...to ask how many people are WFH with no childcare right now?

[michaelbaubles]

Seen a few comments on other threads at people incredulous that anyone was having to work from home with no childcare, and I thought surely a huge amount of people are?

Check in here - I'm teaching, full time from home (basically working 8.30-4 on and off, no live lessons but setting and marking work, chasing up students and responding to messages and emails all day), and I have 2 DC, 6 and 8 here too.

DP is here but he is also working from home (freelancer, has to keep hustling and chasing up funding to get any money at all).

OK I wouldn't normally be working like this but some posters are acting like it's literally impossible - it isn't - it's hard but we have to do what we can.

Not works helps

Me, wfh and DH wfh, 3 kids. I'm up at crack of dawn to attempt to get some work done before the chaos. Morning is deemed as screen time for the kids, I'm then looking after the kids properly In the afternoon. Thankfully the kids are old enough to get their own breakfast, but I'm making all the other meals. Ha ha ha ha to home schooling, I'm barely bloody functioning.

Then I start work again from 19.00 to whenever I finish. DH does normal hours as his job is more 9-5.

I am not ok. I've lost it three times today. How the hell am I meant to work full time and look after the kids. I'm taking one day off a week as holiday to do the shopping and prescription runs as I'm the only one in my family (locally anyway) who isn't on the shielding list. I feel like I'm doing every job badly.

I cant take anymore today. Back to work in 45 mins and I haven't even fixed dinner yet. All I want is sleep.

Yep mine are 6 and 9. I work 9-2 for 4 days. DH also wfh. My two like routine so it's joe wicks or equivalent first thing, then they each have a desk set up with a timetable in and basically get on with it. I've downloaded a school bell which rings at break time and lunch!
At 2 we do chores for 30 mins then me and the DCs go out for our daily walk.
Mine were used to me wfh before so I think that's made it a bit easier.

Yup, single parent and I normally wfh 9am - 6pm with very limited or no breaks. All on the phone. I can’t do that with an only kid (8) and a dog needing my attention. I’m working a bit in the day, a lot in the evenings and 7 days per week and still not quite keeping up.

I'm wfh part-time (3days) & DH is wfh full-time. DC are 5 & nearly 2. DH & I are splitting the childcare between us on my work days & i have them both on my days 'off' ha! Thankfully as DD is only in Reception her school work is minimal & she's happy to do it for now. DS is full-on, into everything bouncing off the walls but thankfully still has one long nap a day.
Both DH & I are struggling. We're much more snappy with each other & the children. It's just so relentless & this is only week two 😭

I was working from home while DH was at work with DS9 and DS4 so trying to do the elders school work with him while trying to stop the younger one licking the socket's. It was manageable and my work is very understanding/flexible. DH has since been furloughed so he's handling the bulk of the child care but our house isn't particularly big and the only place I can work is the kitchen as it has a table and I need to set up the second screen etc. So of course the children are still very aware I'm here and love yelling for biscuits when I'm on a call.

I think it will be fine and we've sort of found a rythm.

Two dc aged 10 and 8, both DH and I are WFH which is normal for him a lot of the time (self employed) but not for me. I’m finding it hard going. My employers have always resisted WFH so when it became clear they’d have to it was a rush to get IT and telephony requirements in place and it shows so getting our work done is hard enough.

Despite knowing loads of their staff have young dc at home full time atm, they have made no allowance for this and still genuinely seem to think we can all sit in a quiet area, 100% focused on work, for 8 hours a day 😒.

Thankfully the dc are past the age of needing constant supervision and encouragement but they still need some. I really wish some employers would acknowledge that this is an unprecedented situation for everyone and cut people a little slack.

My DP is front line key worker.

I'm a key worker but can work from home l. I had a school place for my oldest DD but the nursery closed for my youngest DD so now work from home. I deal with life at immediate risk situations from my conservatory whilst trying to entertain my DD and home school. It's impossible. I'll be going into nights soon so I have to work nights and stay up during the day to be with DD. I have no choice.

All I hear is how bored people are. I don't have time to be bored and in fact I'm busier now than before this lockdown.

I am. I'm finding it straightforward to be honest. I don't think that having childcare would help me.

I am a lone parent with one DD about to turn 8. I am wfh 4 days a week, 9 - 4 pm.

Like the pp, there has been nothing from work to say that we understand your situation and cut any slack/offer to change hours. Its exactly the same but I am at home but with the added pressure of trying to get DD to do her schoolwork. Thankfully, she is very good at occupying herself not so good at getting down to schoolwork though! In fact one of my colleagues who doesn't have children has been singled out and praised for going into the office a couple of days a week which I find unfathomable as we are not key workers and she does not live near to the office either! Aaagh.

If the schools don't open until September then I'll definitely be sending an email to HR to figure out a better working pattern.

Yep wfh 3 days a week, 10 hours a day with a 1 and 4 year old. My DH is wfh full time. It's hard. It is. But we're getting some kind of routine. I tend to get up at 5am, do a few hours before the rest of them wake.

Then DH does breakfast for them and he starts at 8.30, then between us we muddle through until 11.30 and take the kids for a walk. Then lunch, nap time for littlest, and 'school work' for 4 year old. Luckily he'll sit quite well whilst doing it so me and DH can work a few hours. I'm tending to do a few hour in the evening.

My boss is very understanding which makes things easier I'm sure, but I'm trying to get my hours done over my normal three days so I have the other days to not think about work and focus on the kids.

I really feel for those single parents who are having to work from home in a demanding job. Hats off to you.

I’m a single parent with two children aged 8 and 4. Working 4 days a week . It has been hard but im trying to log on quite early and take a longer lunch and finish a few things in evening . We are being encouraged to take holiday and I have next week off .. can’t wait !

I've really struggled. I have a one year old and husband still working- he is gone 8-6 mon-fri. That leaves me with naps/after son's bedtime but no down time. Then up at 5.30 to do it all again. It's very tough. Like a previous poster said, I imagine it's a lot easier with older children but I can't just leave a one year old to it all day and the constant interruption makes it impossible if he is there.

5yo and 2yo here. I'm a key worker on 3 long days a week. DH ft academic. It's been very difficult! DH having to fit in ft work to 2 weekdays, weekends and evenings. Me taking the strain off him. There is no downtime and I am already snapping at him.

I personally don't think WFH with children is viable long term, but adding in school age children who need educating more than pre schoolers and it's a recipe for disaster.

We should be alright fincially as our jobs are pretty stable but we will be run into the ground by in a few months....

WFH with a 2 year old & 4 year old but luckily they play together very well!

I'm 3 days a week and trying to work around 2 year old twins and a 6 year old. It's hard going currently. I remember I time when I used to wfh when my eldest was 2/3 and I would put my laptop and paper work on the floor sit crossed legged and she would curl up in my lap and watch TV or draw next to me. This is not working with the twins 😂 one or the other is always trying to use the laptop for their own 'busy work' which they call pressing buttons.

Yes both DH and i are currently WFH with and 8 year old and a 6 year old i try to work super early a DH late and try to home school in between im not sure how its going tbh im happy there have been no tears yet

Yep, both DH and I working full time with a 2 year old and a 5 year old. I try to start work as early as possible, say 6-6.30, and then work as late as I can to make up for the constant interruptions. I have to account for a set number of hours per day. Feel like I'm doing half as much work but for twice as long in order to keep up so I never get a break.

We're both WFT with 3 kids at home, 8, 6 and 3. The oldest are no bother at all and we'd have an easy life right now if it was just them. Our youngest is harder of course so the girls help us and between all of us we manage... DH's work is a bit more flexible. Mine is currently v busy but should ease off in a week or two...
It's tiring!

Me. I'm teaching my year 6s online while attempting to do the work set for my 7 year old and entertain my 3 year old. DH is ambulance crew and on a lot of nights at the moment so him needing to sleep in our tiny house is adding to the stress. We're ok. Some hours are better than others but we're managing. I'm thankful that it's dry so the DC can go into the garden and run off some steam while I catch up with work. Then I do some work/play/activity with them and once they're set I have the laptop next to me and attempt to do both and repeat. By the end of the day we tend to have film time so I can make any calls etc the need doing when it's quiet.

I am working full time from home and home schooling my 9 year old. My day is full on overseeing a large piece of work which includes my own reviews, reviewing others work, pulling it all together, chasing stakeholders, following up queries, providing mi. feedback and recommendations for leadership etc whilst trying to set son tasks etc. Etc, knackered!

I wish people would get over the idea the only key workers and people they’re relying on at the moment work out of the house. I know plenty (me included) who are essential workers juggling massive and growing workloads but are expected to keep going from home. Or worse have been shamed into not using childcare. I’ve got preschoolers. I need to work a full day... I’m doing 12-14 hour days so already doing all the trite before wake up, after bedtime BS. DH is not essential and tries to pick up slack but also big workload and employers not cutting people a break. It’s all very well to trot out ‘work will just have to understand’ but when you know redundancies are likely coming down the line and you need the money slacking off doesn’t feel like a realistic option. We cope but the reality is kid doesn’t get any real attention all day and I worry about long term impact. But not much I can do.,,

Some stuff is so inappropriate for a child to hear I go work in the car as it was upsetting her too much when I could keep her out of the room