign and how to engage a noisy group of babies and it was my first shot at running a business and keeping my own accounts,” she says. She has also got involved in her local school and now there is the book, which contains numerous other examples of how to make money while having time off with your kids.
She says: “I chose to have 6 years off work on a very low income and have survived to tell my tale and it’s been interesting, surprising and full of the new. I think it is very much what you make it. If time off has been forced on you through redundancy or other circumstances try and see it as a chance to spend more time with your child which can be a real blessing. It may be more rewarding than you could ever imagine.”
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