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Childcare, how do you do it?????

11 replies

Skribble · 07/05/2006 11:00

I am currently applying for 2 full time jobs, one will be daytime and one a combination of evenings and daytime hours.

I really don't know what to do about child care. Kids are 6 and 9, no after school club. DH says he can work from home a couple of days a week, MIL says she will get the bus out if needed and stay at mine until I run her home, but that seems a bit much for her. I suggested a childminder and she near passed out.

Another major problem is after school activities on 2 days DD has an activity that I take her to straight from school. DH can't alwasy do these days and as they are in another town MIL won't be able to get them there. Childminders don't take kids to activities do they?

One soluiton was to buy MIL a cheap automatic car that she can manage easily, then getting to school and activities would be easier, still feel bad expecting her to do that 2/3 times a week.

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nothercules · 07/05/2006 11:01

Dh works nights and i do four days. My mum comes a day and a half. It's not easy and not ideal but we just about manage.
I have a 2 and a half year dd and a 10 year old ds.

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Skribble · 07/05/2006 11:04

The thing is I thought it would be easy to work once they were at school, but as we are in a village with no after school club it is harder than pre school when I could just drop them at MIL for the day.

Its the clubs that will be a major problem and I don't want DD to stop going. I might have a look at arnoldclark.

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KristinaM · 07/05/2006 11:05

If you get a childminder who alreday collect kids from your kids school, she may be willing to drop your kids off there. Assuming its near the school and you dont expect her to collect them from it. Or you could change your kids activities to weekends

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KristinaM · 07/05/2006 11:06

Agree out of school care is very difficult. its a myth that childcare gets easier when your kids are at school

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Skribble · 07/05/2006 11:08

Thats the thing the activities are in different towns 15 mins away. One day is not too bad as FIL has a half day. But the dancing day is a problem, MIL comes with me at the moment and loves to chat with everyone at the coffeshop, its just that she doesn't have transport to get there.

How much do childminders charge these days? £30 a week for a car might be cheaper .

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KristinaM · 07/05/2006 11:17

I thin you are stuffed with the dancing!

But then not sure you can buy and run a car for £30 a week

what will you do in teh school holidays?

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Skribble · 07/05/2006 11:30

One of the reasons I want to earn more is to pay for stuff like dancing.

I was going to go for one of Arnold Clarks interest free £19 a week deals, it will be a really small economical one. OK perhaps it will be nearer £40.

School holidays aren't too bad as MIL is happy to have them its just the getting out to the school and clubs thats hard for her as she doesn't have a car. I think she would be really pleased with her own automatic runaround as FIL's is a big estate that is a pig to drive.

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Skribble · 07/05/2006 11:32

Do Mrs DOubtfire type housekeepers exsist? I supose that is how you could describe my MIL but without the giant fake boobs .

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KTeePee · 07/05/2006 11:55

Are there any families in your village with kids going to the same activities who could give yours a lift?

I have to say, after school activities are one of the things which are not compatible with both parents working full-time. In most families I know with both parents working, the kids activities have to be done at the weekend or any evenings the parents don't work. Have you checked with the dance school, if they have classes on a Saturday?

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sparklemagic · 07/05/2006 12:56

I know it doesn't help skribble, but it makes me sooo mad that there is no flexiblity in this country, a job is a job and bugger you if you have commitments to your children...

Hope you work it out somehow...

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Skribble · 07/05/2006 22:45

Thanks, yes there are classes at the weekend but DD has been going with the same group for 2 yrs now and I wouldn't want to change her, and no there are no othere kids from her school that go to this class. The dance school has such a large catchment area.

It won't be a 9-5 job as I would be duty manager for the shows in the evening too, so it will be days and evenings. So perhaps I can wangle the right afternoons off.

The other job I am going for is more daytime but I think I will have more say over my hours so perhaps if I can persuede them I have to be in early a couple of days to restock then I can get the couple of afternoons off.

I think MIL would quite like a car anyway and I would love to be able to do that for her.