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)

This is what I'd suggest.

Hopefully you can use an agency this Friday?

But for longer term then it's worthwhile having some people you can call that would love a few hours ext cash. It's handy for the holidays too when you want a day or 2 off!

You can't do this in a secondary school...!!

Taking a day off sick for childcare issues is not gross misconduct.

I would ask around local daycare nurseries and childminders if they could have her for one day. Friday is a less popular day for childcare so they may have space.

Or might there be au pairs or after school nannies who are free from 12-3.45 ish? What time will you finish at your school? Harder to find, but you could try posting on local forums.

Your husband needs to sort this out. He will need to step up and sort something out.
The OP is a teacher why should she have to take the child to work, why can't he? He also wants his wife to call in sick, again why can't he.
He is acting as if his job is more important than yours, I would nip this in the bud.

Emergency childcare, back up care, childcare.co.uk, have a look on Facebook in your area for babysitters or childminders, look on your local council website for local childminders, ask local mums and dad's who babysits for them, ask local teens if they'd be interested in babysitting for ££.

I would defer back to your dh, he made the commitment and will just have to explain he is not available that day.

You can’t take a child into school with you these days . It is a H and S nightmare and isn’t allowed. Those days are long gone.

I’d find it easier to get someone to have her for the whole day ~ any chance parents could come or a helpful SAHM? Easier than the pick up scenario.

Can you find a colleague who would cover your final lessons on the afternoon? I was very lucky that mine covered for me and I reciprocated. Even members of SLT have covered for me in the past as they have little teaching..

Colleagues at my school had no compunction about taking time off for sick children. So I wouldn’t worry too much about calling in sick on the last day - it will be forgotten by September.

Tough one, as much as it’s rotten I’d call in sick that day. Let’s face it, we would all ask for flexibility, but for most chances are slim for working people that have responsibilities. Good luck.

I don’t get it. Youngest child so how old are others. Ask a parent. Any of them. You must have met people at some point. Makes no sense to me.

Request unpaid family leave - very difficult for them to say no to that

What would you call fraudulently claiming sick pay then? In any case the OP doesn't want to do that. It's her husband who's putting pressure on her.

It’s not gross misconduct to have a day off for carer’s leave. If your school follows the burgundy book you get up to 5 days carer’s leave a year. I had to take a day off because I couldn’t find any childcare at all. School were ok with it.

@Fluffyowl00 Exactly. It will just be unpaid.

It's gross misconduct to call in claiming you're sick if you aren't, and claiming sick pay.

My school still paid me so it’s worth explaining the situation

Could you ask on FB if there are any childminders available?

Maybe one of the nursery staff would agree to be paid to look after her for the afternoon (in your house) as a private arrangement?

Any sensible neighbours'/friends' kids that have just finished their Alevels or GCSEs and at a loose end, happy to earn some money, that could help you out?

I’d get your DH to ask any random parent tomorrow at drop off if there is a nursery WhatsApp group that him and you can be added to. If you are lucky someone will add you to the group quick. Then do a short intro in the group and then ask if anyone knows of any available baby sitters that might be able to help on Friday with emergency childcare

I work in a school and I've never heard of this in my life!

OP, don't ask, just tell them that you need to leave at X time.

Your DH needs to move his meeting, obviously. Can he WFH with DC? I know it’s frowned on but for half a day a TV/ipad babysitter would do the job!

Have you asked the head yet? I know our head will either say, take the time you need, or bring her/him in etc

I have to say, now you've said you've been using this Nursery for 7 years, I do find it fairly odd that you don't have any contacts you can't swap favours with.
I had originally assumed your 3 yr old was your eldest, or only dc.

I am really sorry, but why is this your problem to solve? Your DH was going to look after her - he has a new client, well, he can just see the new client at some point during the 13 weeks of school holidays when you are available for childcare.

Why is his job more important than yours? Is his DD that unimportant to him that he can't rearrange things to look after her? Are you that unimportant to him that he's happy for you to risk misconduct at work??

Fuck that. He sorts it out, or I would be divorcing him