how far would you travel for childcare bubble?

[bubbledilema]

DH and I both work full time from home. We have a reception age DC at home, and a 2YO DC who attends nursery 3 days a week (no more capacity for non-keyworkers but we are very grateful for the 3 days). Both our jobs very long hours and we've been getting help from a local family member until recently. That bubble has now ended due to their personal circs and we are really desperate trying to juggle work with the kids at home. My parents live 400 miles away and are able to provide childcare - they have offered what we can go and stay with them for a few weeks to ease the pressure and then it wont be long before schools hopefully reopen. are we allowed to travel this far and do you think its reasonable or should we just suck it up and manage like many others have to do?

I was at breaking point yesterday after a stressful day at work so we were ready to pack the car but I feel calmer today and we will discuss this evening. obviously would need to take 2YO out of nursery for a few weeks, and my parents would take care of both. Mum works 8 hours per week so we would still need to juggle when she is worjking

Suck it up and manage.

I would go!if you can wfh then why wouldn't you go to your mums

How much space is there at your mums for both of you to wfh and children to be entertained? That would be the only thing that would put me off if I was exchanging one set of challenges for another. Also will your children be happy to be looked after and let you get on with your work? Or would they still want their parents? Overall what you're suggesting isn't against the rules if you're planning to stay long term but I'm wondering if it will be as positive as it's looking at the moment

London to barnard Castle is 253 miles so as a bench Mark I would say this is absolutely fine.. in fact my DM had offered to have DD for a few days at some point to give us a break - theyre 90 miles away so we will drop off and come home probably and collect a few days later but I did wonder about leaving dh behind and staying.. anything that helps out given the nightmare of working and schooling at the moment.

Thanks! I'm confident the children would be happy to be looked after by grandparents without interrupting us!
We would have less space to work so that is a challenge to consider.

Need to factor in childcare bubble involves no socialising between the adults

You’d have to drop the children off, the adults are not supposed to socialise so you can’t stay with them but the children can.

I would maybe go for a week. But longer than that won’t it be a bit much OP?

Surely it won’t be a bubble if they’re bc all staying there? They’ll become one household. Sounds fine to me. If the offer is genuine and you think it would be less stressful for everyone I’d do it.

It won't be a childcare bubble, you will just become one household, if there is space i think it makes sense. Do it until march 8 when lockdown should start easing and hopeully kids will be going back to school so you can go back home if you choose

Yabu 🙄 imagine of we all did that.