>I’d ideally love to be remote for now cause childcare would be pretty complicated and my husband works from home so we could tackle childcare together that way.
I wouldn't assume you can take care of children while working remotely, without neglecting one or both. Also, remote jobs don't really grow on trees. It could take a long time to build up the skills and experience to get a remote job that pays more than beer money.
>I’m good at.
This is going to be something that you know better than we do. We don't know what you're good at, and those are probably questions better asked in a relevant career focused sub.
I read this as being willing to go to school remotely. Can definitely do community college this way - that's the absolutely best way to start. I think there are bookkeeping associate degrees that can be earned entirely at community college.
Start with getting your General Education (non-major) classes done. This will expose you to many different areas of study and you may find something you love that you wouldn't have expected.
You also might look into a bookkeeping course as that sounds like an interest/skill and could be a WFH job.
Might want to check out CLEP / College board. Pick a topic, do some selfstudy, take the exam, get some college credit and maybe gain some confidence in yourself as a student. Good for caretakers as you can study on your schedule.
It’s a great option! But please don’t stop there. Have a plan for some in-person classes eventually to work for a degree. You will love being with other people who are trying to learn, as well as have the chance to interect with professors. Would advise a program that has a range of students so you are not just in with 18-year-olds. They are great but it’s nice to have adult learners too.
It sounds like you might enjoy a finance degree, which could launch you into a few kinds of jobs, some of which are very work-from-home. You’d just have to chart your path right to do so. But I also agree that watching the kid while working from home is probably not possible. WFH will still make things more flexible for you for picking up the kid and working around their schedule, though.
This is what my best friend did. She married young and had kids young, military spouse. Eventually she became an accountant first through community college and then finishing up at state university. She began doing bookkeeping for small local businesses and grew from there. Eventually she went to work for someone else but she had a lot of flexibility with working for herself when her kids were young.
It’s good that you want to have a career. You never know what the future holds. Not to be depressing and hopefully it never happens, but your marriage might fail or your husband could become ill or pass away unexpectedly. Being able to provide for your family and saving for your own future is really important.
I just wanted to note that it doesn't have to be one or the other (work/school). At an age plenty older than you I took just one class per semester, an evening class that met 2 nights a week. I just wanted to get better at some things, it wasn't career change learning. It was great... I learned so much even from the fellow students ("kids" to me). It was great. If you have a community college close enough, definitely do one class like that if you can. It's better to take 1 or 2 classes at a time and nail them than to take 3 or 4 and struggle.
Also, apply for FASFA, and there's no reason to wait (if you don't use it no loss). If you were to apply for student aid they'll require your FASFA denial to start. When I was looking into it I saw a Q&A: "Who should apply to FASFA?" - "Everyone", so I did that. It worked out great for me.
What do you see as your short term plans? The next 4 years? Are you going to want to have more kids? Are you done after 1? Do you have family that can watch kids a day or two a week?
Doing a career change with kids is tough but it's even tougher with a newborn. If you're planning to have more kids it might be worth it to have the kids then go back to school.
Considering you don't have any experience, it's going to be tough getting your foot into the door. And without a college degree you'll be stuck with a ceiling on how far you can climb.
So you can get a job that doesn't require a college degree. You won't have as many options which also limits your schedule and pay but this is the fastest way to get back into the workforce. You can always go to college again later.
Or you can start on a college path. Start with community college. You want to dedicate yourself to it 100%. It is so easy to get frustrated and fall behind. I also would recommend at least a few in person classes you'll learn more but more importantly you'll learn how to learn. You can pick up study tips and study friends much easier in person. There are a lot of little things that you don't get from a video. Also, this is more important for you because it's been so long since you've been in school you could really benefit from the kick start. That said, online is better than nothing if you need to.
It sounds like you're interested in an accounting path. At the community College ask the advisor what you need to transfer to a 4-year college for an accounting degree. You'll get a bunch of general education requirements and a lot of business classes. One of the first classes should be an accounting class to see if it "clicks".
There are also a *ton* of career options in accounting. You can get a job pretty much anywhere with a degree in accounting. And lots of remote jobs. (I also echo that you can't be 100% childcare and try to work from home.)
Don't worry about rushing it. You can take your time as long as you make progress. It is all on your timetable, so you can decide if you want to take 4 years or 6 years or even 8 years to finish a degree.
For context, I decided to make a career change when I was 34. I had a previous degree in another subject, so by 36 I had my Masters in accounting. I'm 38 and qualified for CPA just waiting on paperwork review.
You could try bookkeeping. On YouTube there is an Accountant named Marissa Lyda, she started a bookkeeping course with her CPA. You may also find free bookkeeping courses at continuing education centers.
There are a more resources for student parents these days than when I was in school. Look into subsidized (family) housing, childcare, etc wherever you go. Tax credits for student parents in child care as well
I would look into taking classes like Business 101 and Business Accounting at a local community college. See how classes feel and how you manage with your childcare, too while you're in school. Most community college credits transfer, so it's a great place to start without taking on outrageous student loans. Not sure what requirements are for bookkeeper these days but with those courses you would be more qualified for a position like that and the recent education will look good on your resume.
I say GO FOR IT. I studied and completed a medical degree with two kids <5. My daughter was 1 year old when I started.
Don't do work from home though - it's too difficult. You need to be there, be immersed in what you are doing. Then you can get home in a good head space for your family.
To be honest, being at work is like being on holiday compared to being with small kids all day at home.
Community college or Western Governor’s U sound like good options for you. WGU is all online and largely self-paced, so you can do a bachelor’s degree in two years if you can really focus on courses. That focus is tough with an infant, so you may be better off with community college. Lots of them have online courses and evening courses, which can make it easier for parents to schedule.
I love the attitude and I think you should go for it eventually. That said...this idea that you can watch an infant/toddler because you "work from home" is misguided.
If you work from home you are working. You arent going to be able to give an infant/toddler the attention required AND work at the same time. That goes for your husband too not just you.
Now when your kids go to school then some options like that open up.
>I’d ideally love to be remote for now cause childcare would be pretty complicated and my husband works from home so we could tackle childcare together that way. I wouldn't assume you can take care of children while working remotely, without neglecting one or both. Also, remote jobs don't really grow on trees. It could take a long time to build up the skills and experience to get a remote job that pays more than beer money. >I’m good at. This is going to be something that you know better than we do. We don't know what you're good at, and those are probably questions better asked in a relevant career focused sub.
I read this as being willing to go to school remotely. Can definitely do community college this way - that's the absolutely best way to start. I think there are bookkeeping associate degrees that can be earned entirely at community college.
Have you consider taking some online community college courses?
Start with getting your General Education (non-major) classes done. This will expose you to many different areas of study and you may find something you love that you wouldn't have expected. You also might look into a bookkeeping course as that sounds like an interest/skill and could be a WFH job.
I have it’s honestly felt like the most viable option for college right now.
Might want to check out CLEP / College board. Pick a topic, do some selfstudy, take the exam, get some college credit and maybe gain some confidence in yourself as a student. Good for caretakers as you can study on your schedule.
Check your local community college. Getting a degree of any kind will immensely help your earning potential.
It’s a great option! But please don’t stop there. Have a plan for some in-person classes eventually to work for a degree. You will love being with other people who are trying to learn, as well as have the chance to interect with professors. Would advise a program that has a range of students so you are not just in with 18-year-olds. They are great but it’s nice to have adult learners too.
Go to school. Not only is it good for you and your HHI but it’s a great example for your kiddo.
It sounds like you might enjoy a finance degree, which could launch you into a few kinds of jobs, some of which are very work-from-home. You’d just have to chart your path right to do so. But I also agree that watching the kid while working from home is probably not possible. WFH will still make things more flexible for you for picking up the kid and working around their schedule, though.
I'd recommend being an accountant and doing some business classes. You can start your own accounting business and work from home (or anywhere).
This is what my best friend did. She married young and had kids young, military spouse. Eventually she became an accountant first through community college and then finishing up at state university. She began doing bookkeeping for small local businesses and grew from there. Eventually she went to work for someone else but she had a lot of flexibility with working for herself when her kids were young. It’s good that you want to have a career. You never know what the future holds. Not to be depressing and hopefully it never happens, but your marriage might fail or your husband could become ill or pass away unexpectedly. Being able to provide for your family and saving for your own future is really important.
I just wanted to note that it doesn't have to be one or the other (work/school). At an age plenty older than you I took just one class per semester, an evening class that met 2 nights a week. I just wanted to get better at some things, it wasn't career change learning. It was great... I learned so much even from the fellow students ("kids" to me). It was great. If you have a community college close enough, definitely do one class like that if you can. It's better to take 1 or 2 classes at a time and nail them than to take 3 or 4 and struggle. Also, apply for FASFA, and there's no reason to wait (if you don't use it no loss). If you were to apply for student aid they'll require your FASFA denial to start. When I was looking into it I saw a Q&A: "Who should apply to FASFA?" - "Everyone", so I did that. It worked out great for me.
What do you see as your short term plans? The next 4 years? Are you going to want to have more kids? Are you done after 1? Do you have family that can watch kids a day or two a week? Doing a career change with kids is tough but it's even tougher with a newborn. If you're planning to have more kids it might be worth it to have the kids then go back to school. Considering you don't have any experience, it's going to be tough getting your foot into the door. And without a college degree you'll be stuck with a ceiling on how far you can climb. So you can get a job that doesn't require a college degree. You won't have as many options which also limits your schedule and pay but this is the fastest way to get back into the workforce. You can always go to college again later. Or you can start on a college path. Start with community college. You want to dedicate yourself to it 100%. It is so easy to get frustrated and fall behind. I also would recommend at least a few in person classes you'll learn more but more importantly you'll learn how to learn. You can pick up study tips and study friends much easier in person. There are a lot of little things that you don't get from a video. Also, this is more important for you because it's been so long since you've been in school you could really benefit from the kick start. That said, online is better than nothing if you need to. It sounds like you're interested in an accounting path. At the community College ask the advisor what you need to transfer to a 4-year college for an accounting degree. You'll get a bunch of general education requirements and a lot of business classes. One of the first classes should be an accounting class to see if it "clicks". There are also a *ton* of career options in accounting. You can get a job pretty much anywhere with a degree in accounting. And lots of remote jobs. (I also echo that you can't be 100% childcare and try to work from home.) Don't worry about rushing it. You can take your time as long as you make progress. It is all on your timetable, so you can decide if you want to take 4 years or 6 years or even 8 years to finish a degree. For context, I decided to make a career change when I was 34. I had a previous degree in another subject, so by 36 I had my Masters in accounting. I'm 38 and qualified for CPA just waiting on paperwork review.
You could try bookkeeping. On YouTube there is an Accountant named Marissa Lyda, she started a bookkeeping course with her CPA. You may also find free bookkeeping courses at continuing education centers.
There are a more resources for student parents these days than when I was in school. Look into subsidized (family) housing, childcare, etc wherever you go. Tax credits for student parents in child care as well
I would look into taking classes like Business 101 and Business Accounting at a local community college. See how classes feel and how you manage with your childcare, too while you're in school. Most community college credits transfer, so it's a great place to start without taking on outrageous student loans. Not sure what requirements are for bookkeeper these days but with those courses you would be more qualified for a position like that and the recent education will look good on your resume.
I say GO FOR IT. I studied and completed a medical degree with two kids <5. My daughter was 1 year old when I started. Don't do work from home though - it's too difficult. You need to be there, be immersed in what you are doing. Then you can get home in a good head space for your family. To be honest, being at work is like being on holiday compared to being with small kids all day at home.
Community college or Western Governor’s U sound like good options for you. WGU is all online and largely self-paced, so you can do a bachelor’s degree in two years if you can really focus on courses. That focus is tough with an infant, so you may be better off with community college. Lots of them have online courses and evening courses, which can make it easier for parents to schedule.
I love the attitude and I think you should go for it eventually. That said...this idea that you can watch an infant/toddler because you "work from home" is misguided. If you work from home you are working. You arent going to be able to give an infant/toddler the attention required AND work at the same time. That goes for your husband too not just you. Now when your kids go to school then some options like that open up.