Childcare Challenge :-)

[treedelivery]

Ok this is my case. DD1, 5, at school. DD2, 1, doing her thing. I have a DH who works, leaves 6.30am, home 6.30 pm.

I am a midwife. I will work 2x12 hour shifts, which I will recieve 2-6 weeks in advance.

Night shift - I will need childcare 6am to 6.30 pm.

Day Shift - 7am to 6.30 pm

Some weeks I will need two days a week, some one, some none - as I might be working weekends.

What do I do?

In the past I had set days, and granparents could manage it. Now the shift pattern in non negotiable and not predictable. I would love to be able to take this massive commitmant away from the gp's, who are in theri 70's.

ANy ideas? Is anyone prepared to mirror my working week at so little notice with such harsh hours?

This dilemma goes a loooooong way to explain the midiwfery staffing shortage.

Do you have the space to have somebody live in?

Not really, just a terrace and probably a good tine to mention I earn £15 per hour before tax. I have always assumed such things were for higher earners?

Cheers for answering

tine time

Well, I am not sure to be honest. We were looking at hiring a live out nanny and I think you can get tax credit help for childcare costs if your combined salary is under £60k.

I know how frustrating it is trying to get childcare to match your working hours especially when you'd rather look after your own children.

A friend of mine used to be a Sister at a hospital and was rostered onto night shifts. Her husband worked in a different specialism and somehow they managed the day care between them but it meant her going short of sleep and their children were a bit older than yours.

There are a few childminders in my area (south east) that start from 7am and work until 6 or 7pm. May be worth check out those in your area also?

See our combined salary is £35k. I just don't think we can afford to have both of us working

I am afraid to say I think you may be right....my friend gave up her nursing in hospitals in the end and went on to further training to be a community health visitor. It suits her much better because she studied whilst the kids were younger and now they are at school and she goes off to work through the day.

It is difficult trying to juggle it all!

I'm a nanny and I work ad-hoc hours, this was agreed at the interview, if they don't need me for a week I don't get paid, that's how it is.

If you're upfront when placing an ad, you might find someone who is interested in such a job ?

HI juneybean.

There is someone out there then!? Cheeky question, would I be able to afford you? In vauge terms I mean? My hourly rate is about £14-£15 per hour.

I'm from the north east lol so I'm considered cheap anyways!

I get paid £8 gross per hour which is slightly high for the area but this is taking into consideration the ad-hocy-ness lol

At the time I was working supply in a nursery so it suited me down to the groud as I just slotted nursery around my nanny hours.

I think you should advertise too. I have worked as a mother's help in the past and would consider such an arrangement. My children are older so can manage without me and I would quite enjoy the 'unpredictability' of such a job and it's not totally unpredictable if you get your shifts 2-6 weeks in advance.

OOOOo this is all quite encouraging. Would it be too painful to ask about the bit about having them in your home and ofstead? I'm sure it's been discussed many times but this is a whole new world for me. I have a friend who I think would consider helping me out. However, I would not be able to get the tax credits as this would not be a registered person. She's a natural though, and in a related profession. I'd be lucky to have her!

£8. SO I would loose half my pay before tax. I know you are worth every bloody penny. Public pay will be frozen for the next 100 years too probably.

Blarrrrdy ridiculous.

Gawd. It all sounds like stuff people earning twice our income do. I reckon I'll take home about £900 a month [although I don't know as haven't worked these hours or enhanced hours recently]. SOunds like I'll be giving a lot of it away. In return for having my babies well looked after of course. Wish I could just do it myself though

op, I have many friends who work in the NHS doing 12 hr shifts and they are all pulling their hair out with childcare worries

its so unfair, why on earth don't they accomodate parents and give them set shifts so they can make sensible arrangements? stupid they are

I hope you get something sorted, where are you?

Could you quit your job, and do bank shifts instead... only taking weekend shifts perhaps?

Have you considered a childminder, many offer overnight care.

tree am in a similar situation as my DH and I work for the police - opposite shifts, long hours not within the 9-5 spectrum

our lovely CM who did 2 different days a week depending on what we needed has given notice as she's giving up CMing completely but for the time we had her it worked and it worked well - you might be able to find a CM who would like to work part time/ad hoc and as long as the pay reflects the hours then it could work out

we're now going to have to do a mix of CM and nursery space for DD2 but I also advertised for a mothers help on Gumtree (its not widely used up here in the far reaches of Scotland) but I got two replies one of which sounds great and am going to get back in touch with her

as long as you're upfront with people from the beginning then hopefully the erratic/long hours shouldn't matter

good luck, its not easy is it

have you also remembered that (even if it is a short term solution) you can apply at work for flexible working hours - they have to justify NOT being able to accomodate you - for example a few of my tweaks here and there were denied for operational reasons but they had to explain why, they couldn't just say no

it might be cheaper in the long run to take a cut in your wages than pay for childcare - we've done that to some extent

I would certainly consider leaving and joining the bank and doing bank shifts that suit you maybe doing some community midwifery as well.

Have you considered working as a band 5 nurse within health visiting or school nursing teams as more family friendly hours then possibly the opportunity at a later date of a seconded place to do public health degree in either health visiting or school nursing and then get a band 6 job?

Childcare wise I would say you could get a nanny more likely a nanny with own children who children go to school in local area and you dont mind them bringing their child to work before and after school or a nanny with younger child who would bring child all day -or a nanny looking for first job so someone who works in a nursery who could then also do some bank nursery hrs around her nanny job for you - you would be looking at around £6-£8 gross an hr in any of these situations. Someone qualified which you should be looking at will be able to become ofsted registered (something you should offer to pay for really) and then you can use childcare vouchers to pay them.

ssd - The long shifts were part of the drive to provide continuity of care for women, plus loads of people do prefer them, for the days off. I've never been keen myself, as I find physically I am so tired.

I can't work in any ohter field as I do not have a nursing qualification, I did straight midwifery degree. WE don't have a bank either, we have a small unit and the nearest others are about 40-50 miles away. Odd but true!!

Good luck with the search dizzycringles!

WHole house have d&v so sorry for delay in reply!

Hi Treedelivery, oh I feel your pain!
I am also a midwife, my place of work is closing and I am being relocated to another site.
I presently do 3 evenings from 6-midnight that my Dh can cover easily.
I have two preschoolers and the new ward are refusing to guarantee me evening or mostly weekend shifts, which I can do.
I am presently researching options too.
I have just placed an ad on Gumtree for a part time nanny, variable days.
Will let you know how I get on, any luck at your end yet?
Its a pity they make it soooooooo difficult because I love my job and love working with families.
Good luck