To be struggling with nursery only opening at 8

[humpbackwhalestail]

I am a teacher and have to be at work for 8:20.

Nurseries only open at 8 which means I’ve had to choose the closest one. It still gives me a tight margin for getting to school, parking, getting into school and to morning briefing/meetings.

AIBU to wish there was a bit more flexibility with childcare?

Letsmaketheworldbetter I’ve never heard of a a TA starting before 9-9.30

You are joking right? Or in reality - in before some teaching staff for interventions, medication, arranging cover...

Do you actually work in a school letsmake? I have worked in various schools for thirty years and TAs are in at the start of the day with all the other staff.

Disclaimer I have RTFT but I cannot see if this has been suggested.

You say you don't like your local childminder. But hour nursery is near your work. Is there a childminder nearer to work.

Don't shoot me if this has been suggested!

Yes I do work in a school. Have worked in various schools in my borough and TA’s have never started at 8.30. I guess my borough must suffer more financially.
Only nursery-reception staff begin at 8.30 as they have more responsibility and a larger work load than a TA. All other TA’s begin at 9.30-3pm. I’m not saying I agree but that is the way it is.

@strawberric I’ve never heard of arranging cover being the duty of a TA. Medication? What exactly does medication have to do with anything? Any child with a medical IEP will have all they already stored in a safe place. Unless they have a 1:1 and that will be part of the SEN’s role.

In some ways it’s essier when they’re small because at least you can choose a nursery near Work. When they’re at school it throws up another set of challenges! It’s a juggling act for sure x

letsmake with respect, your experience appears to be in primary. I and several others have pointed out that contracted hours tend to start earlier in secondary schools. 8am is unusual but not unheard of. Certainly the contracted hours of our TAs begin at 8.15 and they are expected to be in briefings.

@buxbaum sorry, yes my experience is primary. I hadn’t realised OP was secondary.

OP i don't want to freak you out but it's only going to get worse when your child starts school - 9am starts, staggered starts first term etc. , earlier pick up. It may well be worth starting to look for a decent childminder sooner rather than later.

Without the costs of full time childcare I should be able to stretch to an au pair or mothers help. At the moment, I’m just trying to get through the preschool years intact BTW, not all childminders are flexible.

My childrens junior school starts 8.20, the infants 8.40. The TA s are very definitely in by then as they are often on the door. Schools vary across the country - who knew!

Someone giving their opinion and advice on mumsnet- who knew

I do think 8am is reasonable to open a nursery. If they open earlier then great. But many people are forgetting that the staff that are required to start at 8am are usually in the same situation as OP.

And most nursery workers, TAs and primary school teachers are women. Women get lumbered again.

Letsmake in my son's primary all the TAs were in by 8. They set the classrooms up and one was trained to deliver Fizzy before school started - my son was one of the kids who got it, which is how I know their start times. And his class TA was also there at every SEN meeting he had with the class teacher, as she delivered some of his emotional support work. They were often before school.

It was a small village primary. Perhaps things are different in larger schools.

Oh, and they also walked the children to and from the pre and after school care setting, as well. It was on school grounds, but separately (and privately) managed. That meant they couldn't leave that early, either.

Again, I can only assume tiny schools have different expectations - fewer staff mean they all have to work longer hours, maybe?

@Cronuts

You may not be talking shit but it comes across like you are as you genuinely can’t seem to get your head around the fact that childcare in other areas might be different from what you personally (1 family 😶) have experienced.

Bore off Snacktimonious with the non helpful judgment and rose tinted specs. Do you spout this shite to your own daughters?

You don't run out of school straight into your Mum's arms like I did

I didn’t and I’m well into my 40s so this stereotype of the evil working Mum is hardly new 🖕🏻

I have a partner who earns enough to pay all the household bills.

Good for you. You “married well” . Some us don’t have the opportunity or indeed the inclination to be kept by someone else.

Don’t worry about it Beans

It would seem both the husband and daughter(s) are fictitious.

This is exactly why I became a stay at home mum! I know I'm lucky as have working partner.

In my rural area everyone seems to rely on before school and after school childminders that have 7 seaters ;or larger!; and ferry children to local primary schools and nurseries.

Have you tried www.childcare.co.uk

1 local school has breakfast club. My DD nursery opened at 0700 for an extra amount that was not advertised. Also took children at 0700 and then on to primary school as it was a 5 min walk away.

Some share a nanny but only the lucky richer ones. I say rich if they prefer money over their children.

My problem was school holidays and clubs. Both of mine are/were heavily into sports.

I could find a childminder to take them to everything and cover school holidays... Then I would only see my children in the morinng until 0700 and then 1900 when they had to go to bed. I couldn't do it. Whats the pint of having children if they don't see you?

“
I could find a childminder to take them to everything and cover school holidays... Then I would only see my children in the morinng until 0700 and then 1900 when they had to go to bed. I couldn't do it. Whats the pint of having children if they don't see you”

Yes i am sure you couldnt do it UNLESS it was the difference between keeping a roof
Over their heads, food in their tummies and supporting the others we “carry”
Who rely on us 🙄.

Some share a nanny but only the lucky richer ones. I say rich if they prefer money over their children.

OK, ooh. Don't. Just don't say shit like that on a thread full of working parents. We all work differently and have different childcare arrangements for different reasons and not one of those reasons is because we prefer money over our children. Just don't.

Whats the pint of having children if they don't see you?

Oh, and that. No, no, fuck off, no.

' I say rich if they prefer money over their children.'

So what do you suggest the OP do, seeing as she's stated several times that she's a single parent? Should she just magic up money out of thin air so she doesn't require childcare?