If your family setup involves both parents working FT...

[goodwinter]

...how old are your children and what childcare do you use?

I don't even have kids yet but I'm researching for the future and it seems a logistical nightmare!

Both work FT but both teachers which helps the school holiday headache.

3 children - 7, 4 and 2.

2 and 4 in full time nursery. 7 year old in school and wrap around care which is provided by the same nursery but at a different site to the other 2.

We used a mix of a childminder and nursery to start because the nursery only had 2 days available to start, went up to 3 and 2 split but when they offered full time we left it as it was because it was the childminder who would accommodate us if we needed to work late etc or drop off earlier.

We then used the same childminder for wrap around school (until they went to secondary school) and it provided us with a stable place that DS was used to.

Nursery years are much easier as they are generally open 51 weeks a year. I'd recommend using one that is close to your or DH's work. Then less stress about trying to get through traffic to pick up on time.

We use the school breakfast club and an after school nanny. Dd is 7. We used nursery before she started school.

The ASN is a bit of a luxury but it was the best option at the time and means dd can go to out of school activities after school. We'll probably switch to ASC at some point.

As others have said while wraparound and school hols care is cheaper than ft nursery, it's still thousands of pounds a year per child.

Kudos to you for trying to figure this out before you're actually needing to find a solution.

Thank you @VladimirsPoutine! I'm a planner/worrier by nature so even though it's a long long way off, I'd like to get an idea of what solutions there are. No chance of family help, so it's been good to get some personal experiences.

Thanks to everyone who's responded so far :)

I work full time office hours and DH works full time rotating shifts. We have two DS aged 7 and 2.

Obviously the eldest is in school and DH can usually either do the school drop off or pick up depending what shift he's on. Our school has a free breakfast club open from 8:10am which is fantastic for us as it can be used completely flexibly when we need it. The 2 year old is in nursery 3 days a week and my lovely in-laws have him the other two days and they also do school pick ups for us when DH is on a late shift.

We are very lucky in that respect and hugely grateful - it wouldn't be possible for both of us to work if it wasn't for them because of DH shifts.

We've managed it with no help from family simply due to having very flexible jobs and taking joint responsibility for everything.

We have a 9 year old and a 7 year old. Dh and me are lucky to work one day each from home and my mother in law does another day. That leaves 2 days of before and after school club. If school didn’t offer wraparound I don’t know what I’d do as we live in a very small, rural village with no childminders.

6, 4, 3, 1. Had a nanny the last 4 yrs. I WFH though so it’s typically/always my job to handover kids in the morning and evening.

DS is 3 and goes to nursery full time. They are open 7:30-1830

Until recently DP had to do all pick ups and drop off as he works locally and drives, and I worked in London and don't drive. I now work remotely so I can do pick ups and drop offs if required.

None of the childminders in our area would do those hours and they would work out more expensive as they charged by the hour tbh.

It's worth saying that it's perfectly manageable with organisation, OP. Just as a counter to the frequent Mn threads about how some poster 'had' to give up her career because her DH was a high-flyer who worked unpredictable hours and was often away.

We have a seven year old who went to a (brilliant) childminder from the age of 9 months, then a combination of pre-school and childminder once he got his free hours, and we now use the same childminder for wraparound care, and, very occasionally, before and afterschool club. No family in this country, and no free childcare.

We are very organised with our diaries well in advance that, and mutual respect and flexibility are key, but it's all manageable.

A combination of LA nursery, a private playgroup, both sets of grandparents and a childminder.

I work 5 minutes walk from home and eldest DDs school is on the way so I drop her off everyday.

DD2 goes to playgroup 3 mornings a week. DH works shifts so can drop her off in the morning. Playgroup run a lunch club so she has lunch there and the leaders drop her off for nursery in the afternoon. A grandparent picks both of them up and stays with them until I get home.

The days my youngest doesn’t have playgroup she goes to a childminder in the morning who takes her to nursery in the afternoon. A couple of days a week my husband finishes work at 2pm so is around for pick up.

seeing it written down it seems really overly complicated but it actually works really well!

DC are 9 & 7 and I still spend over £500pcm on Wraparound care.
Until DC2 started school, I worked 3 days a week with the DC at nursery and that a combination of various after school & holiday clubs, none of which DC1 enjoyed.
When DC2 started school, I fortuitously changed jobs and got a much more flexible role in an organisation which is really quite in August and shuts over Christmas so I negotiated myself a deal whereby I get that time off (effectively unpaid) and then my annual leave is taken during the rest of the school holidays. It does mean that the DC spend more time during term time in childcare but they prefer this balance and enjoy Wraparound now both of them are there (means there is always someone for them to play with as they get on really well) and are just a bit older.

Clann and if your workplace decide flexibility is for other organizations? As mine are doing? Not so easy then. School holidays and work annual leave are a very unhappy marriage and can only work if workplaces will be flexible.

So, OP - ensure that you and your DH work for organizations that have clear flexible working policies.

and if your workplace decide flexibility is for other organizations?

I assume you do the same as if a job stopped suiting you for any other reason. You find another job. I used to commute internationally before I had DS. That was obviously not going to work with a child, so I quit and found something more suitable.

Of course. Just like that? I'm just going to find another job in my sector, at my age, just like that? That offers flexible working? That every other parent is going to be chasing?

Dds were at a local nursery. Dh dropped off, I picked up.

Now they’re at school we just use the after school club. I drop them off in the morning and dh picks up. My dhs work is more flexible than mine.

We send out 3.5 yr old to nursery ft - I work in London (4 hr commute a day) twice a week and work from home the rest of the week - so we fit in drop offs and pick ups between us - I think it's only possible with me working from home so much and husband working fairly nearby. The worst bit is when she is ill as she has to be kept off nursery for 48 hrs from last illness - and we have no family or friends to help out so one of us just has to take time off. I've had a few rude comments from work about it but there is very little I can do. Luckily our nursery offer a wrap around / pick up service for when they go to the local infant and primary. Otherwise we'll send her private. Pregnant with number 2 though so suspect this is where it gets trickier! Quite concerned that so many of you say it is harder when they get to school - eek!!

I have a 7 and 4 year old. I wake up at 3am regularly sweating with anxiety about childcare.

I am freelance so for past few years since oldest started school I have basically not worked in school holidays. I have no idea how people cope with normal holiday allowance.

OP in case you're misled by some of the refs to WFH....for most people working from home isn't a substitute for needing childcare and most employers take the same view.

When we WFH it's to facilitate doing a longer day by not having to commute (8-6.30 instead of 9-5.30 say). We still keep and pay for childcare.

Of course. Just like that? I'm just going to find another job in my sector, at my age, just like that? That offers flexible working? That every other parent is going to be chasing?

What other choice is there, if your current job no longer suits your requirements? I'm 46 and beginning to look for a new job in another country at the moment, as Brexit Britain is beginning to pall.

my point is, Clann, that your blythe statement to the OP that it's all perfectly manageable with organization falls down if your employer is not on board and getting another job just like that is out of la-la-land.

Which is why I am suggesting to the OP that one of the things she should consider is ensuring that she and her DP work in companies that are on board with flexible working well in advance.

We had a nanny for our children. The oldest is 24 now so my experience covers the pre flexible working era. So I second the previous poster that it’s doable with organisation and compromise. It was worth it for us - our careers were fulfilling. But there were definite sacrifices in terms of time with the children. They were fine - very happy and well cared for. And we have brilliant relationships with them now so I don’t buy the argument that they ‘need’ a parent at home. But there were some difficult days so you need to be prepared for that. And I suspect the situation is entirely different if there are any health or other issues - we never had to deal with those so I can’t comment. But I suspect life in general is different when that enters the equation.

One DD, aged 3. She's been in nursery since she was 1, when I returned to work FT. It's a workplace nursery, which means she comes to work with me in the morning, and I'm lucky that in my role I can be flexible if I need to WFH or if she's off sick occasionally. Because it's such a flexible setup it's kept me working here past the point where I would normally have changed jobs; I'd love to move for career development but the flexibility is important to me, so I'm stuck here a bit longer.