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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:

Gardensparrows · 25/01/2022 15:46

I’m not suggesting you did @SarahAndQuack but the whole point is that if they wanted to discuss sensitive content, they can’t, because there’s a little girl there. Therefore you are dictating what sort of pastoral care you’re providing.

Monkeybutt1 · 25/01/2022 16:17

Me and DH both work fulltime from home, we are both allowed to pick up DS from school each day. He is 9 so he gets in, gets himself a snack and does his homework and then watches TV whilst we finish work. My boss is fine, and does the same thing. As long as my work is done he has no issue at all. In the school holidays he goes to holiday club but they are usually only 9-3 so he will occupy himself before and after.

FawnFrenchieMum · 25/01/2022 16:21

My DD9 comes home each day while I do my last hour, she is happy to grab a snack and chill in front of the TV, do her spelling practice or get changed for clubs etc in that time.
I couldn't have effectively done this everyday pre-covid though when she was 7. She both learnt to deal with it and has grown up a lot in the last two years.
She also dislikes ASC so if she starts to pester me the treat is she goes back there.

Interested in this thread?

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Childcare & nursery Families

adoreyou · 25/01/2022 17:09

@DicklessWonder
Yes and she was at home with us all day while we worked... like a lot of people....

Glittertwins · 25/01/2022 17:35

We didn't need to have childcare per se as they were half way through year 7 but we did have to help them with school work by doing it in shifts for helping them with schoolwork as they had zero input / assistance from school. We were getting up early, doing our paid work, sharing breaks in order to help them and then get back on with our work.
Year 8 was better as they had online school following their proper timetable so no need for us to teach them.

Sh05 · 25/01/2022 17:54

We do this with my two year old but only for two hours 3 times a week.
OH works from home, most of that two hours dd is napping and if she does get up there's snacks ready for her. She plays whilst he works.
I normally get home to find she's been awake for half an hour.

BakewellGin1 · 25/01/2022 18:58

1 day a week at moment
Varies in productivity but as long as I do my job and meet deadlines they happy.
DS is 2.... Day im at home I sort emails early in the morning and tend to work an hour once he's in bed.
Hard work but I get to see him so balances out

CorpusCallosum · 25/01/2022 20:29

@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.

This was the same for me, childminders a few nights a week. I would rather have been home while mum worked but I suspect I was too demanding for that to be a realistic option 🙈

BeckyWithTheGoodHair010101 · 26/01/2022 07:41

@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

Perhaps the test and trace coordinator's children were off school WITH covid?

BeckyWithTheGoodHair010101 · 26/01/2022 07:44

Mine are 8 and 5 and they're in club some of the week but DP or I will pick them up 2 days a week, it's a good balance for them. They usually just have a snack and sit in front of the TV for a while relaxing. They know not to interrupt me on calls unless someone's leg is hanging off.

Bunnycat101 · 26/01/2022 08:02

BakewellGin1 In all honesty though do you think you’re putting in a full day of work on your day with the 2yo. I reckon I could get about 4 hours of solid work done with mine at home- enough to get away with the odd day of sick/isolation but I would struggle to do much more than that.

Marianne1234 · 26/01/2022 08:53

We did this during the lockdowns with a 5 and 2 year old. It was hell on earth. We were both working flat out in full time jobs. I still haven’t mentally recovered from the stress of that first lockdown.

My eldest is now 7 and she’s in after school club 3 days per week. We each have an afternoon where we finish early and collect her ourselves (compressed hours). I was hopeful that we could ditch after school club - I thought we could nip to the school, be back in 20 mins and then she could entertain herself till we finished at 5. But she was just far too needy. I would tell her and tell her for example that she couldn’t come into the room when I was on a call but she just kept doing it anyway. So back to after school club she went. And it’s better that way anyway. She’s running around and doing crafts etc with her pals instead of hanging around here.

Marianne1234 · 26/01/2022 09:04

TBH I think it’s an utter pisstake to use wfh as a way to avoid putting your toddler in nursery.

Padfoot20 · 23/11/2022 14:57

I find this thread reassuring. I've seen people online that seem to work from home and look after their young kids and I'm not sure how they do it. Not judging those that do, I just don't know how without alot of snacks and television. I send my 14 month old to the childminders 9am until 4.30pm and feel SO guilty as I work from home. Especially on days I don't have meetings... But as Project Manager my influx of work is so random and often have ado meetings. He's been off sick a few times since starting childcare and I've tried to juggle both and it's been really stressful to give him attention and answer get work done.

I personally think do whatever works best for you. But don't underestimate how full on it might be!

ememem84 · 23/11/2022 17:35

i've tried to get some work done this afternoon with both dc (3 and 5) at home.

not possible. they were nice and settled on the couch so i thought i'd log in and try and get a head start on the report i have to write for the end of next week. the minute i sat down with the laptop they both needed everything literally that second.

i'm not even meant to be working this afternoon i'm just trying to get things done before i go on an extended holiday over christmas so i dont have to leave things half done for colleagues.

looks like working evenings when the kids are in bed is the way to go!

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