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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

If you work FT...

116 replies

kravestix · 21/08/2021 08:36

What do you do with your kids?

I have a three year old starting school next September. I've been looking at FT jobs but coming up blank about what to do with my child. There's school holidays and once he starts School, the school day is much shorter than FT jobs which typically finish between 5pm and 6pm.

So what do people do with their kids?

OP posts:
sweetmacadamia · 21/08/2021 09:03

I had to stop working as childcare was too much when they started school and I have no family. After two years of searching I found a low paid wfh office job and dc now stay home while I wfh.

They sit near me while I work and I set them maths and english work or colouring in the morning just to break down the day, we usually have lunch together outside and then in the afternoon they play or watch tv. Just getting through it I suppose.

Maximum71 · 21/08/2021 09:05

@kravestix
It's awful and it will always be a struggle. God knows how we all manage it when we have no family nearby - but you just have to.. even when your child is begging not to go to childcare.. fekking awful being a FT working parent sometimes- it broke my heart.
But I needed to pay my modest mortgage- renting a house would have been double the price- and buy food. I was the breadwinner so I didn't work for the luxury stuff - I worked to survive.
You will find a way. Maybe find other parents from school who would like to share childcare at either homes?
Good luck x

MaverickDanger · 21/08/2021 09:06

Pay for 8-6 childcare and one parent start earlier and the other finish later.

Retrain for a job that pays more than min wage to allow for you to boost your economic worth and more than cover the childcare.

Work a min wage job but evenings and weekends to allow for the other parent to look after the child.

A few options really.

Slayduggee · 21/08/2021 09:08

I’m lucky in that I’ve got a job where I can WFH. When DD goes to school I’m planning to drop at breakfast club at 7:40. Start work at 8am and finish at 3pm so I can then pick DD up from school. School holidays will have to be a mix of me taking holiday plus holiday clubs

Sarah180818 · 21/08/2021 09:11

We pay for before and after school club. Holidays are usually okay as we are both teachers but out children's school have a holiday club for children whose parents do work in the holidays

Handsnotwands · 21/08/2021 09:12

It’s an expensive nightmare. We use a mix of wrap around care (once they’re at school), flexitime which we’re lucky to have available, we do a regular childcare swap with friends, holiday camp / odd days with family in the holidays and use all our holiday allowance covering school hols back to back, so we’ve not actually had more than the odd weekend off together for years. It’s hard. And expensive. But thankfully temporary, just while they’re at primary school.

cricketmum84 · 21/08/2021 09:14

I'm so glad my DC are older now and don't need childcare. It's such a juggle and very stressful!

We used a mixture of a childminder and retired in laws plus breakfast club with youngest DD. School hols were stressful though as I had to take leave for the 2 august weeks that in laws like to go on holiday for. And they wouldn't tell us the exact dates until a week before as they always booked last minute. Not great when you work in a small department and everyone has already booked the school holidays up.

A job in a school is a good shout as then you won't need to worry about the holidays as much. I have a friend who retrained as a classroom assistant when she had DC. It's not the most well paid job in the world but she loves it and she gets the school holidays off.

wedwewerpink · 21/08/2021 09:15

For school holidays I use a mix of
Annual leave
Parental leave
Camps/clubs and my parents.

idontlikealdi · 21/08/2021 09:19

You spin plates to make it work.

We had a mixture of holiday clubs, activity clubs, grandparents, childminder.

Booboosweet · 21/08/2021 09:23

Wrap around care. I drop her at 7 and she's taken to school. Then she's collected at half two and I come and collect her around five. It costs 200 euro a week.

MagnoliaBeige · 21/08/2021 09:23

The obvious answer is childcare - childminder, nursery, wraparound clubs, holiday clubs, family helping out etc. Alternatives are becoming a childminder so you can get paid to look after other people’s children whilst looking after your own or a reciprocal agreement with a friend with a different working pattern to your own.

It’s tough and expensive, good luck!

Thereareliterallynonamesleft · 21/08/2021 09:24

When you look at primary options, make sure you check what wraparound care is offered - some schools don’t offer any, or only till around 4. Also, if you look on websites like childcare.co.uk, childminders often say what local schools they do pick ups from.

Camandmitch · 21/08/2021 09:27

Before and after school club here plus holiday clubs. No family help. Friends happy to help but I only call on them in an absolute emergency.

The problem in my area is that there are very few childminders, mostly nannies who are too expensive. I use the before and after school club but it finishes at 5.30 so I have to leave work at 4pm to be able to get back so I'm not quite full time

Lemonsyellow · 21/08/2021 09:34

I had to cut my days down to four full time days instead of five, but I worked shorter days over five days. This meant I could pick up from school. I also at various times had a childminder and a nursery. I used holiday clubs when the DC were at primary school. Our families lived too far away to help.

HandScreen · 21/08/2021 09:39

After school club, obviously.

BarbaraofSeville · 21/08/2021 09:40

I realise that's what a lot of people do, obviously hmm but it's expensive and a FT minimum wage job if paying out for childcare is crap

If you're on a low wage you get extra universal credit to help with the cost. If you have a partner, you could try and work different hours to reduce the amount of childcare required and both take equal share of pick ups, drop offs, holidays and sick days.

It's harder if you're a single parent obviously, but read the UC rules carefully, because you get more help if you meet the minimum hours requirements.

HandScreen · 21/08/2021 09:41

After school club is around £8 per day, including snack, and you get 20% of this back from government.

mrsbitaly · 21/08/2021 09:42

Many childminders do a pickup from school and look after them until you finish. Some schools offer after school wraparound care.

Holidays- nightmare as obviously you won't have enough holiday allowance to cover all holidays so childcare for holidays like a childminder and help from friends family. Remember many childcare settings don't operate on Bank Holidays so you'll need to book them off and many childminders take their own holidays during this time.

It is really hard but my advice is to plan well ahead as I left my summer holiday childcare quite late resulting in it being extremely difficult to find anyone.

idontlikealdi · 21/08/2021 09:43

@HandScreen

After school club is around £8 per day, including snack, and you get 20% of this back from government.
Ours is £15, £8 for breakfast club. It depends where you are.
CazM2012 · 21/08/2021 09:46

Having the same issue myself, youngest starts school in September, wrap around care has shut down at the DC school, no childminders collect from there and no family help (when I say none I mean none) DH works shifts and can not rely on for school runs. Atm I’m looking at school hours jobs (in a school basically lunch time supervisor etc) and I’m 1/2 years off completing a degree with the OU so I can do my teacher training still trying to work that out for when we get there. It’s not always easy, but when looking for your school for next year try and get a feel for how stable the wrap around care etc is.

Merryoldgoat · 21/08/2021 09:51

Childminder for that age. If you get one who does school pick up it’s easier.

You’ll also get some funding once they turn 3.

It’s not easy when on low wages and it’s disingenuous to say otherwise.

I have been lucky enough to earn decent money and have family assistance.

If a parent can help it’s a massive assistance.

Shergill15 · 21/08/2021 09:51

It is a juggle! I'm 30 hours a week so off one weekday. The others, DD (6) goes to breakfast club at 7.30 and they take her to school. Then link club, they pick up her up from school and she's there til 6. Its £15 a day - 5 for the morning and 10 for after school. I do feel guilty as it's a long day for her but I have to work to keep us housed/fed etc and I don't have anyone willing or able to do regular free childcare. I use annual leave and holiday clubs to cover the holidays - maybe some parental leave if needed for the Summer.

Childcare can be expensive but only you will know if it makes sense financially for you to work ft, pt or to stay at home.

MagnoliaBeige · 21/08/2021 09:53

@HandScreen

After school club, obviously.
It’s not obvious if the school doesn’t offer them! My friend can’t use their local school for her children as the school doesn’t offer one.
Original poster
kravestix · 21/08/2021 09:57

Just googled the school he's supposed to start next year and the after school club is only until 4:15! Would need until 5:30. Ugh! Another school in the area does until 5:30 at £7 a Session but the school isn't as good annoyingly.

OP posts:
LeoTimmyandVi · 21/08/2021 09:59

You can get before and after school and holiday childminders too - they may be able to offer more flexibility with start and finish times too Smile

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