Any teachers out there with one-off childcare issues? Really need some advice please.

[flowergirl24]

My youngest daughter (aged 3) is in nursery, attached to a private school.

Term ends this Friday- at 12:30 (!) which is obviously half way through my working day.

I teach in the state sector and our agreed plan was that DH covers the 2 weeks until I break up for the holidays and then I take over for the rest of the holidays. He was happy with this (sorted ages ago)

But now he has a new client, and it’s very important to him financially that he works on Friday.

What the heck do I do now? We have no family who can help. No friends as all ours work and don’t live anywhere near our village. I’m panicking about Friday as we’ve both got to work and the nursery shuts at 12:30 (no exceptions- I’ve already asked)

Call in sick that day

Could you switch PPA that week so it's the Friday afternoon?

He has created this situation. What is he doing to sort it out?

Any little friends from the nursery who could have her for a playdate you can reciprocate over the holidays?

Do you have any friends at the nursery who you could ask a favour from?

Babysitter? Someone might be able to pick up from the nursery. Is it also an issue for the 2 weeks or just this Friday afternoon?

You'll have to take parental leave and ask your employer that you only take it for the 1 day rather than the full week as stipulated by the gov website.

Aren't you legally entitled to carers leave (or whatever it's called) as a parent? - it's unpaid potentially.

@TrappedPotatoes this is what I’m thinking, but I don’t feel good about it at all.

I’m also worried that if I ask my school in advance to leave at 12:00 on Friday and they say no, I’m really screwed then because taking a sick day will look terrible.

Do you teach primary? Could you take her in with you? In my school we'd rather you do that than call in sick. Or the PPA suggestion.

No, I can’t. I’m secondary so it’s all fixed lessons.

Would someone who works at the nursery take her in a private babysitting arrangement?

or pick her up & bring her back to school with you? (Far from ideal as she’s so little but for a one off might work.)

What does DH suggest? It is a joint problem after all.

I've been in this situation. Suggestions above are good, definitely do that first.
Then unfortunately I had to call in sick. There was nothing else I could do.

Sounds like the nursery isn’t suitable, why don’t u use a childminder.

Any childminders that collect other children from the nursery? I would do this as a one off.

This falls in "his" time so do make sure he is making efforts to sort this.
If you're in any kind of WhatsApp group for parents ask there. Or try to get a childminder for that afternoon (local Facebook groups to request help for that).

You need a babysitter. Do any of your friends have a college age kid?

Would they really say no? I wouldn’t ask, I’d just say I have to go as there’s no alternative. Just like if she was ill. Just say up front you realise it will be unpaid. Ideally see if you can find a colleague who’d cover you so you go with a solution.

The early finishes are so annoying. If arranging a playdate or babysitter is out of the question, at this point in the year I would just call in sick. Or go home sick at lunch time that day.

Bring her to school with you, park her with an ipad and a mini whiteboard and some markers, no doubt there will be lots of students happy to make a fuss of her!

I wish I could, but it’s not the done thing in secondary.

I was honesty flabbergasted the first time I saw a primary school teacher with their own child in school whilst teaching. It’s great for them, obviously, but I’ve never seen it happen in secondary.

It's not an unavoidable or emergency absence though - I mean, it would be good if school let you go but you have to at least try to find an alternative.

Firstly, this is actually your partner’s issue to solve as it’s in ‘his’ time but I appreciate it has fallen to you. As a one off could you use an app like bubble? Or a nursery worker from the nursery might want some extra hours if their policy allows it- some do, some don’t. You should be allowed to take unpaid parental leave but I can’t remember what the rules are about how much notice you have to give. Being a teacher is so hard in these situations.

Ha! If only it were that easy.

What did you do before she went to nursery attached to a school? Could you ask that she goes back there for a day?