OP, we have your two older kids but not the baby. We are planning to have our nanny do some virtual school for June (we have also been paying her to stay home), so that ought to entertain them for the morning. Then we'll do what we've been doing in terms of cobbling together the afternoons. We've also moved to the "no weekend" model, where even though our kids don't have school on Saturday and Sunday mornings, we both have to work on the weekends to make up the hours we can't fit in during the week so we treat those days the same as the others except that we have to plan things for our kids to do since they aren't doing virtual school.

For July and August, we're hoping that we will be able to do some neighborhood camps during the morning, if it is safe to do small group play dates by then. If not, continue with plan A and use what would have been our vacation time to just take a breath. We were supposed to fly twice this summer but we're not doing either trip anymore and there's no way we can drive to those locations so we'll do a staycation (I hate that word) and hopefully just enjoy some down time. This has been brutal.

I think the day cares will start to re-open if they haven’t already. I have two larger center day cares in my neighborhood, and judging from traffic one was open all along (not sure about the other one). My friends have two kids in a home day care and it’s planning to reopen sometime after Memorial Day.

As for camps, that’s a little more iffy ... Sleepaway camps seem to not be happening, County/rec camps are in danger too, but private camps like the martial arts places will want to do everything they can to make money so I think they will try to open as soon as they can. The large center day cares do take elementary age kids and in fact contract with the schools for before and after care. So they’re accustomed to elementary-age kids. You could look into that if there are some day cares in your neighborhood, that way all your kids can be at the same place which will be easier for you.

Anonymous wrote:Grandparents have offered to help but we’re not sure. We’re not even that strict about social distancing, but exposing the group that is most vulnerable seems counterproductive.

We just came down to my parents and it has been life-changing in this situation. Amazing to have their help and space for my DC to run around outside (we live in a small apartment in with no outdoor space). I highly recommend. I get not wanting to infect grandparents- we are 99% sure we already had covid-19 in March based on symptoms and what doctor said (testing wasn't available at the time) so that gave us a bit more piece of mind coming down.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a similar age range - 7, 4 and 1.

I agree that mandatory schoolwork keeps the older two somewhat busy for the morning. So, I’m considering signing them up for a few virtual camps (not as optimal as real camp, I know, though still better than them watching tv for hours all day), and telling them it’s part of their schoolwork.

I also re-bought this inflatable Little Tykes Rocky River Racer waterslide thing. Though pricey, our last one lasted three years in the past, and was worth its weight in gold, for the amount of usage it received. The “pool” at the bottom is shallow enough that the older kids would have to get very creative to down themselves at their ages (so I won’t need to babysit them the whole time), and they’ll play for hours. Highly recommend it.

As for the baby, that’s so tough. A lot of work will have to be done during nap time, before she wakes up, and after bedtime. Best of luck!

I don’t understand people who don’t have childcare for infants. How do you work FT with an infant at home?

I used to have a nanny and work PT at home with and infant and toddler and it was already so difficult.

This is OP - we do have a full time nanny but she is older so we are currently having her stay home, and she is thinking about retiring because of all this so not sure when/if she will come back, so we will have to hire someone new at some point. We also have a college student who picks up my older two from school normally but she went home to be with her family since school was cancelled. So went from having tons of help to none.

My kids are 10, 8, and 5.
I guess we will do more of the same and keep some school work through the summer too since we are not doing all that much now.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a similar age range - 7, 4 and 1.

I agree that mandatory schoolwork keeps the older two somewhat busy for the morning. So, I’m considering signing them up for a few virtual camps (not as optimal as real camp, I know, though still better than them watching tv for hours all day), and telling them it’s part of their schoolwork.

I also re-bought this inflatable Little Tykes Rocky River Racer waterslide thing. Though pricey, our last one lasted three years in the past, and was worth its weight in gold, for the amount of usage it received. The “pool” at the bottom is shallow enough that the older kids would have to get very creative to down themselves at their ages (so I won’t need to babysit them the whole time), and they’ll play for hours. Highly recommend it.

As for the baby, that’s so tough. A lot of work will have to be done during nap time, before she wakes up, and after bedtime. Best of luck!

I don’t understand people who don’t have childcare for infants. How do you work FT with an infant at home?

I used to have a nanny and work PT at home with and infant and toddler and it was already so difficult.

Lady, we all used to have childcare. Preschools, daycares...remember? These places where you drop your kid off for the day?

Yet you don't understand us. Working parents who had their childcare arrangements yanked away from them. What part of "my daycare is closed but I have to work" do you not understand?

Not pp, but you will need a nanny going forward. The previous pp felt she could work during her baby's naps and all would be fine. It won't work. In Italy, women are basically having to become SAHM's because of this. I think it's the same here - get a nanny or quit your job.

Grandparents have offered to help but we’re not sure. We’re not even that strict about social distancing, but exposing the group that is most vulnerable seems counterproductive.

Still in denial

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a similar age range - 7, 4 and 1.

I agree that mandatory schoolwork keeps the older two somewhat busy for the morning. So, I’m considering signing them up for a few virtual camps (not as optimal as real camp, I know, though still better than them watching tv for hours all day), and telling them it’s part of their schoolwork.

I also re-bought this inflatable Little Tykes Rocky River Racer waterslide thing. Though pricey, our last one lasted three years in the past, and was worth its weight in gold, for the amount of usage it received. The “pool” at the bottom is shallow enough that the older kids would have to get very creative to down themselves at their ages (so I won’t need to babysit them the whole time), and they’ll play for hours. Highly recommend it.

As for the baby, that’s so tough. A lot of work will have to be done during nap time, before she wakes up, and after bedtime. Best of luck!

I don’t understand people who don’t have childcare for infants. How do you work FT with an infant at home?

I used to have a nanny and work PT at home with and infant and toddler and it was already so difficult.

Lady, we all used to have childcare. Preschools, daycares...remember? These places where you drop your kid off for the day?

Yet you don't understand us. Working parents who had their childcare arrangements yanked away from them. What part of "my daycare is closed but I have to work" do you not understand?

Anonymous wrote:I have a similar age range - 7, 4 and 1.

I agree that mandatory schoolwork keeps the older two somewhat busy for the morning. So, I’m considering signing them up for a few virtual camps (not as optimal as real camp, I know, though still better than them watching tv for hours all day), and telling them it’s part of their schoolwork.

I also re-bought this inflatable Little Tykes Rocky River Racer waterslide thing. Though pricey, our last one lasted three years in the past, and was worth its weight in gold, for the amount of usage it received. The “pool” at the bottom is shallow enough that the older kids would have to get very creative to down themselves at their ages (so I won’t need to babysit them the whole time), and they’ll play for hours. Highly recommend it.

As for the baby, that’s so tough. A lot of work will have to be done during nap time, before she wakes up, and after bedtime. Best of luck!

I don’t understand people who don’t have childcare for infants. How do you work FT with an infant at home?

I used to have a nanny and work PT at home with and infant and toddler and it was already so difficult.

Anonymous wrote:2 weeks at grand parents
2 weeks with cousins
we have them + cousins for 2 weeks
figure August out

Similar situation and debating. So you’re not worried about giving to grandparents? I’m not judging but curious.

You need a nanny. You would need one even if there was camp. You can’t put a1yo in camp.

I have a similar age range - 7, 4 and 1.

I agree that mandatory schoolwork keeps the older two somewhat busy for the morning. So, I’m considering signing them up for a few virtual camps (not as optimal as real camp, I know, though still better than them watching tv for hours all day), and telling them it’s part of their schoolwork.

I also re-bought this inflatable Little Tykes Rocky River Racer waterslide thing. Though pricey, our last one lasted three years in the past, and was worth its weight in gold, for the amount of usage it received. The “pool” at the bottom is shallow enough that the older kids would have to get very creative to down themselves at their ages (so I won’t need to babysit them the whole time), and they’ll play for hours. Highly recommend it.

As for the baby, that’s so tough. A lot of work will have to be done during nap time, before she wakes up, and after bedtime. Best of luck!

2 weeks at grand parents
2 weeks with cousins
we have them + cousins for 2 weeks
figure August out

I know there have been plenty of threads on what will happen if there is no summer camp and many people have commented that they will just let their kids play outdoors, roam freely or spend the day at the pool/playground (both or which won't likely be open and certainly not at full capacity).

I am curious specifically how working parents are planning to manage summer if your kids are not old enough to entertain themselves all day or play outside without supervision. We have a 1 year old, 5 year old and 7 year old and while the older 2 will play for a bit (before fighting like crazy) , that will only kill an hour max in the day and then we still have a baby to tend to. Right now we are managing since the older two have built in school activities that keep them fairly busy but when that is over it's going to be tough to keep them occupied while still getting work done.

Are others putting plans in place?