Anonymous wrote:How young is too young to be alone while a parents works out of the home? I have a 10 and 6 year old and after trying tirelessly to find cheap options/ neighbors/ anything to help during the day, I am at a loss. Do I feel comfortable? No. But I need my job.

I feel your pain OP. We live in an area where many moms are reducing their hours, setting up learning pods, etc. whereas I'm drowning feeling anxious and guilty that I have a job with no flexibility and cannot afford to reduce or quit my job. There are lots of people struggling right now.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. These responses are all so strange to me, so 2019. All kids are going to be home all day. Yes, some kids will be at gyms or martial arts camp all day, but many will be at home, with a WAHP or SAHP or alone.

OP, you are welcome to drop your kids off at our house with two laptops, they can go to school next to our 7 and 10 year old. We're in Springfield though. Contact your kids' friends or classmates, see who will take one or both of them.

I'm boggled as well. Amazing that people are clutching their pearls over this. This is the situation THOUSANDS of parents in this very area are in right now. People don't all have high paying jobs and support networks...welcome to planet earth 🌏. It is where real life happens.

The OP will leave her kids alone and they will step up to the plate.

My mom left me home alone when I was around 8 or so. She was building up her business in those days and worked long hours and couldn’t afford childcare. Someone from the building called CPS and there was an investigation (obviously nothing came of it since it wasn’t technically illegal in our state but it was still extremely stressful and awful to go through). My mom was highly encouraged to find a sitter and she did, but with more money going to the sitter, we were forced to use public assistance for a bit. OP, do not leave your children home alone by themselves. It’s not worth it. If something were to happen, the consequences would be dreadful. Check if there’s a YMCA or one of those bounce type places for little kids near you, they’re all offering childcare at reduced prices.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. These responses are all so strange to me, so 2019. All kids are going to be home all day. Yes, some kids will be at gyms or martial arts camp all day, but many will be at home, with a WAHP or SAHP or alone.

OP, you are welcome to drop your kids off at our house with two laptops, they can go to school next to our 7 and 10 year old. We're in Springfield though. Contact your kids' friends or classmates, see who will take one or both of them.

That's nice of you but most people I know aren't willing to have kids in their home. Especially kids whose parents are working outside the home and bringing their exposure home. Plus these families know it takes a lot of supervision to manage distance learning so aren't willing to add other people's kids. I think you're in the minority.

What do you think a pod is?

Pods cost money. There’s no way any SAHP is going to babysit a kid for free.

Seems that clearly SACC is your answer.