to ask how you juggle schools/childcare if you have a high powered/busy job?

[suebfg]

I work part time at the moment but may have to go full time soon. DH's job often takes him away from home and I don't know how we'd cope with the school runs if we were both working full time (other than having DS in breakfast and after school club every day of the week).

How do you cope? I have no family locally to help out :(

[BumpingFuglies]

A childminder, maybe?

[LangenFlugelHappleHoff]

Get a nanny

[Springsister]

We have an excellent childminder.

[ceeveebee]

We have a nanny but our DCs are pre schoolers.

[ChestyLeRoux]

Breakfast and After School club

[suebfg]

Would a childminder offer any benefit over the after school club do you think?

I guess a nanny would be in our house but do they work for just a couple of hours a day as that is all we would need the cover for?

[idshagphilspencer]

I need breakfast and after school club and dh and I juggle.....a lot.

[Schooldidi]

Breakfast and after school club every day of the week.

Dd1 did that from year 2, before that we had help from my parents.

Dd2 is at a childminder 5 days a week and has been since she was 6 months old.

They are both fine, and thriving.

[Icelollycraving]

We both work full time but ds is in nursery. In some ways I think this is easier than when he will go to school. No family or support locally either,
Could you find a childminder?

[SlowestLoris]

I have dds in wrap around care and, truthfully, it's pretty hard. But then, I'm on my own. Having a DH would be bliss, practically speaking. I find that I end up feeling as if I'm doing a crap job of both, which isn't ideal. But that's when I'm feeling low. On the good days it's fine!

[Artichook]

Au pair: can do drop-off and pick-up and tea. Also available for babysitting. Do you have a spare room?

We use a nanny but it is expensive, you get total freedom to concentrate on work but at a price. We will move to an au pair once all ours are school age.

[ceeveebee]

Well you can get an after school nanny perhaps, to collect from school and take to activities or stay until you get home from work.
But no, I would think most nannies would want to be paid for the whole day.
Nanny/housekeeper? Some nannies are willing to do cleaning/cooking while DCs are at school
Nanny share with another family (with preschoolers?) perhaps?

[suebfg]

It was much easier when DS was at nursery as the norm was for the children to be there pretty much all day. Now most children go home at 3.15 so it is just a few that go on to the after school club. If DS goes in breakfast and after school club, his day is 7.30 - 6.00.

It's a lot I think 5 days a week.

[HollyBerryBush]

School clubs only run from 7.30-6 - I used to need to be at my desk at 7.30 and came home about 8pm - child minder all the way

[manicinsomniac]

What is your career? Is it something children could fit into?

I'm probably quite unusual but I became a single parent while I was at university so I was able to make all my career choices based around how I would manage childcare etc. I chose to go into teaching in an independent boarding school so my children can be with me the whole time that I need to work and can stay as late as I need them to. They are often at school with me from before 8am until 11pm and I don't need to pay anybody to look after them at all! (plus they get an amazing education for almost free). In the school holidays they can come into school with me and play in the woods/fields/playground/sports hall or I can work from home.

Choosing career based on children has been an absolute godsend for me. I have no family close by either and have no idea how I'd manage without the school.

[Flossiechops]

I am able to take the dc to school every morning as I work close to school and can get there just after 9am. I only work 3 days for this reason, juggling it all is hard plus then there is school holidays to factor in. I am very fortunate that my parents collect dc from school if I'm working and take them to theirs. If I didn't have them I would use the after school club or a childminder.

[nenevomito]

How do I cope? Badly .

To be honest, if it wasn't for my DH doing almost all of the childcare / running around etc and for my parents being so bloody generous with their time, I'd never manage it.

[MaryQueenOfSpots]

We manage similar situation with a childminder - I pay for more sessions than I actually use as some weeks DH can do drop off/pick up and sometimes he's not here at all. DS is an only child and one of the unexpected benefits has been how much it has helped him socially - much more than Pre school where he only socialised with children of the same age.
It's worth asking around other parents to see who has a good childminder. Even if the recommended childminder has no space, asking them who they would recommend can give you a shortlist. Putting your child into any care is a leap of faith at the end of the day, whether you go for before/after school club, nanny or childminder.

[madwomanacrosstheroad]

I suppose if you work full time your choice is to leave him to school (breakfast club) yourself or see if he could go to a schoolfriends house in the morning and you either pay or do a favour in return. You will need after school care. Which type depends on your circumstances. I used a creche when they were small, now i still use that for the youngest who is pre nursery age. For the one who is in primary school i use a cm who has children at the same school. Obviously when making the choice between cm or institutionalised childcare one annoying side is that when you use cm, you are kind of tied to their holiday arrangements. You do however have the advantage that you are more likely to find out if there are problems such as child being unhappy at school etc. It is also more likely that you can negotiate for your child to do homework. In my experience homework in after schools was not great and when we got home near 6 pm trying to juggle dinner and homework with exhausted kids was horrible. It is tough, there is no other way of putting it. My main tip would be to try to get a cleaner once a week so you dont spend the entire weekend catching up with housework.

[Delayingtactic]

Childminder. I have always been honest with my CM that I sometimes have unavoidable delays to me getting out. I pay for a longer day than I normally need and they understand why I'm late.

We have a combined spreadsheet on excel with our shifts matched, when longer days are needed and when one of us needs to take annual leave to cover clashing shifts.

[MsDeerheart]

childminder i think give more time to chill out compared to after school club -and more flexiable - as after school clubs can be quite fixed -whereas my childminder if I get stuck in traffic is ok
or you could look at an au pair if you have room

[nevergoogle]

wake up 7.30am
drop off at 8.15am at breakfast club
start work at 9am
leave work at 5pm
pick up from after school club at 5.45pm
home 6pm
dinner 6.30pm
DH arrives home 7pm, does bedtime routine.

[FantasticDay]

How flexible are your hours? I go in early and dh drops kids off at school, then I pick up from school 2x per week and after school club 2x or 3 x per week, while he works later.

[suebfg]

It isn't a problem at the moment but I need to find another job and am struggling to find part-time work.