Not paying for childcare this autumn as bills go up

[Essenceandvibes]

I've just had an epiphany.....I absolutely won't be paying a penny for childcare this autumn as bills increase and I won't be made to feel guilty about it either. I can work from home and watch my baby and pick up my 10 year old from school without the assistance of anyone else and if my employer has an issue with it, he can pay an extra £2000 per month post tax to cover the cost of full time help.

Our bills are going to be about £800 a month just electricity and gas alone for our detached 4 bed house, this isn't even thinking about the increase of petrol or groceries.

The mortgage has also gone up a few hundred quid too....childcare and commuting is now a luxury not necessity and I really hope every parent joins me in asking for employers like it or lump it

Shameful the government have let everything get this far, the knock on effects will be huge

if every parent did it....they wouldn't get rid of us all

They'd put pressure on the government to actually take their jobs seriously and sort out the energy infrastructure in this country

Except that every parent is going to do it are they? Maybe a few will but certainly not enough for companies to take notice. So what is more likely going to happen is you will lose your job from standards of your work not being good enough, or you'll lose the right to WFH, again resulting in you losing your job if you refuse. Therefore, you'll be in an even worse position when it comes to paying bills you already can't afford.

The cost of living is ridiculous just now, I get it, but there's other options than trying to wfh with a baby which may end up backfiring and putting you in a worse position financially

My employer would. They would just favour employing childless people

Surely this is a joke?

An employer is in no way responsible for an employee's decision to have children and the cost of childcare is something that should be factored in to that decision by the parent.

Nobody can effectively look after a baby / pre-school age child and work at the same time. Lockdown was different because there was no choice and employers had to make some allowance for it then, and it is definitely not something I would wish to repeat (very stressful!!). You need to find a job that you can work around childcare, not at the same time, if you don't want to pay for it.

Isn't going to do it *

You can always tell the colleagues who do this. It is absolutely fine (like in current workplace) if work allows this and you make up the time in other ways - my newish boss starts early, finishes on time (but for pick ups if needed) and has Fridays off.

But just sneaking off to drop off and collect kids and then not being at your desk, yet saying you're there full time, but you're not, that's dishonest.

I wish the colleagues of people who do this would stop doing the work for them so there would be some consequences. It's unfair on coworkers. I would resent the hell out of it.

They might not be bold enough to post it on Mumsnet for the boomers to judge

I very much doubt everyone on MN is 58+. A very large chunk of the users are still mums with young kids.

but you're deluded
Everything wrong with Brits

You do know you posted this on AIBU, right? You literally asked the people you are now insulting for giving their opinion.

Ah, it's a shame you can't find a 'boomer' to offer free childcare.

C'mon, Granny, step up to the plate!

But often badly

what your job op i might apply because i think there'll be an opening soon

i also dont need childcare

You’re absolutely not wrong OP.

My friend and I was just talking about how passive British people are. Raising the price of fuel - ‘okay we’ll just go along with it.’ Raising the price of energy - oh wow how are we going to afford this, a few posts on FB and then ‘okay we’ll just go along with it.’ And it goes on and on.

If everyone stopped paying or decided not to commute to work, things would have to change. The whole country is very sheeplike and people really need to open their eyes and wake up. I’d be doing the same thing OP but I’m currently on maternity leave.

All these ‘it’s not your employers fault’ comments. Do you think your employer cares about you but you’re here defending corporate companies on the internet? Please get a grip and take a stand for what’s right

Epiphany! 😁

If your bills are bad now I don't imagine they'll get much better when you are unemployed.

What an entitled attitude!

YABU

Sorry, who do you think you are? If it was this easy we all would be doing it

What would you do if the new PM decides that we all need to be back in the office full time though?

What do you mean? No one is going to make it illegal to wfh.

I don't agree with OP's plan, but I don't think this is a risky part of it.

I've just had an epiphany

We were led by a star
Or led by a bottle more like .

This isn't happening in my area, I'm a childminder and could fill my spaces 5 times over, as could all the other childminders, nanny's and nurseries.
If anything people are looking for more childcare as they're needing to work more hours.

Employers should have more flexibility to accomodate this sort of thing in a senisble way. I collect my kids from school some days, during work time. I am completely open about it, and me disappearing for 20 mins of my work day (that get made up for) is no different to someone who nips our for a casual lunch, a lunchtime exercise class or 5 smole breaks. It works completely fine and if anyone is up in arms about it, it's because they have a chip on their shoulder, not because it in any way impacts my work. Let's not confuse that with looking after a baby all day while you are meant to be working.

We were never all in the office full time in the first place.

If everyone stopped paying or decided not to commute to work, things would have to change. The whole country is very sheeplike and people really need to open their eyes and wake up.

So I'm a "sheep" because I continue to commute to my job on an NHS ward? 🤔

Do you realise that some of us don't have a choice because we can't wfh?! And if we did, we'd be abandoning really unwell people??

Seems to be a non issue though according to OP and some others. Presumably they won't mind if my colleagues and I just don't commute to work anymore then, and leave their family members to look after themselves in hospital.

Yep. My kids' childminder has the same experience at the moment, she's hugely in demand.

I get the frustration OP. But it isn't your employers fault and making it his problem isn't going to go well for you.

On my ward at least half of us are parents. So it wipes out a full staff team. I'm sure our child free colleagues will be alright picking up the slack for us as we join OP's protest. 👍🏻

Half a staff team that should be

Quite a lot of people managed it during lockdown.

Out of necessity and not without consequences.

Some employers were more sympathetic about workload and standards - that just won't wash now.
Women's careers were disproportionately negatively impacted and one major reason was the fact the were doing the vast majority of childcare.

It's also now safe, and I speak form experience. My little boy had a nasty fall because were were both trying to work and look after a child at the same time.