It seems I'm in the minority here, but given your circumstances, I'd quit. Especially if you think you can easily get a job again when you are ready.

We both have flexible jobs (research) so we will probably continue to schedule meetings at different times and continue as best we can. Two kids, 6 & 3. I weigh the benefits of help vs. the risks of getting sick, and I’m not sure. Some of my friends have had COVID-19, and even with mild cases they were down for weeks. That would make it pretty impossible for us to function. And if both got sick we don’t have family in town to take the kids. It is hard, but I think we will just have to take it a month at a time. This is going to end eventually.

Proceed carefully. If I were you, I’d keep my job. Your spouse may lose his/her job and then you both would be out of work. And analysts are warning that jobs will not be coming back fully for years. Some jobs just won’t exist anymore.

Anonymous wrote:Good news--there are going to be a bunch of HS grads who just deferred starting college for a year. Hire one of them.

One is our niece so we're hiring her. She may even move in.

Anonymous wrote:I’ll keep limping and underperforming.

hah. Prob me too.

I’ll hire a sitter/nanny. Even if it’s part time/shared. It will help.

Anonymous wrote:We have a full time nanny. Our kids are in elementary school. So we'll just continue on the way we have been since mid-March.

In regular times, what does your nanny do while the kids are in school? I have considered just biting the bullet but if we do get camp or school I'm not sure what the nanny would do in that time.

Hiring someone to help - I'd rather my income go largely to paying someone else short term than damage my long term earning potential by leaving the workforce

I really don't know, OP. I know I have my head in the sand on this. We have a 2yo and a 4yo. We were able to hire a student through mid-August. Neither I nor DH can give up our jobs. I am the main breadwinner and DH is a fed. I guess we will be looking for a nanny.

I have an 11-year-old hoping to start middle school this fall. Currently her dad and I are both teleworking 5 days/week. My plan is to telework 2 days per week, have her dad telework 2 days/week and maybe try to hire a sidelined college kid to hang out with her 1 day/week. Or maybe take her to work with me. I have no idea.

I don't know, either. Honestly, we may look into the essential childcare options, as DH is in an essential sector and I've basically been made essential at work. We both telework FT, but have to get it done. Or maybe we can convince my MIL to come stay with us for a while. She's retired and plenty energetic. My mom is local but has a high risk health condition, plus she gets much more overwhelmed by our kids anyway.

The lack of socialization is really hard for our oldest, who's 8 and very outgoing. The younger two are mostly fine, probably because they're younger and need independence less.

DH has permission to work from home as long as DS is home. DS is low key and pretty good at doing what we ask him to do so this has not been bad for us. DH does not have phone calls to take or make or conferences to attend so he can help DS when DS needs help. Yes, we are super lucky and I am grateful for that.

That said, I have suggested using a high school or college student this summer and DH hates the idea. He is worried about adding another person to the home.

I'm currently "teleworking," but 50% of my work typically needs to be done in person (I'm a lab researcher). DH is a physician and obviously has continued to work. So when I get back to work, which is going to start ramping up soon, I'll probably shift to doing my in-person work during odd hours (very early mornings or late nights). And all the paper writing and analysis is just going to continue being half-@$$ed from home.

We have a full time nanny. Our kids are in elementary school. So we'll just continue on the way we have been since mid-March.

OP here. I'm a nurse (but work from home for an insurance company). So while it's not a high paying field I can usually find jobs quickly. Even though the world of healthcare jobs is a bit wonky right now (with hospitals having
put elective procedures on hold) I'm confident that I'll be able to return in some capacity as an RN quickly when I would want to return. My husband makes more and is in an industry that isn't as flexible.
I share that to put it in perspective why I'm considering just quitting. We will lose my income which stinks but I will likely be able to return to work easily.