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)

Your husband has to solve it. He is capable of solving it. He is a resourceful and practical man.

Do any of your work colleagues have an older teenager who has finished exams or home from university that would babysit for you?

That’s because this is our third child. Our youngest started there 12 months ago and I genuinely don’t know any of the parents. There were very active WhatsApp groups for the older two but there aren’t for this year group.

There are some companies that provide childcare in an emergency like this. Google for your area. It will cost of course

I think bubble.com.and others offer one off sits but takes a while to arrange.

I would, ask at school if anyone knows someone, reliable who would look after her, TAs can be part-time, even the dinner ladies will be dbs and might be able to help?
Ask other teachers if they could cover your classes, but obs you'd return the favour in your Ppa time.
There must be some with spare time as some years are almost finished.

Ask the school what teaching agency they use, call them ask if they could provide someone, will cost mega but wth.

If you have to go sick, go sick Thursday, people will still know, but it won't harm your sick record particularly and will give you a bit of a break. Site stress 😩 as the cause.

Good luck.
What part of the country r u in? Maybe someone here has local knowledge.

Your H needs to rearrange his day or hire someone.

This is not a problem of your making.

Ask on local Facebook groups for recommendations for babysitters or use one of the websites like sitters.co.uk or childcare.co.uk

I used to have this problem sometimes when DH worked overseas and I'd get called into work with all my usual carers unavailable. You pay massively over the odds but if you don't want to call in sick then this is an option. Google "emergency childcare"

Then set up a WhatsApp group and ask nursery to share the link with other parents in case it happens again at Easter

It is gross misconduct to lie about why you are off.

telling them you need a day for childcare issues is different to phoning in sick.

Do you still have contact with those parents? Or the parents of children at your other dc's schools?

Exactly, well said. Honesty is a basic necessity

My solution to this was always to negotiate with colleagues to cover, on the understanding the favour would be returned, before asking for the time off. Easier if you're in a department with other parents, which may not be the case.

Even if your colleagues were willing, your employer still has the final say!

Explain you'll need Cover for the afternoon. Explain why. Don't say why your DH can't do it - just say that unfortunately he has an important appointment he can't miss.

Alternatively, does she not have any friends at Nursery who could have a playdate until 15:30 or so? I'd be fine helping out someone with this problem. You'd be amazed who is willing to help - especially for a one-off problem so it's worth asking. I can't believe you don't have any friends you could ask if you have two other children - could one of them not help out for a few hours?

Is she starting at primary school in the Autumn with her older siblings? Do they have any nursery provision or wrap around care that starts earlier for Reception kids? I'm assuming they are not at the private school or they'd all be finishing at lunchtime on Friday.

Feels very odd that with three children and two working parents you don't have any sort of babysitter you could call on in extremis. Who takes the hit when they are ill?

Honestly, I'd be off to sitters.com or similar. It will be ludicrous £25 per hr or similar but perhaps your husband will magically be able to pull the apt forward to the morning if it's going to cost £100.

Put a call out locally for a responsible student home for the holidays who might want to earn some money for the afternoon? You've got time to meet them first.

What did the client say when your husband said he couldn’t meet them because he was looking after his child?

My DIL has done that on the odd occasion. She teaches KS1 and her class have loved ‘looking after’ the little one.

Have you only just realised that the nursery shuts at 12.30?
If your husband really cannot rearrange the client and there isn't anyone at the nursery who could look after the child, I'd think you have to be honest with your employer - they can't expect you to leave the child uncared for. They might ask why you didn't sort this out sooner though.
You could pay for cover for the afternoon if necessary?

Well, OP had it sobrted, tbf. It's the child's father who has reneged on caring for his child that afternoon, so the solutions are in his hands. If really imposdible for him to work for an afternoon with her in tow then OP neexs to request an afternoon's carer leave, paid or unpaid will be up to her employer. Most reasonable employers allow a certain amount of carer leave pa for genuine emergency caring responsibilities, children, adults alike.

*sorted