RTO and No Childcare.

[Anonymous]

In reading the threads about RTO, I have been amazed at how many could not return because they lack childcare. I have said for years, one positive of COVID has been the bandwidth for working mothers that generous telework has allowed. As I went from active duty military to FED, I have always had childcare and still do; but I recognize that is because my military career embedded that need. There is a childcare shortage in this country - especially in NOVA. Could you not RTO due to lack of childcare? Or the cost of childcare would make it uneconomical? If so, are you a woman?

[Anonymous]

Another reason why 1950s America was better.

[Anonymous]

It's a cost thing. Obviously they should have child care, but they can save tens of thousands of dollars by not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another reason why 1950s America was better.

For white mothers.
Black mothers didn’t have that privilege

[Anonymous]

Are a lot of women employed FT in professional careers really saying they have no childcare? That's not what I've seen on DCUM. People are often talking about the extra time for commuting and difference of being out of the house. So like a 10yp may come home from school and not have childcare from 4-5pm because they can entertain themselves while parent works. But the parent may not want them actually alone in the house. It's a childcare gap. Same with the mornings before school opens - I would need beforecare to RTO and it might not be available this school year (already full). Or preschool may close at 5pm but with commute I'd get home later than that, etc.

WFH necessitates childcare if you have a real job but can be for fewer hours, or you cover the occasional days off and breaks without always taking PTO etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another reason why 1950s America was better.

For white mothers.
Black mothers didn’t have that privilege

So now everything sucks for all mothers. Progress!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are a lot of women employed FT in professional careers really saying they have no childcare? That's not what I've seen on DCUM. People are often talking about the extra time for commuting and difference of being out of the house. So like a 10yp may come home from school and not have childcare from 4-5pm because they can entertain themselves while parent works. But the parent may not want them actually alone in the house. It's a childcare gap. Same with the mornings before school opens - I would need beforecare to RTO and it might not be available this school year (already full). Or preschool may close at 5pm but with commute I'd get home later than that, etc.

WFH necessitates childcare if you have a real job but can be for fewer hours, or you cover the occasional days off and breaks without always taking PTO etc

OP here - I consider a childcare gap a lack of childcare. Before or after school care programs are not going to quickly sprout up.

[Anonymous]

People will just have to do whatever they did before COVID.

[Anonymous]

It’s not a lack of childcare that’s the problem; it’s that these women want to have it both ways. They don’t want to pay anyone else to watch their children, they prefer to fleece their employers.

[Anonymous]

Well things have changed a lot in the past 5 years. Childcare and housing in this region are way more expensive than before. I owned a house and had kids just before pandemic so have seen the dramatic shift. To afford a home (even renting) people have longer commutes but that won’t work to have childcare for that many hours. Hybrid and flex have allowed it to work for both partners post-pandemic. It will be like before but way more expensive and not feasible for many on capped federal salaries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another reason why 1950s America was better.

The lifestyle was different in the 1950s allowing more families to live on one income. Houses were smaller. No dishwashers. Often no air conditioning, second car, dining out, vacations other than to their families. Fewer clothes, fewer things. Living on one income is still possible, but challenging in this area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are a lot of women employed FT in professional careers really saying they have no childcare? That's not what I've seen on DCUM. People are often talking about the extra time for commuting and difference of being out of the house. So like a 10yp may come home from school and not have childcare from 4-5pm because they can entertain themselves while parent works. But the parent may not want them actually alone in the house. It's a childcare gap. Same with the mornings before school opens - I would need beforecare to RTO and it might not be available this school year (already full). Or preschool may close at 5pm but with commute I'd get home later than that, etc.

WFH necessitates childcare if you have a real job but can be for fewer hours, or you cover the occasional days off and breaks without always taking PTO etc

This. If you work FT you either have childcare or older kids -- you aren't working with a toddler in the house. But childcare options are better and easier with RTO -- you can find childcare near your house without worrying about commute or getting stuck in traffic or on public transportation when you need to be picking up.

RTO is also a godsend when you have a sick kid or there's a random day off from school. A kid with a fever and a cough can just spend the day watching TV or in bed (rest is what they need anyway) -- you can get lots of work done while home with them. With RTO you will likely need to take the day off of work because it's near impossible to find last minute childcare for a sick child. And on random days off school our options are much better with WFH -- we've coordinated with friends to each take a portion of the day off with the kids so the kids are covered all day without anyone having to take a full day off. Sometimes the school has childcare options but it's not always all day.

If employers really want RTO then this is what they need to offer for parents to help:
- Onsite childcare for infants/toddlers
- Start/stop flexibility to accommodate drop-off and pick up
- WFH options for sick days and random off days from school

[Anonymous]

Our kid has been working from home since well before Covid. When she and her husband decided to have kids they lined up child care first - the grandparents when the kids were babies and a preschool/daycare once they were toddlers. It never occurred to her for a second that she could watch her kids at home herself and work at the same time. It’s not fair to anyone involved.

Time to return to reality, ladies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are a lot of women employed FT in professional careers really saying they have no childcare? That's not what I've seen on DCUM. People are often talking about the extra time for commuting and difference of being out of the house. So like a 10yp may come home from school and not have childcare from 4-5pm because they can entertain themselves while parent works. But the parent may not want them actually alone in the house. It's a childcare gap. Same with the mornings before school opens - I would need beforecare to RTO and it might not be available this school year (already full). Or preschool may close at 5pm but with commute I'd get home later than that, etc.

WFH necessitates childcare if you have a real job but can be for fewer hours, or you cover the occasional days off and breaks without always taking PTO etc

OP here - I consider a childcare gap a lack of childcare. Before or after school care programs are not going to quickly sprout up.

+1
And even if kids can entertain themselves a bit or parents find programs, the kids can't magically transport themselves and they can't drive yet. So parents (all parents, dads too) need that flexibility after school. Strict RTO mean that these good employees will no longer be bending backwards to check mails and handle things after business hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People will just have to do whatever they did before COVID.

My kids are 8,6,3. Before Covid they weren’t in school and were in daycare. Our school hours are super short and the day ends at 2:30. We do have aftercare but my kids would prefer to walk home and play outside with their friends while I finish working.

I personally think the solution is that the school day should be longer. If school ended at 3:30 or 4, a lot more people wouldn’t need aftercare.

If a fed doesn’t have childcare, they can be disciplined and fired. There’s no excuse.