Childcare round shifts 😖

[Lilmissm]

Hi everyone. I wondered if anyone had any words of advice..

DH works a rolling shift pattern 2 on 2 off 3 on etc. I’ve been at home with our 2 DS now age 12 and 10 and I’m more than ready to get back out there to work. We hardly see each other for sometimes 4 days at a time.. Problem is my line of work is evenings mostly. I have no family and friends to help. I feel so stuck. So far I’ve tried 15 sitters none of which can help with the hours required. I’ve worked so hard to get my qualifications and now feel it’s going to impact my business. I feel like I’ve missed something Please tell me there’s some help available to allow people to work ?! 😱😭

[Apple40]

Have a look on childcare.co.uk you may find someone on there e.g a nanny or try contacting a local college who run childcare courses one of students may like to earn some money in the evenings.

[Lilmissm]

Thankyou. That’s where I’ve been searching. We had a girl from there previously but she’s moved out of the area unfortunately :(

[underneaththeash]

Just use sitters.co.uk you’re not going to get the same person each time, but your children aren’t little.

Hopefully, you won’t need childcare for too much longer.

[cupsofcoffee]

Is there a local sixth former or two who would fancy an evening job? Maybe someone on a childcare course?

At 10 and 12 they don't really need proper childcare as such - just someone to supervise homework and to make sure they're fed and in bed on time.

[BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz]

How many days and hours are a time will they need supervision?

[Lilmissm]

Thankyou! I hope so. I trust my eldest could maybe sit for say up to an hour maybe as he’s quite responsible but wouldn’t want to leave him on changer of his younger bro

[Lilmissm]

It would literally be just for 2 hours in the evenings and literally just sitting with them as they’d be fed etc before I go. Easy money for someone :) just can’t seem to find anyone to accommodate. x

[WeAllHaveWings]

Do you need to go back to your "line of business" in the evenings straightaway?

My SIL, previously on senior team as head of product development at a food manufacture, was a SAHM for 6 years and when she went back she originally went to retail for 2-3 years (eventually became the shop manager) to fit around school hours and her dh's FT work, she hated it but then found a part-time job in a small local jewellery making start-up, making jewellery, which has really taken off over the last 5 years and she is now in charge of their marketing and product development, gets (pre lockdown) trips to Asia to source products and works flexibly and earns well.

If you can't find a sitter for evening work there might be other options out there.

[cupsofcoffee]

@Lilmissm

It would literally be just for 2 hours in the evenings and literally just sitting with them as they’d be fed etc before I go. Easy money for someone :) just can’t seem to find anyone to accommodate. x

I would ask around at your local sixth-form colleges and see if there's a student who could come and sit with them for a bit, but I suspect your oldest is a bit too "old" for formal childcare now.

[Saltyslug]

You just need an a level student