Working parents & school aged kids.

[Deleted]

So I realize my area sucks for this.

I am itching to go back to work. however, i dont see how to get appropriate child care.

There is no institutional before/after school care associated with our school. There are some SAHM's that watch kids in their homes (2 that I know of) within walking distance. The 2 i know are both full. Our school is walking distance from our home so we don't qualify for bussing anywhere.

We could get a nanny but that seems like overkill for before/after school only.

Any ideas? School is 9:00-3:30. DH leaves the house at 7:00 and gets home at 6:00. Any regular 8 hour/day job ends up being at least 10-10.5 hours out of the house. I can't imagine my kids in a daycare for 2 hours before AND 2 hours after school. That seems too long at that age.

I kind of wish I didn't quit my job 2 years ago. I hated it immensely, but the hours were awesome.

[luvmagoldn]

Maybe a college student would work well for you? Assuming they don't take day classes in the summer. I would imagine you will need full time care in the summer.

[Deleted]

Can you ask/advertise through a school website or newsletter? Maybe do a nanny share? I'd advertise on a college classified too.

[Deleted]

Here, a lot of schools have before and after school clubs run by the Boys and Girls Club. I also have the luxury of setting my hours (must work 37.5 hours a week, but I can choose my schedule). So I go in early, DH does drop off, and I do pickup. I assume this will continue into school years - I may have to even go in at 7 instead of 730 so I can be off earlier.

It would be really hard for 2 parents to work long days, 5 days a week. My brother lives in your city; he works 4-10's and has Sun/Mon/Tues off, while SIL works 80% with Wed off and M/Tu/Th from home (Fri in the office downtown). Their daughter just started afternoon kindergarten. I have no idea how they're swinging it, esp. since the day home is a 20 minute drive from where they live now.

[Deleted]

Oct 15, 2012 21:50:11 GMT -5 @tokenhoser said:

Here, a lot of schools have before and after school clubs run by the Boys and Girls Club. I also have the luxury of setting my hours (must work 37.5 hours a week, but I can choose my schedule). So I go in early, DH does drop off, and I do pickup. I assume this will continue into school years - I may have to even go in at 7 instead of 730 so I can be off earlier.

It would be really hard for 2 parents to work long days, 5 days a week. My brother lives in your city; he works 4-10's and has Sun/Mon/Tues off, while SIL works 80% with Wed off and M/Tu/Th from home (Fri in the office downtown). Their daughter just started afternoon kindergarten. I have no idea how they're swinging it, esp. since the day home is a 20 minute drive from where they live now.

Before I SAH, I worked 7-4 and did pick up, and and DH did drop off and worked 8:30-5:30.
DH usually had to worked late a few nights a week and/or a day on the weekend to make up for the time since he had more work to be done. So then i was doing most of the nighttime parenting. The kids were in daycare from 8:15-4:15 Which seemed fine at the time. But I don't think we could swing that pick-up/drop off arrangement with DH's new job.

I wish there were after school clubs here.

[Deleted]

Oct 15, 2012 21:17:50 GMT -5 L said:

Can you ask/advertise through a school website or newsletter? Maybe do a nanny share? I'd advertise on a college classified too.

Oct 15, 2012 20:50:50 GMT -5 luvmagoldn said:

Maybe a college student would work well for you? Assuming they don't take day classes in the summer. I would imagine you will need full time care in the summer.

Thanks for the ideas. I guess I better decide if I want to start seriously looking, I guess I need to find a job before worrying about this stuff. I am trying to hold out till next September.

[Deleted]

Oct 15, 2012 22:34:10 GMT -5 jenny1980 said:

Can you try and find something part-time? DH and I both work in schools and my schedule is flexible, so between the two of us we should be able to swing both before and after school times. But that would be near impossible if we both worked corporate schedules.

I wish I was an accountant because that seems more flexible. I am a chartered financial analyst and have worked in corporate risk for my entire 12 year career. Postings are all FT of course.

[kimibrighteyes]

I plan to keep a nanny - I don't think it will be overkill for us given the demands of my job. Her job description will also include some housekeeping/grocery shopping while the kids are at work. That may not be financially feasible for a lot of people

[pamela]

When we reach that point DS will go
To his daycare before and after school so it will end up the same hours total (school + care) he's there now. We work 4-10s so it is a long day for him.

[savannah11]

I'd try to find someone on sittercity or care . com for after school.

Don't forget that you will also need full time daycare over the summer and during school holidays that your employer doesn't recognize. Our school provides after school care but I still there are still about 15 days that we end up without care.

[anna7602]

This is the main reason I will continue to work as a freelancer until DD is old enough to let herself in the house and be by herself for a few hours after school.

Most people I know in both cities where I've lived with DD either have nannies or family who pick the kids up from school.

[ssmjlm]

There are daycares around here that provide before and after school care for school aged children.

[anna7602]

Oct 16, 2012 10:07:31 GMT -5 ssmjlm said:

There are daycares around here that provide before and after school care for school aged children.

How do the kids get there? In my old neighborhood, centers would only do a scheduled pick up at a school if they had a critical mass. I forget what the number was, but no one I knew had their kid at a school that met the criteria.

[definitelyO]

Fortunately DS has the option of before and after school care at the school. But DH and I work shifted schedules. He works 6:30 - 3pm (leaves at 6am picks DS up at 3:30pm) - School gets out at 2:45 for DS - so he is in after school for ~ 1hour. His school starts at 8:10 - so I can drop him off on my way to work and get to work at 8:30 - 5. fortunately I work 4 miles from the house/DS's school.

I would see about a HS kid that could walk your child home and stay with them until you get home from work. that is if the HS is close to the elementary school and the timing works out. or maybe you could ask around what other families do to fill that gap?

[Deleted]

Oct 16, 2012 10:11:27 GMT -5 anna7602 said:

Oct 16, 2012 10:07:31 GMT -5 ssmjlm said:

There are daycares around here that provide before and after school care for school aged children.

How do the kids get there? In my old neighborhood, centers would only do a scheduled pick up at a school if they had a critical mass. I forget what the number was, but no one I knew had their kid at a school that met the criteria.

Yes, other schools have this option, but ours does not.

The parents I know have younger kids and live in nannies, or use in home care. If they qualify for bussing they can be bussed anywhere. We do not qualify for bussing because we live so close to the school. Although we have neighbors who made a hefty donation to the school and got around that rule.

There are a lot of SAHM's at our school.

[ssmjlm]

Oct 16, 2012 10:11:27 GMT -5 anna7602 said:

Oct 16, 2012 10:07:31 GMT -5 ssmjlm said:

There are daycares around here that provide before and after school care for school aged children.

How do the kids get there? In my old neighborhood, centers would only do a scheduled pick up at a school if they had a critical mass. I forget what the number was, but no one I knew had their kid at a school that met the criteria.

The daycares have vans or buses and take the children to school. The 4 daycares on our list are all very close to our house and elementary school.

[fortmyersbride]

Oct 15, 2012 22:51:24 GMT -5 kimibrighteyes said:

I plan to keep a nanny - I don't think it will be overkill for us given the demands of my job. Her job description will also include some housekeeping/grocery shopping while the kids are at work. That may not be financially feasible for a lot of people

This is our plan too, so that the nanny can be available for school holidays, sick days, summer vacation, etc. Another dual physician couple I work with kept their nanny until their oldest was driving age.