Anyone have two working parents and no childcare (other than school during normal hours)?

[Anonymous]

Our nanny just informed us that she is pregnant. Our girls are in K and 1st. We've kept our full-time nanny even once they started full-day school because it makes our lives a lot easier. However, now that we're faced with making a choice as whether we want to hire someone new or give it a go without a nanny (ours does not want to continue working), I'm curious to hear from people who have no childcare and two working parents how they make it happen. My husband and I both work full-time but we have really flexible jobs. He works from home unless he's traveling (which isn't a lot). I work from home a day or two (or three or four) a week if I want. We both work about 9-5 but can start earlier/later and end earlier/later as needed. Our girls' school (private) offers a lot of classes (swimming, piano, dance, etc.) so they could stay after school a few days a week next year (our nanny is due at the end of this school year so we will keep her on until then). We also have a lot of neighborhood friends who attend this school and we have discussed doing a carpool so we would not be dropping them off and picking them up every day. Obviously there are school holidays, snow days, sick days, etc., but at this age they're better able to entertain themselves for a few hours so we can get work done if we're home with them. Right now our nanny also does our grocery shopping, kids' laundry, and general housekeeping (not cleaning, we have a maid), not to mention errand running, so I'd definitely miss having someone help with all that stuff, but I'm not sure we can continue to justify the expense of paying for that luxury if it means bringing on someone new. It's been worth it to keep her because she loves our kids and we love her but the thought of starting all over when my kids are this age feels like it might not be worth it. Any thoughts from anyone who has done that? Would you recommend it?

[Anonymous]

We faced this decision and ended up hiring a nanny/housekeeper once our kids were in school full-time.

She does all of the errands, groceries, etc... and also cleans the house for us. It's a huge indulgence/luxury but it's also a lifesaver on days when a kid is sick or a parent is travelling.

[Anonymous]

Do daily aftercare or get a PT sitter. Your kids are too young to wing it. Trust me: going from a FT nanny to zero care is not going to work and isn’t fair to your kids. When your younger kid is in 4th grade, yes, your plan will work.

[Anonymous]

This is the situation most parents have. They do before care
and after care at school and ask neighbors or stay at home parents for snow days, unless the school stays open for care (some do). In Maryland, children are not allowed to stay home by themselves until 8, and only during daylight hours for a "short period of time" (whatever that means).

[Anonymous]

I mean, most parents do this. Aftercare. Kids love it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean, most parents do this. Aftercare. Kids love it.

+1. We've been doing this since PK3 (live in DC).

[Anonymous]

Do your kids take the bus and when does the bus get to your stop?

I don't do aftercare because the bus doesn't get to my stop until after 4:30 and I flex my schedule to leave at 4 and I work 15 minutes away (and know other parents at the same bus stop).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We faced this decision and ended up hiring a nanny/housekeeper once our kids were in school full-time.

She does all of the errands, groceries, etc... and also cleans the house for us. It's a huge indulgence/luxury but it's also a lifesaver on days when a kid is sick or a parent is travelling.

Do you pay her full-time? We had been paying our nanny full-time because we previously needed full-time care and understandably she could not begin working part-time once the kids entered full-day school so we kept her on full-time because it wasn't fair to cut her pay. However, starting over with someone else I'm wondering if we need to do the same. The issue remains that most people can't live on a part-time salary, which I totally understand. I guess I'm just having a hard time thinking of starting there with someone new. Our nanny makes a lot right now, which she deserves, but it hurts less because it's her, if that makes sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do daily aftercare or get a PT sitter. Your kids are too young to wing it. Trust me: going from a FT nanny to zero care is not going to work and isn’t fair to your kids. When your younger kid is in 4th grade, yes, your plan will work.

Thanks, yes, I am worried that they're too young. It's not like they can come home from school and do their homework with no assistance. Plus, they currently do some after-school activities that are not at school, so we'd have to figure out how to handle those. One they want to quit anyway and they other than can start doing at school next year (it's only offered for 1st grade and up). The other I take them to because I also do it.

[Anonymous]

I think aftercare at school will be more reliable and easier than finding a PT sitter. Look at all the threads on this board about how impossible it is to find PT sitters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean, most parents do this. Aftercare. Kids love it.

To be clear, I wasn't asking who doesn't have a nanny. I was asking if anyone doesn't use aftercare and also doesn't have a nanny. I realize that most parents don't have nannies. It's a luxury we've been fortunate to have until now and we're trying to reevaluate and see if it still makes sense for us. Our kids' school does provide aftercare, so that is an option.

[Anonymous]

Aftercare
Carpools
Flex your schedule, as needed
Outsource cleaning
Grocery delivery
Amazon
Days off school - camp
Sick days - you cover by working from home and split with your spouse

This is what everyone is doing OP. Having a full-time nanny when you have kids in full-day school is honestly just a throwing money into a fire pit as far as I'm concerned. And I have plenty of money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do your kids take the bus and when does the bus get to your stop?

I don't do aftercare because the bus doesn't get to my stop until after 4:30 and I flex my schedule to leave at 4 and I work 15 minutes away (and know other parents at the same bus stop).

No, our private does have a bus but our kids don't take it. Currently our nanny drops our kids off and picks them up. However, their school is only 7 minutes from our house and we've discussed doing a carpool with friends next year, so we'd take kids and pick them up maybe one day a week, which is definitely doable for us. They'd be home around 4. We could look into the bus because that would extend their day a bit, but I'm not sure the cost of the bus is worth it for that - I'd probably rather pay someone during that time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think aftercare at school will be more reliable and easier than finding a PT sitter. Look at all the threads on this board about how impossible it is to find PT sitters.

This. We never used an afterschool sitter until 2nd grade--it was REALLY hard to find someone willing to do PT who was high-quality. My coworkers have found them, but they usually charge something like $20-$25 an hour and want benefits, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do daily aftercare or get a PT sitter. Your kids are too young to wing it. Trust me: going from a FT nanny to zero care is not going to work and isn’t fair to your kids. When your younger kid is in 4th grade, yes, your plan will work.

Thanks, yes, I am worried that they're too young. It's not like they can come home from school and do their homework with no assistance. Plus, they currently do some after-school activities that are not at school, so we'd have to figure out how to handle those. One they want to quit anyway and they other than can start doing at school next year (it's only offered for 1st grade and up). The other I take them to because I also do it.

You leave work early one day a week and bring them. Work at home later if you need to or go in early to make up the time.