If you live on Greater Manchester and work, who is looking after your children?

[divafever99]

DH and I both work in healthcare, have worked throughout the lockdown and dc have been in the key worker class at school throughout. School now closed for the summer holidays, I have next week booked as annual leave, but after that I have no idea what we are going to do about childcare. Neither of us are able to take any more annual leave. Originally plan was for them to be looked after by my parents, but after last nights announcement this is no longer allowed. I've read the government guidance several times, and it appear my only options are a childminder or a nanny (neither of which I can afford or doubt I could find at a week's notice). If I was a single parent then my parents could look after them. I even joked to DH we should temporarily separate them I can form a support bubble! So what are my options? What is everyone else doing? I am sure there are many others in this situation, especially as more have now returned to the workplace. The government have not considered this at all.

It is utterly shit. I am self employed and basically am not working at all atm so luckily (?) I’m able to deal with them while dh works.
There are some holiday clubs around though-mainly outdoors and sporty.
A friend is at the end of her tether. She works from home but just can’t effectively do that and parent two children. Her husband was initially furloughed but is now back at work (out of the house). Her parents have been helping recently and she’s admitted to me that they will continue to do so because she doesn’t feel she has any other options.

Oh and other friends are being deliberately coy about how they’re going to manage- suspect a few will continue using parents. I don’t know the lie circumstances but I know some children who have been at grandparents regularly since the very beginning.

Thanks for your reply. I have seen a couple of holiday sports clubs but they tend to run 10am-3pm, so they would still need a considerable amount of wrap around care. Last week when I went to work was the first time my dc had entered my parent's house since lockdown began, and in preparation for this we had been so cautious, not going anywhere or meeting anyone apart from work. We have stuck to all the rules so far but I think we will have no choice but to break this one!

Honestly in your situation I would. I have decided I’m going to carry on seeing my parents (they live outside the zone) by going to their house. Not seeing the kids is so damaging to them. I’m so done with all this and have been so good the whole time. I don’t care if I get fined at this point! Just so cross at the government for making it so difficult for all of us and yet massive crowds at the pubs have definitely been the reason cases have increased in my area. Police have not been able to do anything apparently according to my copper friend and she now says that they still won’t be able to do anything despite lthe fact that we can only go to the pub with “household members”. What an absolute joke.

It is an absolute Joke! Seen on the news tonight the crowds sat outside pubs in Manchester! It's crazy to think that I could still get on a busy train, go out for food and drinks, come into contact with lots of people, but can't drop my dc off at the front door of my parents house.

I honestly think that the government realises this will have to happen they just hope that most families use paid childcare- which of course isn’t necessarily practical.
But they make you feel guilty/ like a criminal for doing so. It’s a disgrace!

@Frazzled2207
Your situation is completely different to that of the OP. What you want to do is completely unnecessary and could be done in a much lower risk manner without breaking the rules with minimal impact. Seriously just meet your parents in the local park at a social distance for the next few weeks rather than behaving so selfishly.

If you are both in health care can one of you work nights or weekends for the next few weeks, or shift your hours so that your overlapping hours can be entirely during those that holiday clubs are open?

Same situation here. Both NHS front line and rely on grandparents for care. Chriwt knows what we're going to do. No more annual leave to take and I've already arranged and rearranged shifts to fit. There's going to be 3 days in the next 3 weeks where we need 12 hour care which rules out any childminders (not that there's any spaces in the local area). Can't afford unpaid leave so we will be forced to just be criminals and risk the fine. I'm so angry that this hasn't even been thought of. I noticed on the government website it says that childcare can happen in outdoor public places so I guess spending 12 hours in the park may be an option

I would suggest anyone in this situation writes to their MP, explains their predicament and asks that family providing childcare to enable parents to work is made a recognised exception. And if the government is concerned at the extra social contacts that will result from that, it can restrict pub opening to compensate!

Thanks for the replies. Unfortunately moving our times of work isn't an option. DH manages a department which runs clinics and the department is open 9-5. I work in a community team 9-5. I emailed our local MP yesterday, and I am awaiting a reply. I did see on the government website I can let my parents take my children to the park for childcare, but I think doing this 8 hours a day everyday whilst I am at work is unrealistic (also, don't they realise it rains a lot up north!).

In your circumstances I would use grandparents regardless if they are happy. What choice do you have really. It will be ten times worse if one of you has to leave a job. I am sure many people will have to do this on the QT. At the end of the day needs must frankly.

I genuinely didn’t realise that Grandparent childcare was “allowed” under current guidelines anywhere. Can someone post a link?

Because if my belief is right, it’s all covered by Boris and Cummings’ common sense rule. In which case you can carry on...

It was clearly said by the govt and Dominic Cummings that it was right to ignore the rules if it's in the best interest of your family. If he can travel during the national lockdown when he knew he had the virus to be near his parents then I can't see you can be in trouble for still using your parents as cc.

Government guidance just says those that need childcare should use outdoor spaces like parks. But some valid points there, sending dc to grandparents is in the best interest of my family. The only other option is to leave my job, and we can't afford that. Not really an option anyway as I have been there so long I think my notice is 12 weeks.