Two working parents and no nanny - tips please
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Anonymous
| We have had an au pair for this reason and for doing at least some work both before and after school. |
Anonymous
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The school year is easier. You find the places that offer schools out camps - we have made some great finds over the years where the kids where thrilled to go. DH and I are usually able to work out who has the more flexible schedule to cover random sick days and snow days but there have definitely been periods of near constant snow days and covid quarantines where it got tough. I don’t know that there is a great alternative for that other than flexible work schedules, though, since bad weather and covid often impact child care providers too.
Summer is very hard without at least part time help. Many camps for ES age kids do not cover a full work day, and trustworthy part time help for drop-off/pick-up needs to be vetted and locked down in advance. We’ve cobbled together weeks where kids go with neighbors, but it’s a big ask when you’re limited in being able to return the favor. This is where I think a great summer nanny who can do errands and housekeeping while kids are in camp and takes them to the pool or other activities some weeks would be invaluable if you can find it and afford it. Otherwise you are once again needing one spouse with a flexible work schedule. |
Anonymous
| Like a PP said, sit down with the calendar before school starts figure out what are the known days where you will need coverage and divide them up. Most jobs are flexible enough that if you put in for leave well in advance it’s not an issue. When my kids were school age we enrolled them in the school’s aftercare program which was run by KAH. This was the true lifesaver, they are open during school breaks and will take the kids for teacher in service days and the whole afternoon on half days. If you have an aftercare provider at your school, sign your kid up because that also lessens the burden of breaks, half days, etc. that you and DH need to divide up and cover. That will just leave you with unexpected sick days and snow days (although aftercare sometimes runs on snow days if the admin offices are open). This will depend on which of you has the most flexibility. DH and I are both lawyers, but I was a litigator when my kids were young, so we knew that last minute sick days, etc. would largely fall on DH. We evened that out by my being the one to handle pre-set doctor and dentist appointments and the few known days where aftercare wasn’t an option. It seems really daunting when you are in it, but you will get through it. |
Anonymous
Amen sister. Nannys are for the birds |
Anonymous
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We only have one kid and very flexible jobs. Pre-COVID I went to work early so that I could be home when school got out. DH sends kid to school and comes home later at night. That was K-2nd grade. Now, DH is working from home with no sign of returning to the office so it is a non-issue right now. DS is getting ready to enter 5th grade. the down side to the schedule was that we did not eat dinner as a family. Our schedule allows DS to participate in activities that he wants to because I was home to take him to practice.
Our friends who do not have as flexible a schedule use before and after care, either through SAAC or one of the local programs that drops off/picks up at the school. Their kids do clubs and some other things at after care. They manage to figure out how to do a rec sport for each of their kids. Holidays and teacher work days we know are coming in advance. We would sign DS up for a day camp. Now we DS would stay home because DH is home. We are lucky to have employers and jobs that allow us to be able to handle sick days and the like. |
Anonymous
| Be blessed with dual cushy 250k a year WFH jobs that afford you the opportunity to take your kids to multiple after school activities any day week or month of the year |
Anonymous
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Two flexible jobs
Aftercare and extended day It’s still tough with activities sometimes. Used to have a nanny and just couldn’t find an acceptable replacement. Also our jobs became more flexible and kids got a bit older. Not yet all in elementary but getting closer. |
Anonymous
| They went to a martial arts aftercare program instead of SACC (FCPS aftercare) for years even after we got off the wait list. This place was open when FCPS had snow days and early release days and was so flexible. The kids liked it when they were young and the also had monthly parent night out events. They were also open on teacher work days and often did field trips. |
Anonymous
| ^as for sick days, we took off and it was whoever could make it work for the day. One always has to but it was the same for daycare so school isn’t different. They can’t go anywhere when sick. |
Anonymous
| We used college sitters when kids were young ES age. Sorority sisters were the best as if we needed extra help and they could not do it they had a network we could tap into to find someone else in a pinch. |
Anonymous
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^ should have added- we used them for before and after care on normal days but booked them for as many school closed days as we could too.
DH and I saved our PTO for sick and snow days rather than trying to cover the random days off we knew about ahead of time. We used camps too if needed. |
Anonymous
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2 kids (1 in ES and 1 in daycare) here. During school year, they are in school/daycare 7am to 6pm. We use before/after care for ES kid, and they cover some closing days. We plan to take PTO for non covered days and for sick days for both kids. For summer, they are in camps full day.
We could use day camp for non covered days, but due to covid, we limit exposures to different group of kids. It is manageable, and we have tons of vacation hours to cover for those days. We have not traveled for a long time, many pto days saved |
Anonymous
Weird |
Anonymous
| Au pair |
Anonymous
| We had a nany who could driver who worked 3pm to 7 pm every week day. |