Anonymous wrote:Both DH and I are expected to work fully today from home. Obviously kids are home with no school. Can we let them go out and sled by themselves? They are 6, 9 and 11. Can the 11 year old watch them? Sledding hill is about 0.75 miles from the house. Other kids will be there as well. I can’t drive them there because we haven’t had a single plow come by here so they would have to walk.

This sounded so familiar, I’m pretty sure you posted this 2 years ago

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1180588.page

Except now the sledding hill has moved a little further away.

I'm impressed with people that are able to get to a sledding hill, sled, and get back within an hour. With my kids it's about a 2.5/3-hour round trip. This is why, among several thousand other reasons, I quit big law.

I head a division of a large corporation and my title is VP. Do you know what I think the best thing is about being the boss?

Being able to set the tone for my staff.

Today, that tone was "I know we all have a lot to do and some major impending deadlines, but I also know that there's snow and ice outside and some of us have kids home, others have driveways they need to shovel or cars they need to clear off, so please take the time you need to take care of the people or things you need to take care of."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I definitely wouldn't send the six year old and would think hard about the nine. Your situation is hardly unique. Between you and DH, you really can't take an hour to go sled? If not, then they should play inside or closer to your house.

Op - DH is a lawyer and I am a director of a big group. We both have demanding jobs and lots of work today since “snow days” don’t apply and we have to work from home even if our offices are closed.

Why don't you have a nanny. Who is making lunch and dealing with the inevitable questions from your kids while you take all your calls?

Hire a neighborhood high schooler to take them.

With such important jobs, surely you can figure this out.

Op - because they are all in school. We don’t need a nanny for 3 hours a day. That is insane. Our kids wake up at 7am and we leave by 7:30 for school. They do after care and I pick them up at 5:30pm.

Anyway I can look into a high schooler for today but from what I saw yesterday no older kids are even willing to go outside and make a buck shoveling.

up the ante

For three kids you need to offer a good amount of money - as in $25-35 an hour for babysitting and more for shoveling. Its not worth their time.

Sounds like you need a nanny or better child care plan.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Light fluffy snow , yeah fine. This ice is dangerous. I would not send them out unsupervised- if there is another parent of a friend there I would be fine with it. Someone today will get hurt

Don't assume the parent of a friend wants to babysit your three kids. That parents probably rearranged his/her own schedule to spend times with his/her own kids.

This, I got so tired of people assuming I'd watch their kids for free. I finally put an end to it. Especially the parents of three. It's a big ask for never returning the favor.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I definitely wouldn't send the six year old and would think hard about the nine. Your situation is hardly unique. Between you and DH, you really can't take an hour to go sled? If not, then they should play inside or closer to your house.

Op - DH is a lawyer and I am a director of a big group. We both have demanding jobs and lots of work today since “snow days” don’t apply and we have to work from home even if our offices are closed.

My husband and I also have "demanding jobs", but we somehow managed to take an hour off from 12-1 to take our kids sledding. I think a lot of people did the same. We saw plenty of other neighbors that we know have senior-level positions at the neighborhood sledding hill.

It was very treacherous out there today! I hope OP was able to have a nice snow day with her kids in some form.

Anonymous wrote:I would let them go assuming the walk was manageable (no busy streets) 11 and 9 were pretty responsible, and 6 isn’t a hot mess express/wild child. Also assuming both 9 and 11 know your cell numbers by heart (in an emergency, there’s very likely to be an adult/older kid around with a phone who could call you).

I’d also give them a stern lecture on staying together and that now is NOT the day for any crazy sledding stunts.

11 is pretty old.

Yeah, hundreds of years ago it was basically marriage age.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I definitely wouldn't send the six year old and would think hard about the nine. Your situation is hardly unique. Between you and DH, you really can't take an hour to go sled? If not, then they should play inside or closer to your house.

Op - DH is a lawyer and I am a director of a big group. We both have demanding jobs and lots of work today since “snow days” don’t apply and we have to work from home even if our offices are closed.

Why don't you have a nanny. Who is making lunch and dealing with the inevitable questions from your kids while you take all your calls?

Hire a neighborhood high schooler to take them.

With such important jobs, surely you can figure this out.

Op - because they are all in school. We don’t need a nanny for 3 hours a day. That is insane. Our kids wake up at 7am and we leave by 7:30 for school. They do after care and I pick them up at 5:30pm.

Anyway I can look into a high schooler for today but from what I saw yesterday no older kids are even willing to go outside and make a buck shoveling.

up the ante

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I definitely wouldn't send the six year old and would think hard about the nine. Your situation is hardly unique. Between you and DH, you really can't take an hour to go sled? If not, then they should play inside or closer to your house.

Op - DH is a lawyer and I am a director of a big group. We both have demanding jobs and lots of work today since “snow days” don’t apply and we have to work from home even if our offices are closed.

give me a break. you can leave for an hour jan.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At you/DH's level, you can cancel a meeting or send a junior staff person. Its not that difficult. We are partners and are making time for family today.

I think a lot of posters expect people to be impressed "DH is a lawyer" and forget there are a lot of lawyers on DCUM who are watching their kids today.

They can afford to hire help. It’s snowing, no court.

Say what you will about OP (I think she's getting dragged more than necessary, but whatever), but "no court" has nothing to do with 90% of most lawyers' day-to-day. At least know what you're talking about.

It means they can take a break during the day and do their work after the kids go to bed.

I would let them go assuming the walk was manageable (no busy streets) 11 and 9 were pretty responsible, and 6 isn’t a hot mess express/wild child. Also assuming both 9 and 11 know your cell numbers by heart (in an emergency, there’s very likely to be an adult/older kid around with a phone who could call you).

I’d also give them a stern lecture on staying together and that now is NOT the day for any crazy sledding stunts.

11 is pretty old.

Is today snow or ice good for sledding in dmv area? We did it once yesterday, thinking to do one more time today.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At you/DH's level, you can cancel a meeting or send a junior staff person. Its not that difficult. We are partners and are making time for family today.

I think a lot of posters expect people to be impressed "DH is a lawyer" and forget there are a lot of lawyers on DCUM who are watching their kids today.

They can afford to hire help. It’s snowing, no court.

Say what you will about OP (I think she's getting dragged more than necessary, but whatever), but "no court" has nothing to do with 90% of most lawyers' day-to-day. At least know what you're talking about.

I think they’re alluding to the excuse that you can’t change court – good excuse – but you can change a meeting. Or take it “on the road” while you watch your kids sled.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At you/DH's level, you can cancel a meeting or send a junior staff person. Its not that difficult. We are partners and are making time for family today.

I think a lot of posters expect people to be impressed "DH is a lawyer" and forget there are a lot of lawyers on DCUM who are watching their kids today.

They can afford to hire help. It’s snowing, no court.

Say what you will about OP (I think she's getting dragged more than necessary, but whatever), but "no court" has nothing to do with 90% of most lawyers' day-to-day. At least know what you're talking about.