2 weeks on, 2 weeks off?

[Conchita]

Hi I'm a bewildered mum-to-be and would really appreciate your advice. Am pg with my first child at the moment, due in January, and as main breadwinner will need to return to work, prob FT, by 9 months. DH is a freelance worker and currently has one employer who uses him for last 2 weeks of every month. We've discussed him being SAHD for 2 weeks of each month but I can't find any reference to childminders who would take a baby on this basis (2 week block mon-fri). Just wondered if any childminders here would consider that arrangement? Also do you think for a baby that age that routine would work as well as a weekly PT arrangement or could it be confusing for them?

You just need to ring round a few childminders, what suits one may not suit another e.g. One may have a husband whose away for 2 weeks at a time so may be perfect for them, I wouldn't personally do it without some kind of retainer for the empty 2 weeks as I couldn't fill that space, or how about sending them for a few hours on a morning to keep up the routine? Try childcare.co.uk or childmindinghelp.co.uk or your local families information service will be able to give you a list (some have websites).

As a CM, I'd want a 50% retainer for the two unused weeks.

It would be pretty much impossible to take another child on who wanted the exact opposite weeks, so your child would effectively be taking up a full time Early Years space, and the only available under 1 space.

Even then, that might not be enough income to make it viable (from my own personal POV).

Have you considered a nanny share? It might offer you a bit more flexibility than a childminder would.

As a childminder I would consider doing this at I don't actually want to fill up all my places. I quite like having some days when I have no mindees. I do think it would be a little confusing for the baby but he/she would get used to it in time. I think it would be important for you and the childminder to have very similar house rules, particularly when the child is a little older, to keep things as consistent as possible.