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)

At my school you could get a day leave for a childcare emergency.

Why is it always the women that have to sort it when it's the men who change the plans? What is he doing about it?

Ask the other nursery parents and say you will return the favour. I’m a teacher and I’ve seen parents engage in complicated arrangements for half days such as taking the child to a grandparent miles away the night before as they’ll be no one to collect at lunchtime. You’d want to help a struggling parent due to illness or bereavement etc as a one off so surely there must be one parent on the WhatsApp group who would do the same. It’s worth a try. Also ask nursery staff if they’d like a couple of hours extra pay to cover 12.30-4.30.

Could you ask one of the classroom assistants or lunch supervisors etc if they wanted a couple of hours pay to have your wee girl a couple of hours if there was one she liked etc?

Sorry, just read the updates that you are in secondary. Call in sick. It’s only one day.

Agree that it’s your DH to sort it out.

There are ad hoc babysitting services that he can use. Or ask if she can go home with a friend.

Or go in for the morning and take bad stomach pains at 12pm so you need to go home as you need toilet

My mum still used the term Baker Days up until she retired (not that long ago), but she's not in England, and I've not heard the term used in England. I've taught in England and it's very different to where I'm from.

Try care.com. I found a babysitter for a one off on there and she was great, you can read all their references and she came around to meet us before the night in question. I had to pay £10 I think to be able to contact people on there.

I used to do it in secondary (about 8 years ago!) Not often, but my head was a reasonable and kind man. If I had childcare issues, I could bring my kids in. Pretty sure my current head would allow it too - I’ve definitely seen staff with their kids with them at inset. Have you asked if you can bring her in?

Ha ha Baker Days started in the late 80s.

I have taught primary for 25+ years and I have never known a school allow a teacher to bring their preschooler into their classroom whilst they are working during term time!

This might be ridiculous and dependant on what subject you teach but could you turn it into a child development lesson, I remember a teacher doing this and im sure now as an adult it was for childcare issues. if not I'd phone in sick.

One of the nursery staff may do some private childcare if you ask.

Honestly find someone to pay. Don't endanger your career by lying (when it's not even your mess) while your dh advances his.
The plus of finding someone to pay for minding your dc is that you can probably use them again the next time something like this crops up.

Book a one off nanny from somewhere like sitters. Many corporate jobs offer access to a few emergency childcare sessions per year so check your DH’s benefits too.

Potentially ask your school? I'm a HOD in a secondary school and one of my team had to bring in her 2 girls when their primary school and nursery had a snow day and we were open. We gave them a colouring book and they sat in our office while their mum taught. It wasn't ideal but it meant she could actually come in!
If they say no, you'll have to take it as unpaid leave. Does your school offer any personal days? We get 5 a year for issues just like this.

Dont call in sick!!!! Tell them you simply have no childcare. That it is a one off that can't be avoided. They will probably assume your child is sick, just let them think that. I'm so jealous that youve made it to three without this issue!!

Try a local childminder ? Ask a mum from nursery ?

My primary school headteacher did it last year!

I don't understand why your husband can't do it? It's important financially that he works on Friday - okay, but can he not work extra evening or weekend hours rather than the Friday? Is the client insisting that he must be there on the Friday? Is he working from home?

It's not ideal but if WFH surely he could manage the afternoon and catch up in the evening when you're home. If it's simply a case of him needing to work extra hours, then he can catch up in the evening/weekend for the next couple of weeks.

I think you need to throw this back to him - he's caused the problem, tell him he needs to fix it.

It happened all the time in secondary when I was a teacher

Can you take a dependant’s day?
or do you have any gain time that you could swap with a colleague and pay them back next week? If not you might have to develop a stomach bug at lunchtime that’s been brewing from when you woke up, and book an IT room or make sure you’ve got something that can be set as cover planned and ready

Haven't read through the whole thread so apologies if already been mentioned but try the bubble sitter app. My colleague uses it all the time for these sorts of scenarios.

My school would grant the time off because they understand that sometimes these emergencies happen. They are human!