Childcare bubble question

[LetMeBubble]

Hi all,

So I have two toddlers, no support form parents. Got a new part time job online, where I’m trying to prove myself so I can get a permanent position. Younger one is 1 and she wouldn’t cope without me.

Older one has the option to go to nursery. However he has a best friend his age who also her parents are cautious about sending her in at this time. Just like I don’t want to send mine. Her mother is a previous early years teacher in another country, and she is an only child. Both children have known each other since age 1 and played with each other everyday before lockdown.

Friend lives local. And she is trying to also looking into starting her own business. She doesn’t have family in the UK so has no support. Me and her both have DHs working very long hours from home.

We considered bubbling up for childcare. Where we take turns. However my younger one wouldn’t at all accept being left with her and her daughter wouldn’t accept being left with me. Only my 3 yo is happy to do so.

So what are my options? We originally met outdoors for walks, but it’s quite cold and also its not much help for me if I want to sort out work. Or for her.

I considered dropping my 3 yo to her house one hour everyday, I’m guessing that’s a safe arrangement? But I feel like it’s quite rude to not reciprocate. Are we allowed to have reciprocal childcare arrangement?

Is it at all not allowed for us to be in the same household sharing childcare duties? She is an early years teacher and I have experience in early years since I’ve taught 4-6 year olds and this could be a safe longer term option for me so that we don’t send in our kids to nursery and put them or anyone in unnecessary risk.

Further more, it would allow me and her to commit few hours a day to cooperate so that we can have a change at starting up business/applying for jobs.

I can even take my youngest and sit In a seperate room while she mind my oldest and youngest and then I take over when younger one naps so she can sort out her stuff?

My house is more able to accommodate 3 toddlers than hers and this is why this option of us being in the same household is much more convenient all way round.

Sorry her mother/my friend was an early years teacher and stopped work when she had her daughter. And I was working in something similar, and actually still am a part time organizer of an informal toddler group pre covid. And we work well together and have done pre covid.

For childcare bubbles, the adults can’t mix.

You can form a childcare bubble and look after each other’s children. But no the adults aren’t allowed to mix, you can’t be in the same room at all with them.

Was your 1 year old under one at the start of December?

Reciprocal childcare is technically not legal and there was a case of two mums getting in trouble for it but im not sure how likely that is to happen again

She turned one in October.

Unfortunately missed out on any support in her first year as she was 5 months old when we stArted Isolating (DH caught COVID in March from a colleague) and I was quite busy with an active and bored 2 year old that she is quite delayed in speech.

She also missed out on being qualified for any external support now by a month and a half.. so well into her second year if this continues.

It could really benefit me and her to have that time alone as well to focus on her. However I feel it is too much to ask of my friend if it’s not reciprocated.

Had a lot of plans to how to manage 2 under 2 before this COVID situation tipped the world over. I hope no one is judging me for saying that my 1 year old has not received the care she truly deserves by me, but I’ve been trying my very best to compensate.

You're allowed to have a childcare bubble as long as it's one other family consistently which it sounds like it is as long as the adults aren't mixing. Go for it