To think part-time working parents are vulnerable now?

[EffYouSeeKaye]

If you rely on grandparents for free childcare while you work? Particularly in education / NHS and similar lower pay scale jobs.

Because for many of us, it’s just not worth the money by the time you’ve paid nursery or other childcare fees.

I’m worried about the impact being greater on working women in particular here. Is your career now in the balance because of Covid preventing you using your parents to help you out?

I realise I sound like a journo here - I’m not! I work in education and know of colleagues who can’t return in September for this reason.

YABU: My part-time career is unaffected by switching to paid childcare.

YANBU: I have decided to quit my job because of this issue.

[EffYouSeeKaye]

Preschool childcare is certainly where the £££ is, so I’m sure that’s a factor.

Very interested by those saying ‘but you split costs with your partner / pay a proportional cost’ etc.

Okay. But say A earns £3,500 pcm and B earns £1000. New childcare costs are now £800/900 pcm. B (the classic 2nd income, likely female) may well decide to quit.

That’s what I’m getting at. The fallout of covid for part-time 2nd income workers.

People who have always paid for childcare aren’t really relevant to this question. Nor is how you split costs with your partner. The only incentive to keep working in this scenario that I can see is ‘keeping your hand in‘ if there is a long term future career involved. Which is completely valid. Or if you don’t care about the money and just want out of the house.

[StillCounting123]

I think also a lot of grandparents (generally grans) are going to feel pressured to do childcare due to money worries of their adult DC.

It's all a terrible muddle.

[museumum]

I would never decide it “wasn’t worth it” unless I was actively losing money by working. I like my work but I also like my pension and having child free adult time.

[hammeringinmyhead]

Well, yes, me too, but if I was still working in a customer service role and getting yelled at all day like I was 10 years ago, I'd probably feel differently.

[Grasspigeons]

This is an issue for parents of children with SEN in particular all the time but this might tio even more families off balance. Paid childcare basically doesnt exist for my son or his peers at school. You can bid for a day here and there at a charity play scheme but thats it. Nearly all the families have a stay at home parent or a parent working very part time and those that manage more hours rely on grandparents.

[Silversun83]

Work three days a week and have always had to pay for childcare

[Eskarina1]

I have always paid for childcare but now with schools potentially part time and no after school or breakfast club, I feel like a full time higher paid role and a nanny is more viable. As my husband is facing redundancy and unlikely to get a new job (paying enough to justify working for us) for some considerable time we may be switching roles anyway.

[Merryoldgoat]

Very interested by those saying ‘but you split costs with your partner / pay a proportional cost’ etc.

This always comes up on MN and it’s daft. Yes, absolutely childcare should be a joint cost like all bills, but if net gain is small coupled with the hassle then of course it’s a legitimate decision to not work (strictly from a financial perspective).

I work part time and hate the rushing back and forward for pick ups etc - it makes me anxious and I feel harassed a lot of the time. However the net gain is significant so it’s worth it. To do all that to be £200 ‘up’? Nah.

You’re right OP. Many women will feel it’s not worthwhile.

[SuperMumTum]

I'm a single parent, part time hours, 2 primary school aged kids. Have never used family for childcare in term time - the occasional day or 2 in the holidays but only at grandparents request. But I guess my salary is enough to afford childcare and it still be worth me working. Not all women on part time hours are low skilled/low paid.

[blackcat86]

We will have no choice but to create a social bubble with grandparents. Grandparents are young and really wanting to do 1 or 2 days a week. I work 3 days, DH is FT. My job is senior but our salaries match ish due to my drop in hours. We were using nursery for 1.5days for ease, socialisation and because I wasnt overly happy with some aspects of childcare from 1 set of GPs (no safety issues but wanting to use star charts with a 1 year old). I am shielding so we will not send DD back to nursery at the moment if not shielding feels like has been for nothing. She cant social distance and I'm not staying inside for 3 months for my 2 year old to go and lick the nearest toddler on day 1. We are very lucky to have keen GPs. WFH with a toddler has been hellish and predominately affected me as primary parent and the one DD is more used to. As a sheidling parent I do feel it puts my job at risk or that I'll be asked to take risks to my health to keep my job once my shield ends.

[Batmanandbobbin]

I work full time in education and don’t get much more than £1000 a month . I have one in wrap around care around school, the other At a childminder. If it wasn’t for the fact I’m in education, in a school I love, I wouldn’t have gone back - the £800 we pay in childcare each month would not be worth it. BUT we do look at it as a short term loss for job satisfaction long term gain and all holidays (bar 4 teaching training days) I’m off. If I left now I wouldn’t get a job there again for many moons, I should imagine, staff retention is very high.

[user1487194234]

This always comes up on MN and it’s daft. Yes, absolutely childcare should be a joint cost like all bills, but if net gain is small coupled with the hassle then of course it’s a legitimate decision to not work (strictly from a financial perspective
Totally get that but long term it can be a mistake
Have seen so many women give up work at this stage and find it difficult/impossible to get back at anything like the same level

[Pepperwort]

I've never had access to free childcare through family. Must be nice not to have to consider it all the time and be free to work wherever you like. Childcare is a joint cost in theory, but in practice if it is more than one person's wages there's no real choice.

[Purpleartichoke]

Even though I work part-time, I have always paid for child care. Grandparents are great emergency backups, but they don’t want to provide daily care and frankly I don’t want them to either. The other people I know who work part-time use paid child care as well.

[Merryoldgoat]

@ user1487194234

As I said it can make strictly from a financial perspective.

But I terms of career prospects etc yes of course it makes sense.

It’s never been an issue for me as I have a job which can be done at a reasonably senior level part time so it was an easy decision but it wouldn’t be for some.

[EffYouSeeKaye]

Childcare is a joint cost in theory, but in practice if it is more than one person's wages there's no real choice.

Yes, exactly Pepper.

Just to clarify, (again):
-I do understand that not all part time jobs are low paid and easily justify the associated childcare costs

-I do understand that lots of us (myself included) pay for our childcare.

Neither of these points are relevant to the question in my op, which is asking about the fallout for lower paid part time workers who previously used free grandparent childcare

[Pepperwort]

There was a thread before about how women are taking the brunt and being pushed out of the workplace again. It's an issue that's not going to go away until children are accepted as natural, men take equal responsibility for their existence, and / or until the very richest stop treating us all as grist to the mill of capitalism.