Do you have to leave work at a certain time to make childcare pick up?

[Anonymous]

I do, my DH covers mornings. Honestly? It's a big stressor, but it's the best arrangement we could come up with and I've been the pickup person for over 10 years now. I"m a morning person naturally, which means I do my best work early in the day. But I have to be out of there by 5 pm, and more and more often, there are conflicts. Make sure your DH can bail you out and make pickup if you get into a pinch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I deliberately took a job with a family friendly culture. There us never a question about my leaving exactly at the time I need to leave.

+1

Same here. I get in the office between 7:30 and 8 and I leave at 4:30. My husband and I drive in together and leave together -- thank god it works out for us. I do have to spend some time online at night to finish up my day occasionally, but it's totally worth it (and I never have to work at home at night when the kids are awake -- everyone at work knows they won't reach me between 5:00 and 8:00).

[Anonymous]

Divorced dad with shared custody-- I work downtown but have a regular p/t nanny pick up DD at school dismissal on my days so I don't have to feel pressured from either direction. I sometimes leave work as late as 6pm & then am home by 6:30pm

[Anonymous]

I work from 7:45 to 5. Adjusted from 8:30-6 when I had to start doing daycare pickup. If people care, they haven't voiced it to me. I'm grown. I get my work done on time.

[Anonymous]

OP if your office is 'old school' as you mention, why aren't you going in earlier? That's what I'd do. Most old school places I've worked look favorably at the early birds. It's like a contest, 'Who can show their devotion by getting here first.' It feels good to leave on time and if someone says something, you just say 'I've been here since 8am, if you need anything just email me!' It feels good when the person asking arrived at a leisurely 9:15.

Go in at 8am and leave at 4:30pm. Or, have your boss decide. Tell him that you have to do AM drop off which gets you in at Xam, or PM pickup that means you leave at Xpm on the dot.

Or, you head home at noon a few days a week and work from home the remainder of the afternoon. Or telework 2 days/week. That way, you can actually work LATER on those days.

Honestly, I have been working from home FT for 3 years. I thought it would 'mommy-track' me and relegate me to the 'resource bin'. But, actually, I am getting so much more done than I ordinarily would have been able to accomplish in the office. Consequently, I have time to help out with things about and beyond my 'delegated tasks', and I remain a presence in our organization. I have gotten nothing but exceptional ratings - and this is in a place where my boss is only allowed to give out a certain # of ratings in our group.

[Anonymous]

I cut back on my hours (and my pay), so most days I get to work around 8 and leave at 3, so I can pick up the kids at 3:30. Live and work in DC, so this is not hard whether I drive or metro. They each have one activity per week, but they are right after school, so most days we are home between 4-5:15 so I can get dinner started, do homework and have some play time.

My hat is off to the single parents. I feel like we have a good arrangement, but it is still stressful at times. I help wake the kids up around 6:45, help DH get them started on breakfast and getting dressed, and leave the house by 7:15 while he does drop off. He gets to work by 9 and leaves at 5:30, so he is usually home by 6:15 or so.

OP, people at my work have made comments to me about when I leave, (I'm so jealous, wow, it must be nice, etc). I remind them (and myself!) that I'm not getting PAID to work during the time I leave earlier. But my immediate supervisor (a childless woman in her 40s) is totally awesome, and very supportive. I have literally had to walk out of meetings, etc, which feels crappy at the time. But, on the rare occasion when I don't get home with the kids til after 6:00 or 6:30, I get stressed and rushed and that feels even more crappy. We are not rich, or even "comfortable" by DCUM standards, but DH's work is very steady and stable, so I feel like I've made the best choice for our family.

[Anonymous]

9:10 hear, I agree w/ 9:08. Being early has it's own benefits! I make sure I send out a ton of emails early in the morning, sometimes 1.5h before my colleagues walk in the door.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately, I have to leave work at 4 PM to be SURE to make it to daycare pick up on time. Never know what you are going to find on the roads around here.

I'm a single working mom and I HATE that this makes my old school bosses feel like I am a slacker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I deliberately took a job with a family friendly culture. There us never a question about my leaving exactly at the time I need to leave.

+1

Same here, but I frequently log in from home to tie up any loose ends. Most of my colleagues work until 6 or 7, so I always try to make sure I stay on top of emails coming in after I get home in case there is anything urgent.

[Anonymous]

I leave at 4:30-4:45 to be sure I can pick up by 6:00. I recommend picking a time and sticking to it so people know when they can find you. I had a boss whose wrist watch beeped at 4:30. If you heard it you knew it was time for him to leave and to finish your conversation. I'd be firm until people get use to it. If you do great work and show you are working early and/or from home, they should be OK. When my DH had to pick up one year he thought he'd be fired for leaving before 5. He did great work and instead was promoted.

[Anonymous]

I leave at 4:30 (latest 4:45) to be sure to be there for kids. You need to start training your bosses that this is the way it will be. They will adjust.