Parents of small children - how are you managing RTO?

[Anonymous]

We moved here in 1984.
25 minute walk to Orange line. We each had an hour total each way to offices. So did others in neighborhood. They got after school carers, preschool, worked 7 to 3:30 or whatever.
When telework wasn't possible you'd be surprised how people managed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We moved here in 1984.
25 minute walk to Orange line. We each had an hour total each way to offices. So did others in neighborhood. They got after school carers, preschool, worked 7 to 3:30 or whatever.
When telework wasn't possible you'd be surprised how people managed.

Yup his is the answer go buy a home close to work and stop trying to game the system by getting cheap housing. Far our and no childcare

[Anonymous]

I rode an hour long plus vanpool when I first started in the gov't. There was no telework. You had to figure it out.

Now I see people hopping off the computer and going to school pickup and then resuming work with their young kids in the house and thinking there is nothing wrong with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a mom who managed this problem pre covid. It's not that I want more women to be miserable. I agree that flexibility is priceless for working families and I also agree that RTO will have the largest negative impact on women and that is sad.

But I am also annoyed at how clueless and entitled some of these posts are! This is a common problem that until very recently we all dealt with. It's not a unique attack on you. You can figure it out.

I also agree with the poster who said people used to prioritize commute when buying a home. I recall making a test drive to pick my kids up and drive by our potential new home to see what that would be like before putting in an offer. We didnt put offers in to houses that had more difficult commutes. Even if we loved the space the daily reality of needing to pick up kids and get to from the office was most important.

Sorry it's changing abruptly but not sorry you can't understand that this is life.

So we should all give up are low mortgage rates and buy homes closer in (since there is an abundance of homes on the market and it the COL in DC is so reasonable). Plus uproot our kids from their schools, activities and friends. What a short sighted comment

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a mom who managed this problem pre covid. It's not that I want more women to be miserable. I agree that flexibility is priceless for working families and I also agree that RTO will have the largest negative impact on women and that is sad.

But I am also annoyed at how clueless and entitled some of these posts are! This is a common problem that until very recently we all dealt with. It's not a unique attack on you. You can figure it out.

I also agree with the poster who said people used to prioritize commute when buying a home. I recall making a test drive to pick my kids up and drive by our potential new home to see what that would be like before putting in an offer. We didnt put offers in to houses that had more difficult commutes. Even if we loved the space the daily reality of needing to pick up kids and get to from the office was most important.

Sorry it's changing abruptly but not sorry you can't understand that this is life.

So we should all give up are low mortgage rates and buy homes closer in (since there is an abundance of homes on the market and it the COL in DC is so reasonable). Plus uproot our kids from their schools, activities and friends. What a short sighted comment

Yes you made the choice to live far out while our family sacrificed to pay much more to stay close. Your choice your suffering. When the rates were low you should have bought close in to your job moron.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I respect their scope of work and the mission. I do not hate feds, at all (i am one). The fraud needs to stop.

Also a Fed and agree 100%.

So much fraud and people going and playing pickleball or running errands during their WFH "work" day.

Sure

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a mom who managed this problem pre covid. It's not that I want more women to be miserable. I agree that flexibility is priceless for working families and I also agree that RTO will have the largest negative impact on women and that is sad.

But I am also annoyed at how clueless and entitled some of these posts are! This is a common problem that until very recently we all dealt with. It's not a unique attack on you. You can figure it out.

I also agree with the poster who said people used to prioritize commute when buying a home. I recall making a test drive to pick my kids up and drive by our potential new home to see what that would be like before putting in an offer. We didnt put offers in to houses that had more difficult commutes. Even if we loved the space the daily reality of needing to pick up kids and get to from the office was most important.

Sorry it's changing abruptly but not sorry you can't understand that this is life.

So we should all give up are low mortgage rates and buy homes closer in (since there is an abundance of homes on the market and it the COL in DC is so reasonable). Plus uproot our kids from their schools, activities and friends. What a short sighted comment

So all those people who don't get the option to telework just get to deal with it?

[Anonymous]

So I should give u telework because you aren’t able to? Sounds like you are the mindset if I cant have no one can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I rode an hour long plus vanpool when I first started in the gov't. There was no telework. You had to figure it out.

Now I see people hopping off the computer and going to school pickup and then resuming work with their young kids in the house and thinking there is nothing wrong with it.

What is wrong with it if they get their work done and their boss is happy? Mind your own business.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a mom who managed this problem pre covid. It's not that I want more women to be miserable. I agree that flexibility is priceless for working families and I also agree that RTO will have the largest negative impact on women and that is sad.

But I am also annoyed at how clueless and entitled some of these posts are! This is a common problem that until very recently we all dealt with. It's not a unique attack on you. You can figure it out.

I also agree with the poster who said people used to prioritize commute when buying a home. I recall making a test drive to pick my kids up and drive by our potential new home to see what that would be like before putting in an offer. We didnt put offers in to houses that had more difficult commutes. Even if we loved the space the daily reality of needing to pick up kids and get to from the office was most important.

Sorry it's changing abruptly but not sorry you can't understand that this is life.

So we should all give up are low mortgage rates and buy homes closer in (since there is an abundance of homes on the market and it the COL in DC is so reasonable). Plus uproot our kids from their schools, activities and friends. What a short sighted comment

So all those people who don't get the option to telework just get to deal with it?

You want everyone to RTO just because you can work from home?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a mom who managed this problem pre covid. It's not that I want more women to be miserable. I agree that flexibility is priceless for working families and I also agree that RTO will have the largest negative impact on women and that is sad.

But I am also annoyed at how clueless and entitled some of these posts are! This is a common problem that until very recently we all dealt with. It's not a unique attack on you. You can figure it out.

I also agree with the poster who said people used to prioritize commute when buying a home. I recall making a test drive to pick my kids up and drive by our potential new home to see what that would be like before putting in an offer. We didnt put offers in to houses that had more difficult commutes. Even if we loved the space the daily reality of needing to pick up kids and get to from the office was most important.

Sorry it's changing abruptly but not sorry you can't understand that this is life.

So we should all give up are low mortgage rates and buy homes closer in (since there is an abundance of homes on the market and it the COL in DC is so reasonable). Plus uproot our kids from their schools, activities and friends. What a short sighted comment

So all those people who don't get the option to telework just get to deal with it?

You want everyone to RTO just because you can work from home?

Can’t*

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should manage childcare for RTO the same way you manage it for WFH. You are not supposed to be dropping off and picking up on the clock. Nor are you supposed to be caring for your kids at home. You were supposed to have a childcare plan this whole time. WFH is not your childcare plan. Why are you just now trying to figure it out.

Oh FFS! You can't be so obtuseas to not understand the concept of a commute.

Why oh why do 35 year olds not understand that there was a life before Covid. We had commutes then, too, sweetie pie. Sometimes over an hour. We figured it out, you will too.

Hon, I'm 47 and have WFH for 10 years. I'm just not a heartless witch who can't empathize with people scrambling to figure out senseless RTO overnight. And I'm also in touch enough to know that childcare options have changed drastically since covid.

An in office 47 year old expert will spend time leading teams and mentoring juniors, which is additional value for career perspective. That’s how I got my promotions after covid when half of my industry refuse to go back. 😆

I'm c-suite (and now hybrid on my own terms)...I don't need your career advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should manage childcare for RTO the same way you manage it for WFH. You are not supposed to be dropping off and picking up on the clock. Nor are you supposed to be caring for your kids at home. You were supposed to have a childcare plan this whole time. WFH is not your childcare plan. Why are you just now trying to figure it out.

This. I’m really aghast that so many people were cheating the system!

How were they cheating the system?

its illegal (in the case of govt related jobs or contracting) to perform childcare duties and bill hours. It's against most company policies to do the same.

If you actually took time to read comments instead of making assumptions that fit your narrative of WFH you’d see that no one is saying they are watching children while working. All people are saying is they will get less time with their children since now when they get off work at 4pm they have to commute an hour or so to get home.

Why are you so bitter towards working parents getting more time with their children??

Many I know did just that. Used to brag about it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should manage childcare for RTO the same way you manage it for WFH. You are not supposed to be dropping off and picking up on the clock. Nor are you supposed to be caring for your kids at home. You were supposed to have a childcare plan this whole time. WFH is not your childcare plan. Why are you just now trying to figure it out.

This. I’m really aghast that so many people were cheating the system!

How were they cheating the system?

its illegal (in the case of govt related jobs or contracting) to perform childcare duties and bill hours. It's against most company policies to do the same.

+1 Even if your employer doesn't have a policy against this, I really don't have sympathy for people who are getting paid for a full time job but don't have full time child care for their young children
- working parent of a young child

Misery loves company is not a valid argument. It's just not. You want everyone to suffer like you instead of everyone to have a better work/life balance. I feel sorry for you that you're such a miserable person.

Sorry, I want to work with people who are available to work. If you are caring for a young child during the same hours you are working you are doing your child, your employer and your coworkers a disservice.

No one is advocating for this. People are advocating for not having to add hours of unnecessary commuting to their day, which makes coordinating childcare more difficult because parents are unavailable longer each day.

Re-read the quoted comments above. This is about not paying for before/aftercare and doing drop off and pickup during your work hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a mom who managed this problem pre covid. It's not that I want more women to be miserable. I agree that flexibility is priceless for working families and I also agree that RTO will have the largest negative impact on women and that is sad.

But I am also annoyed at how clueless and entitled some of these posts are! This is a common problem that until very recently we all dealt with. It's not a unique attack on you. You can figure it out.

I also agree with the poster who said people used to prioritize commute when buying a home. I recall making a test drive to pick my kids up and drive by our potential new home to see what that would be like before putting in an offer. We didnt put offers in to houses that had more difficult commutes. Even if we loved the space the daily reality of needing to pick up kids and get to from the office was most important.

Sorry it's changing abruptly but not sorry you can't understand that this is life.

Posts like this are so dense. Even pre-Covid and WFH, there was an increasing problem of relatively affordable homes that enabled commutes. And there was also a problem with available daycares...I had friends 13 years ago putting themselves on daycare lists the day the line turned pink and still struggling to get slots. As population was increasing and more women were working, it was getting increasingly impossible to manage.

Covid brought its own challenges, but it did provide a relief valve for this trend. So, no, young parents today are not facing the same challenges that parents like you and me did 10-12 years ago. There are fewer options now...and even fewer since COVID changed the labor market for childcare providers as well.

Also, WFH is better for the environment.