To think working with school-aged children may be less feasible?

[ProudPineapple]

I've always worked since having dc, I've been a student, worked ft, pt, shifts, office hours etc. I've used a mix of childminder, nursery and preschool. The dc and I have always coped done and I think the net effect has been positive for is as a family.

I have now applied for dc1 school place and am trying to work out how on earth I'm going to manage the needs of a school aged child, along with a younger one. I am struggling to see how we're going to manage it. DH works away during the week a lot, we have no family nearby. There is before/after school club but places are hotly contested and expensive. Our CM only does under 5's year-round contracts. Even if I can sort things term time, they're on holiday for weeks of the year!

For the first time since becoming a parent, I'm considering not working (in my current professional role). We need me to have an income but I guess I need to look at weekend work or similar.

AIBU to think that it may be much harder to work with dc at school than when they're babies?

Resting I've heard about the staggered starts, I think all the schools locally take 3 weeks or so about it! Another headache (I think the only solution will be unpaid leave).

YY settling in, in reception, is a bit of a nightmare for families where there is no flexible childcare on tap.

I hope you find a solution too. We were in the same position but lucky because I didn't want to work, so became a sahm.
Some people do manage with after school clubs, cms, nannies etc, but it is hard when you don't have family to help out in emergencies.
The people who have this should count their blessings.

YANBU. I worked FT up until DD was school age, and then dropped to half-time - fortunately I have the sort of job which can be done part-time and an enlightened employer. Apparently I'm as productive half time as some people FT till I discovered MN . Of course it depends on what your job is, but have you asked your employer whether you can work PT?

Just about the only mothers I knew at that stage who worked FT had local, youngish grandparents who could help with the kids.

I am currently pt, but have a bit of a commute, so waste time on that, and adding another drop off into it is going to really eat into things.

I tried speaking to DH about it all today. He baulked at me talking of drastic action but when we tried to think of any families we know that manage without family help, we couldn't. I only realised today that I know no other working parents who don't get some assistance in some way from family.

this is really opening my eyes reading this thread ...
I am already stressing about the nursery drop off and pick up as both me and my partner work full time and different shifts varying from 6am starts to 2pm starts and never on same days... child care is childminder just now but not sure how it's going to fit in with nursery pick ups etc .. plus with two kids ...
Lots to think about , think school will be worse ...

Im on maternity leave currently. My dh works away so it's up to me to deal with childcare arrangements.

I'm lucky that dc1 school has a breakfast club and after school that is reasonably priced. My back up plan if he hadn't got into his current school was to use the private daycare he was at before starting school (and the one dc2 was at and dc 3 will start soon attending). They would have dropped him off and picked him up - same sort of price or perhaps a little more than when he was attending full days. Tbh this would have been an easier option (although more expensive) as I could have just dropped all dc's at daycare and gone to work instead of having to do the two drops offs and picks ups.

Your other option is to find a childminder who will take both your children.

I think it's about finding a provider that fits your needs. Perhaps it's time to look around for a new childminder that will be happy to look after both your children and do the school runs and look after your kids in the holidays

proudpinapple - we have no family living locally and have gone through this phase, not helped by the fact that husband works away from home, and i have to be a bit flexible with my job, plus we have 3 children.

other suggestions..........

• nanny share - more logistically challenging in some ways, but is there someone who has say a baby, wants a nanny but can't afford one whose nanny could look after them all
• different childminders for different kids - not ideal, but if they are as hard to get as here you may have to consider

-holiday clubs, this worked pretty well for us, but you have to get in quickly

• will your company let you work from home on say a day a week? You will still need childcare for younger kids, but not for school age
• our parents sometimes came for a week during the hols to look after the kids - comibining this with our holiday and couple of weeks of holiday clubs can take care of 6 week summer hols

main thing i learnt was that you need to take time organising this. several of the childminders we found weren't suitable once we interviewed them or decided against us (I imagine they found more lucrative options ....ie babies they could look after all day).

i eventually worked 4 days a week - doing half days on 2. is flexible hours an option at work? someone i work with starts really early and finishes at school pick up time

ps - i'm glad i continued working now, as i'm in a much better position financially and career wise but it is stressful there's no getting round that. once they can come home from school by themselves it gets much easier. though i do work from home, which makes a big difference