Does anyone else have a job with random travel all over the place?

[RidgewayLass]

Here's my situation: I work part-time from home, as a professional in the building industry. Nice, right? Yep, except that my clients are all over England some elsewhere and the job involves meetings with loads of people and conferences etc.

I've got DD booked into a childminder 3 days school hours. But at least twice a month I really need to be working on one or more of the other two days and/or away from like 5am to 8pm.

I want to throw in the towel and do something dull but predictable. My business partners are refusing to let me go (they're friends and they are determined not to let me throw my career in the bin. I think they want my skills and knowledge too.)

But how the heck do you organise childcare for random travel? DH can't help as has own highly pressured job with long hours. I have zero, zip, none, no family backup whatsoever.

Any ideas? Or should I quit?

You need a wife! That's how my husband manages a job with random travel all over the place.

Or a nanny?

I do random travel - DH organises to be around when I am away for nursery pickup/dropoff, and if that isn't possible, then we pay one of the nursery staff to bring DS home and babysit until one of us gets back.

DS is in full time nursery, so I don't have to worry about which days I work though.

Have you asked the CM about flexible days and hours ?

Is it possible to ask the childminder whether they can do those hours for you on an ad-hoc basis

but also maybe have a local nanny who only works part time but does ad-hoc hours on the other days

that way you would have a couple of people to call on if needed.

you may pay a bit more as 5am isnt a nice start time and as its a very long day expect to pay a bit more

but as it would only be a couple of tmes a month not so much of a problem

alternatively if childminder could have your child 2 extra days a month for schools hours plus up until 8pm could you hire a nanny to do 5am-9am with them dropping child at the child minder.

think you would be looking to pay a nanny about £10-£12 net an hr for those unsociable hours for twice a month so around £100 a month.

plus the extra to the childminder -

does the etxra child care make it worth your while continuing in the business?

You get a nanny. Two parents with jobs with unpredictable hours requires a permanent back-up plan, and if you don't have willing and able grandparents available at the drop of a hat, you have to purchase a solution.

My DH is in the Navy - unpredictable in a big way. He is (or in the past has) often been away for up to 7 months. Two years ago he was given less than 48 hours notice to go away for 4 + months. At the time I wasn't working, but now I am (full time but predicatble hours - I am out from 7am to 6pm and work from home 1 day a week). We have an au pair. It is not perfect...but with occasional assistance from in laws (retired but live 2 hours away and quite elderly) we manage.

Think about age of children and whether you could have someone livign with you. NB We also pay full time nursery.

As a single dad with kids and random travel (not often but when it does happen can be at short notice), I need a child care option on tap so to speak. Like mum of 2quadzillionboys I have an au pair, if your kids are old enough and you can face the though of somebody living in your house it is an option to consider.

The nanny idea is the only one that makes sense to me. But DD is now settled in with the childminder, and I don't want to disrupt that relationship. Do nannies really do those odd hours here and there? How do you find them?

Round here any childminders seem to be absolutely booked up for months, as are all the nurseries. And there were a couple of both that I ran out of crying (okay, so I ran first and cried later.) Those places looked like orphanages - and they were recommended to me as being the best ones.

I think the pay for nannies is apalling, I can't get my head round paying someone less than me to look after my little girl.

Oh dear, I'm only convincing myself to be a SAHM.

Where do people put au pairs? Our house is teeny tiny - two and a half bedrooms, bathroom downstairs sort of in the kitchen.

I have to say that I think that part-time work with unpredictable hours is about the very worst scenario possible for arranging childcare - you don't earn a full-time wage but you need full-time cover.

Yes, the impression I'm getting is that most mums who make it work are those who have their own mum around (and it is always their mum, not their MIL).

Or their exH's new partner

Has your present childminder refused to do the unsocial aspect? If so, you may have to try and find a cm who will.
I have been very accomodating in The past for bus drivers/nurses etc and it's been a bit of give and take all round.
I appreciate not everyone works nine to five so am very flexible.
Try ringing a few cm's and asking. We don't bite!

Sally x

yes there are nannies who do those odd ad-hoc hours

I am a qualified childrens nurse and do night nanny and ad-hoc nanny and would willing do 5-8am (dropping at childminder at 8am) twice a month if dates were know the month before for the next month.

I am in east midlands though, not sure where you are based and I would be charging £12 an hr min as unsocial hours.

Thanks Lindsey Fox. I'm on the Ridgeway (Berkshire). But it's useful to know there are people who do those sort of hours.