If you have off work, do you still drop the kids off at daycare?

[Anonymous]

My sister brought her kids to daycare when she was off, not in bad weather though. She was a single mother and couldn't afford to waste money. Daycare doesn't give money back nor does it credit you days.

Is this OP your opinion or is it your mother's opinion ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you to those of you that actually answered my question. I'm seriously just wondering if this is the norm. You all can think I'm horrible or I have a horrible life. The reality is that I feel guilty that I can't be a SAHM because we can't afford it and I feel guilty that I work. So I get excited to have a day off with my kids. That is all.

I can see why you asked here but there are other scenarios. I work for the federal gov and our agency lets us telework three set days of the week. If a snow day falls on your telework day, you must work as if it was a normal day because you have no commuting problems. So you have to bear the weather and drop off your toddler. I haaaate snow days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you to those of you that actually answered my question. I'm seriously just wondering if this is the norm. You all can think I'm horrible or I have a horrible life. The reality is that I feel guilty that I can't be a SAHM because we can't afford it and I feel guilty that I work. So I get excited to have a day off with my kids. That is all.

I can see why you asked here but there are other scenarios. I work for the federal gov and our agency lets us telework three set days of the week. If a snow day falls on your telework day, you must work as if it was a normal day because you have no commuting problems. So you have to bear the weather and drop off your toddler. I haaaate snow days.

Could you take an unscheduled leave day and not telework? (Genuinely curious, not trying to be witchy.)

[Anonymous]

I had to do this once and only half the usual kids were there. So it depends on the parents. Many still have white collar jobs with deadlines that don't change because the government or employer is closed. My husband worked eight hours on his laptop today. I didn't have to get any work done so I watched out kid while he worked. If I had deadlines too and daycare was open, of course I'm going to drop off. You really get interrupted way too often trying to work while a child is at home as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you to those of you that actually answered my question. I'm seriously just wondering if this is the norm. You all can think I'm horrible or I have a horrible life. The reality is that I feel guilty that I can't be a SAHM because we can't afford it and I feel guilty that I work. So I get excited to have a day off with my kids. That is all.

I can see why you asked here but there are other scenarios. I work for the federal gov and our agency lets us telework three set days of the week. If a snow day falls on your telework day, you must work as if it was a normal day because you have no commuting problems. So you have to bear the weather and drop off your toddler. I haaaate snow days.

Could you take an unscheduled leave day and not telework? (Genuinely curious, not trying to be witchy.)

You can but that means taking a vacation day. Not a freebie and I already eat into my vacation days due to myself and toddler being sick more often than I have sick days.

[Anonymous]

Daycare provider here and I have to agree with others saying your mother should close if she thinks road conditions are bad/might have a child get stuck. That is what I started doing, after a mother chose to drive home in a raging snowstorm before coming for her child (passing my exit off the beltway in the process) where she got stuck and couldnt get out. my DH and I had to run the child home in our 4 WD. Will never happen again. We took risks taking that child home that night and I now close my doors when either the county government or OPM closes their doors.

That said, most of the parents i ever did daycare for stayed home with their child(ren) and didnt bring them in.

[Anonymous]

I am a teacher with a 1 year old. If I could have safely gotten him to daycare today, I would have. As it is, I am now beginning my grading/re-adjusting/planning at 8:30 pm, because I got nothing done today. During his naps I was shoveling snow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you to those of you that actually answered my question. I'm seriously just wondering if this is the norm. You all can think I'm horrible or I have a horrible life. The reality is that I feel guilty that I can't be a SAHM because we can't afford it and I feel guilty that I work. So I get excited to have a day off with my kids. That is all.

I can see why you asked here but there are other scenarios. I work for the federal gov and our agency lets us telework three set days of the week. If a snow day falls on your telework day, you must work as if it was a normal day because you have no commuting problems. So you have to bear the weather and drop off your toddler. I haaaate snow days.

Could you take an unscheduled leave day and not telework? (Genuinely curious, not trying to be witchy.)

You can but that means taking a vacation day. Not a freebie and I already eat into my vacation days due to myself and toddler being sick more often than I have sick days.

I hear ya. Luckily I've only had to take two PTO days when daycare closed and OPM did not. That's always my big daycare advice to new moms: find a daycare that mostly follows your employer's closing schedule. The first daycare we used (in home) followed FCPS, which got a little ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

I am going to be generous and assume that OP isn't trying to be a jerk but that she just doesn't have many family or friends who have professional jobs (with responsibilities that don't end when the office closes). This means that a snow day isn't really a day off because you have to get the work done or make up for it some other time or be available to clients or other stakeholders. Both DH and I have jobs like this and we trade off taking an unexpected day with the kids if necessary but it's not ideal because it can mean giving up weekend the to make up for the lost time. Do I wish our jobs would allow us to both enjoy the snow days without work interruptions? Absolutely. But our salaries, benefits, and otherwise very flexible schedules that allow us to work from home and have flexible workdays is worth it. and despite our seeming neglectful ways during snow closings, we seem to spend plenty of time doing things with and for our kids, including coaching sports and PTA.

[Anonymous]

I guess I'm in the minority, but I agree with OP somewhat. If you aren't required to work or telework on a snow day, I think it's weird that people don't keep their kids at home. I work FT and would much rather spend time with my kids, rather than do other things. My kids spend enough time at day care as it is.

[Anonymous]

OP I feel like this is your mommy guilt talking. Sometimes I drop my kids off sometimes I keep them at home. Today I'm going to keep my 4 month old and send in my 2 year old (kept them both yesterday). He enjoys playing with his friends there. When I send the kids when I do not work I'm usually doing glamorous things like dishes, taking a shower that's longer than 4 minutes or running errands. Sometimes I take a nap or watch a tv show that isn't caliou! Stop looking at what other parents do and just worry about yourself.

[Anonymous]

I would never drop them off in that case. Some people are lazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I have a day off, then I have a real day off. That means that if I can take the kid safely to daycare, then he's going. OP, tell your mom to stop trying to get free money. Most people pay monthly for daycare. Do they get a refund if they don't go?

Are you getting paid for your days off?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My sister brought her kids to daycare when she was off, not in bad weather though. She was a single mother and couldn't afford to waste money. Daycare doesn't give money back nor does it credit you days.

Is this OP your opinion or is it your mother's opinion ?

How is it wasting money? She pays regardless. So, why not spend time with your child?

[Anonymous]

There are plenty of these that FCPS has been closed but OPM is open, so is our day care. I have to drive my DH to the train on those days, anyway, so I drop out child at day care, too. I treasure my time with my child but sometimes I just desperately need a few hours to myself in my own home, to get chores done and simply have some peace. I pay my day care provider, she is open, and roads are safe to drive. The fact that you look down on me matters not one bit. Parents need to siege chances for self-care when they (so rarely) become available.