Free Childcare

[viviswicked]

Mulling over a comment on another thread regarding WFH and thought I would see how forthcoming people would be on an anonymous forum...

Those who are working from home has this been the opportunity to now have 'free childcare' no wraparound, no childminder etc needed as you are now always in the home.

Full disclosure this does not directly affect me due to children being older, I work hybrid and it's entirely up to me when and if I go into the office. My direct team do not have young children but I am part of a large organisation, many of the staff do have children and are not using childcare.

I hope that the flexibility has made working parents lives easier.
I spent decades turning myself inside out. Kids once they were 8 or do did not like afterschool clubs, holiday clubs. They had no choice until they 10 plus. As a business, we avoid meetings from 2.45 til 4.00.

A new colleague at my work is indeed using WFH as free childcare for 2 x young primary DCs. And I can’t tell you how much it’s pissing me off. I’ve experienced and others have mentioned:

• can be heard making their tea in phone calls
• will stop the call they’re having with you to speak to the kids
• has asked for teams meetings to be moved because the kids will be making noise
• does 2 x school runs, doesn’t evidently make the time up
• Most emails after 3:30 will be sent from their iPhone

i think the thing that grinds my gears is how they thinks it’s normal and acceptable. But I don’t know if actually there’s any reason to raise complaint about it? I suspect I’m just bitter.

Officially it's not allowed at my work if children are primary age or younger, unofficially they will turn a blind eye in an emergency. In practice it's fine with my year 6 child ( though he chose to still go to holiday club), I cannot work with my year 2 child around ( and nearly had a breakdown trying during lockdown )

No. Not at all. But it allows me to be there for my kid when the work is all over as opposed to be chained to the stove or the washing machine

Mind you my kid is only 2 years old

Can I ask, would you find these acceptable if the work is done and she’s done it well? Because I do the same. And I’m bloody good at what I do

We've kept my primary age kids in after school club. They're old enough to not need entertaining but DH would have to go collect them from school (I'm at the office). If we didn't he would need to spend 30 mins collecting them and arrange meetings around the school run. We've not considered it as a possibility to be honest.

We have however done the odd inset day where DH is wfh and had the kids as there's usually no holiday club available. I do have parents that are keen to help for that kind of thing though and you obviously get a good amount of warning.

There are odd days during the holidays where my 8yo doesn't go to holiday club. She's very self sufficient but DH and I can cover her needs between us. In theory I could see people in my position taking a break to collect the kids after school (5 & 8) and sticking the TV on, but I much prefer being available to them at that time.

I don't WFH and when I did I was terrible at it, I need a now, then type of pattern to Work effectively.

my husband WFH and it has given us freedom to elt me take a job with a commute and always be sure he can be at nursery for drop and collect. He's a mile from nursery so can work a bit late and still be there before 6. It's also allowed him to pick up a sick kid a couple of times, ours are 1 and 5. He has been able to collect, bring home, and either let work know he needed a few hours and work back in the evening or more often take an hour back while he waits for his mum to get here to have the child until he finishes work. When our son was in hospital for a week it gave him freedom to drop the baby at nursery and then come to the hospital and work from our son's room so I wasn't alone and he could grab us snacks and let me get toilet breaks etc (couldn't leave son unattended due to seizure meds)

its been great for us, it wasn't useful during lockdown when there was no childcare available at all and it hasn't save childcare costs but has reduced some time constraint stresses and given us flexibility.

Oh I should add he's an extremely self motivated WFH type, logs on bang on 8.30am, works back everyinute he takes off for child related stuff etc, he does IT so about 30% of his role doesn't need to be done specifically in business hours hence that flexibility

Yes because our dc are old enough to not disturb, can make their own sandwich etc but need an adult to be around because leaving them home all day wouldn’t be seen as acceptable - they’re both 11 now but this obviously started when they were 9 in 2020 and the cm resigned. it was forced on us but has saved a lot of money in after school care.

We do arrange clubs for them in the holidays but a few days home with dh wfh is fine. Totally different to a five year old. We also have a 14 yo and she can babysit but not fair all day.

No, my DS is 14 months old - absolutely impossible.

It also helps cover when dc are sick. Dh is in a senior role and has great performance, never misses meetings or gets interrupted presenting (except when he was home schooling in 2020 - seriously he’s a hero).

Yes honestly I think its fantastic. Perfect homelife balance. Wfh 2 days a week and pick my ten year old from school (across the road) and carry on working after Ive picked him up.

Huh? Ask 100 kids what they would prefer I guarentee you most (not all) would prefer to be at home then afterschool care. Who are you sad for? What do you feel it is awful?

Absolutely this. I had to put in full time hours with a toddler (15 months at the start of lockdown) so if I did it them to suit my employer I can occasionally do it now to suit me. Fortunately my boss doesn't care, and is happy with my productivity

I work full-time with 2 or 3 days a week at home. DP works full-time, mostly from home. DS is 2 and at nursery full-time. I can see a time in the future, but not for years yet, where we might nip out to collect him from school and he can entertain himself at home for a couple of hours while we finish up. But at 2 years old - no way - not possible.

I think it depends - quite a few of the people at DH's work go and pick their kids up from school and then come back to meetings whilst they have a snack/do homework etc. They're usually about 7 or older though, and DH's work support it as productivity has increased massively - before people were leaving at 3 to pick up kids and then finishing for the day, whereas now they pop out for 20/30mins and come back until 5.

I wfh
Pre school is too costly to send any longer. But is funded soon.
So i have dc with me.
BUT i can choose my hours, the amount of hours and when i do them. As long as the work is done.
Once funded i may do more hours unless life gets in the way as have lots of renovation to get done

I know someone who is about to return to work and is wfh 2 of those days with no childcare. Baby is 8 months old. I just can't see how this will work, it so unfair to her DC.

I would love to know the jobs people have that they can work from home and still deliver their job!!! I work from home and it’s made a huge difference since I’ve had a baby as there is no commute. I work on average 50-60hrs a week. It’s meant I can do drop offs in the morning, and get my work done. Still have to do a bit in the evening after bed time, but it’s been a life saver for bother me and my husband. Not sure how we would have coped without it.

It was my boss that suggested it to me! There's a few in the team that have the kids home after school. I wasn't going to but then thought I'd try it, especially seeing as my boss suggested it!

I pick up my 5yr old at 3pm and have her with me until I finish about 5pm. I use my lunch break to pick her up and then get her sorted with a drink and snack. She usually goes on her iPad, does some homework or starts doing gymnastics in the living room while shouting at me to watch 😆 Mostly she's fine but occasionally is a pest. Youngest is at nursery I cld not have her at home, I'd get nothing done!

I don't think it will work when my youngest starts school too. They fight too much. I might have to up my days to 4 and do school hours instead or consider after school care for the 3 days. My work wld also consider letting me split my work day and do a few hrs in the evening instead. I'll need to weigh it all up when the time comes.

I do one day a week from home with DS with me. However, it's a favour to work and they know and are fine with me fitting in the hours over my 4 days at home with DS. I could not do my other 3 days all from home with him there with me because I'd get nothing done and end up just working all evening every evening after he's gone to bed.

Yep - 2 children primary age, walk themselves to school, they leave 8.40am I log on at 8.45am (we live in very small village)
They arrive home 3.30pm, wave at me, grab themselves a snack and head to get changed/watch tv. I log off at 4pm and usual afterschool activity rush begins.
I no longer require any wrap around care and it is awesome! And I still maintain a high work ethic and am career focussed. Win win in our house!

As a single parent in a flat with a 5yo and 1.5yo, absolutely no chance.