Back to wowk mommy--need advice on childcare

[Anonymous]

Is it possible for you or your spouse to do a later drop-off and/or alternate late drop-offs and then work later? Some people alternate so that they can do drop-off in the morning.

Does the school offer before care? Our school offers before care starting at 8am. Many kids have nannies who pick them up, but mostly parents drop off in the morning -- many at 8am and some later.

Do you know anyone else in the class? It'd be hard to plan for this, but if you know a neighbor or something else, you could possibly pay them to take your kids for the hour before school and do drop-off with their kids.

[Anonymous]

Sorry this is really random but which place did you find for $1400 a month??

[Anonymous]

My tips are to find a daycare with a preschool curriculum, as noted, and to split the day with your partner. One of you goes to work as early as possible--try to get to office by 7:30 or 8. Leave at 4 and pick up kids by 5. The other spouse drops kids at daycare around 8:30 or so in the morning, gets to work by 9 or 9:30, and leaves later.

This way, the kids are only in "school" from let's say 8:30 to 4:30 or 5 (and they'll have nap/rest for a few of those hours). Plus you each get time with them in mornings or evenings.

This is, of course, dependent on having a not-terrible commute (we make it work with commutes of 45 minutes and 20 minutes) and on having jobs that are at least a bit flexible as to time-shifting.