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Original poster

People working from home without childcare

115 replies

Notcontent · 24/01/2022 20:46

I just wonder how common this is. Obviously during lockdown lots of people had to do it - no choice if there was no childcare. But it must be tempting for some people to do that now to try to do that to save money.

My DC is a bit older now but looking back there is no way I could have done that effectively until she was around 12 as even in year 7 she still needed some input from me after school.

OP posts:
museumum · 24/01/2022 20:48

It might tempt some people but during lockdown I found it really awful - was a terrible parents and a terrible consultant at the same time. Felt like shit about myself.

Findahouse21 · 24/01/2022 20:50

I can do it on the odd occasion, but it ends up with dd eating crap and watching crap rather than actively engaged with friends plus a fresh meal at after school club

UghFletcher · 24/01/2022 20:53

It was horrendous during lockdown. My DS was 3 and couldn't go to nursery. He is now in Yr R and able to entertain himself for longer amounts of time but I couldn't even begin to contemplate working with him at home.

Work are paying me to do work, not care for my child.

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Childcare & nursery Families
MintyIguana · 24/01/2022 20:54

Kids are in y8 and y5. We wfh and they both come home ( both walk themselves home) and are capable of getting themselves snacks, sorting themselves out with whatever they need to do. Otherwise we would need the younger one in after school club, which is what we did pre Covid.

OnceuponaRainbow18 · 24/01/2022 20:54

I do it for an hour a week and it’s really not productive… and my kid is 5!

SarahAndQuack · 24/01/2022 20:55

I did this before lockdown. When my DD was born I wasn't eligible for parental leave and DP (bio mum) had to go back to work when DD was 5.5 months, so I worked around her most of the time, up until she was nearly 3. At that point I got a properly paid full-time job and could afford to put her into nursery full time, and I was just relaxing into the absolute luxury of it when ... covid hit! Grin

My timing is awful.

Idontgiveagriffindamn · 24/01/2022 20:55

I could do it with the eldest who’s 8. I could take a late lunch, pick him up and get back by 3:30. I finish at 4 so he’d have 30 mins to himself. A lot of people seem to do this at my work (I’ve only been there a week).
The littlest is at nursery and would be a nightmare. But then there hours at 8-5 so we don’t have to do it. When he goes to school and if everything else is the same we won’t use out of school club.

Yellow85 · 24/01/2022 20:57

I do it once a week, after school until finishing at 5pm. No way could I do a full day though other than in an emergency.

The eat snacks and watch cartoons and are actually fabulous at pretending I don’t exist 🤣 although it did take them sometime. My work don’t mind the odd child in the background either…

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 24/01/2022 20:58

My DC is a bit older now but looking back there is no way I could have done that effectively until she was around 12 as even in year 7 she still needed some input from me after school

I suppose its job/child dependent. My children (7 & 10) watch tv (or draw which is Dc1s favourite) and eat a snack in the room next door to where I work. I don't work on phonecalls, nor do I attend many meetings. I find it quite easy to sit and work (spreadsheets mainly) for 1.5-2 hours after we get home from the schoolrun. If they need me they know where I am. Usually they don't.

I log off between about 5, then sit with dc1 as they do their homework (20mins), listen to dc2 read from their book (10mins), then I go prep dinner. At this point dh is home and he will play a game with them or they go feed the ducks etc.

Then we sit and eat about 6, together, then watch something or play a game, showers then bedtime stories.

Lots of lovely time together, they get downtime straight from school, and I get my work done.

SarahAndQuack · 24/01/2022 20:58

Oh, and I think I was a perfectly effective worker - the person who suffered was me, not my employer! It does depend what you do. When DD was very tiny I was teaching, so I couldn't have her with me while in front of a class, but I did all my marking/prep/admin with her in my office, and I did a lot of the pastoral care sessions while she was there, because my students actually quite liked it that way. When she was older I was writing and I got the same amount done as my full-time colleagues who weren't doing chilcare.

Dailywalk · 24/01/2022 20:59

Have done it and will do it when no option in school holidays but it’s far from ideal. Neither work nor kids have my attention and I am not very productive.

Eileen101 · 24/01/2022 20:59

I wouldn't have thought it was that common - bar the odd emergency here and there, unless they're much older! I couldn't do it with my under 5s.
I tried to send a quick email or two with just my eldest around before he had to go to the doctors - pretty much impossible even with him watching cbeebies Grin

DockOTheBay · 24/01/2022 21:01

An acquaintance of mine does this one day a week as her childminder doesn't have enough spaces on that day. The kid is 2.5 and she just sits watching TV all day.

Original poster
Notcontent · 24/01/2022 21:03

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

My DC is a bit older now but looking back there is no way I could have done that effectively until she was around 12 as even in year 7 she still needed some input from me after school

I suppose its job/child dependent. My children (7 & 10) watch tv (or draw which is Dc1s favourite) and eat a snack in the room next door to where I work. I don't work on phonecalls, nor do I attend many meetings. I find it quite easy to sit and work (spreadsheets mainly) for 1.5-2 hours after we get home from the schoolrun. If they need me they know where I am. Usually they don't.

I log off between about 5, then sit with dc1 as they do their homework (20mins), listen to dc2 read from their book (10mins), then I go prep dinner. At this point dh is home and he will play a game with them or they go feed the ducks etc.

Then we sit and eat about 6, together, then watch something or play a game, showers then bedtime stories.

Lots of lovely time together, they get downtime straight from school, and I get my work done.

I can see how that would work quite well, particularly with two of them to keep each other company.
OP posts:
Selkiesarereal · 24/01/2022 21:05

At the moment I do but they just come in and sit in front of the tv. I pop my head round to give them snack whilst making myself a coffee. It’s fine for now but will sort out holiday cover as that was a nightmare during lockdown.

adoreyou · 24/01/2022 21:07

We pick DD up from school for 3 and she's then home while we work... DH upstairs and me in the dining. She's 6.
Been doing since January last year.

We were coping fine till my work got ridiculously business in nov and December. So we've got a babysitter (local teen) to come sit with her for an hour or so 2 nights a week. It takes the pressure off somewhat.

I used to go to childminders after school and I can tell you if I'd had the option, I would rather have been home with my mum while she worked then at my childminders.

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 24/01/2022 21:07

Mine are 8 and 10 and I have no problems with them being at home in the holidays. They have everything they need in one room and I am in another room. If I'm going on a call etc then I tell them not to bother me until I say. But it's rare they do anyway as they can get themselves drinks and snacks

Kangaruby · 24/01/2022 21:09

Track and trace call handler had 2 children screaming in the background during our call, thought it was very unprofessional and no excuse this far into covid. Felt like putting a complaint in but couldn't be bothered, did tell him that I could hear his children loudly in the background, he didn't seem bothered or apologetic

DicklessWonder · 24/01/2022 21:11

Most employers won’t allow it as a choice.

Just had a colleague sacked for not putting her 2 toddlers in nursery. Not only do they interrupt every meeting (usually with high pitched squealing) but she’s not delivered on crucial projects in 6 months because she can’t work for more than 2 minutes at a time during the day.

DicklessWonder · 24/01/2022 21:12

@adoreyou

We pick DD up from school for 3 and she's then home while we work... DH upstairs and me in the dining. She's 6. Been doing since January last year.

We were coping fine till my work got ridiculously business in nov and December. So we've got a babysitter (local teen) to come sit with her for an hour or so 2 nights a week. It takes the pressure off somewhat.

I used to go to childminders after school and I can tell you if I'd had the option, I would rather have been home with my mum while she worked then at my childminders.

Last January we were in lockdown……
Ozanj · 24/01/2022 21:12

I would imagine most people with school aged kids will have them home for at least part of the day now. It’s easier with preschoolers and babies because you can find reliable childcare from 8-5.

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 24/01/2022 21:13

@DicklessWonder

Most employers won’t allow it as a choice.

Just had a colleague sacked for not putting her 2 toddlers in nursery. Not only do they interrupt every meeting (usually with high pitched squealing) but she’s not delivered on crucial projects in 6 months because she can’t work for more than 2 minutes at a time during the day.

Yeah I couldn't have done it if my DC were younger
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 24/01/2022 21:13

@Kangaruby

Track and trace call handler had 2 children screaming in the background during our call, thought it was very unprofessional and no excuse this far into covid. Felt like putting a complaint in but couldn't be bothered, did tell him that I could hear his children loudly in the background, he didn't seem bothered or apologetic
Did you consider the possibility the kids themselves may have had covid so couldn't be anywhere else?
hariborabbit · 24/01/2022 21:14

I was doing it one afternoon a week with my 6 year old but I've now changed my working pattern as she just ended up watching TV and I felt guilty.

Personally I can't work effectively with my kids around but I see why people are tempted and I do think it will be more common now that WFH is more normalised. Bet it will always be the woman in the partnership who is expected to work with kids in the background though, and never the man...

FoamBurst · 24/01/2022 21:15

My friend does and always has her dcs are 16 12 and 6. She can do flexi hours so often gets up 4am to do most of it. Especially in school holiday. Or works till late at night once youngest in bed.
She's done this from each of them being 3 months old.