snow days and work outside the home parents - what do you do?

[Anonymous]

Two parents, both work outside the home, no chance for working from home. Two kids, 5 and 7, not old enough to stay home by themselves. Helpful neighbors who can watch one or both children for an hour or so, but that's it. We're new to Fairfax County and each parent has taken about 10 hours of leave this week -- new jobs so no leave built up. How do you cope? Are there backup places where kids can be with other kids for the day?

[Anonymous]

We cobble it together. In the past, we had an informal watch-the-kids group of working parents who met through SACC. We would work half-days and arrange playdates as a swap.

It's not easy, especially if one parent doesn't have some type of flexibility.

[Anonymous]

Get to know your neighbors. I found out this week that two of my neighbors' college aged kids were home this week. I would have loved to have known that on Tuesday and Wednesday! Anyway, they go back to college this weekend.

Otherwise, like I said, reach out to your neighbors or to your kids' friends. I have been pleasantly surprised by how some of my SAHM friends happily take my kids.

[Anonymous]

Yep, you take PTO or see if your company will let you make up the hours working longer days the rest of the month.

[Anonymous]

We cobble it together too. We have one who is still in daycare so LUCKILY they follow Fed Govt (who close much less often than Fairfax County). The older one (age 7 and in 1st grade) can come to my office and play quietly, listen to audiobooks, read, etc. in an empty office which luckily happens to be right next to my own office. We close the door to that office and she knows she is not allowed to come out unless it is an emergency or she has to go to the bathroom. (!)

[Anonymous]

I had a huge fight with DH about this. I have taken the hit 95% of the time. DH's job is apparently more important.

[Anonymous]

Yep, it's hard. We take turns taking off, sometimes have to split the day. One person needs flexible job exactly for this reason.

[Anonymous]

It sux. We just cobble it together.

Thursday I took the day off and we went to Ski at liberty, half price Thursday! (I guess 10 minutes at the bus stop will kill them but 8 hours on the mountain didn't).

Usually we either bring them to work (friendly boss), take turns, phone a friend, or if they cancel early, the TKD place will open early for an all day camp.

[Anonymous]

OP here: Okay, guess this is how it is. We will get to know our neighbors much more...

[Anonymous]

My kindergarten child attends aftercare at a local preschool. He has been going for before care for the 2 hour delay days and went to the preschool for a few hours on the day school was closed this week. I went to work a little early and DH left work a little early too.

It sucks. I don't think any days should have been closed. Tuesday should have been a 2 hour delay.

[Anonymous]

My father is visiting and was just asking me about what other parents do. I am a single parent but my company is fairly flexible. Typically I have a lot of morning meetings so I can take them home. But should the time come when it is mtg or DS I have to take the hit and stay home with him. It certainly isn't easy.

What has helped is that I pay for before school care at the school so for the 2 hour delays I was able to drop him at 9am rather than 10:45. We don't use it all the time but it is great when I need it. I can also use our old daycare as a backup. Like my job, it is on the federal schedule so I can drop him there fore $60 if we have a school closure but work is open.

[Anonymous]

I'm a single mom. I just take off every single time. Luckily I'm a Fed with many years in, so no one says anything because I worked all the overtime for years before I had kids. It does mean that we don't take lots of actual vacations, though, especially last year.

It's also why I refused to move to Fairfax or Loudoun. Arlington is relatively reasonable about snow days and seems to get back on its feet more quickly. Fairfax and Loudoun can close 3-4 days per storm, and I think they were shit for two weeks during snowmageddon in 2010.

[Anonymous]

Au pair.

[Anonymous]

It does not work for everyones schedule but try to get in with a group of neighbors where one you take turns watching each others kids. Also there are kid centered places that offer day camps when the Fed government is not closed. Contact places that cater to after school kids activities like Karate/Tae Kwon do places, places like Rebounderz if you happen to work out that way. Local places that host kids activities.

[Anonymous]

Grandma & Grandpa!

I have no clue how folks move to a new place without family. I've even called on my childfree sibling when rushing my husband to the hospital at 2am in the morning.

SACC does open at 7 on delayed open days.