Your childcare solutions if schools close again?

[forinborin]

Need thoughts please.

I am really panicking now about whether to hire a nanny from January in the light of a possible lockdown and schools closing. Starting a new project in a senior role from the beginning of Jan, will need to be switched on all the time - absolutely no chance it can be done with small children to be homeschooled and entertained in parallel if the school closes. With Christmas and new year, there's barely any time to find anyone. I lost my job before due to childcare responsibilities when schools closed in 2020, so a thought of something similar happening again just causes a panic attack.

If I hire someone though, it will be net negative to me (in terms of the cash flow), so probably will have to let go immediately once schools reopen (which also doesn't sound very fair).

What would you do?

@TheKeatingFive

Hire a nanny. I wouldn't worry about letting her go, the situation you yourself are in is appallingly unfair. What can you do?

For us, we'll probably mind a group of kids in each others houses one day a week to share the load. But I expect that wouldn't work for you as its a bit less reliable as a solution.

Just because you yourself are in a difficult situation doesn't mean you can justify screwing someone else over.

@BluebellsGreenbells

Schools are the main spreader. Hundreds of unvaccinated kids in one building? Softer to be in vaccinated groups down the pub.

Safer for who? Certainly not children

Just because you yourself are in a difficult situation doesn't mean you can justify screwing someone else over.

I'm sure the OP's priority will be keeping a roof over her children's heads and food on the table.

He won’t close schools OP. Unless the country literally collapses. There may be some short term closures while schools deal with outbreaks but not every school solidly for 3 months. It makes no sense & we’ve already had damming reports about how far behind children are because of the pandemic.

Teachers are vaccinated & boosted. They are as safe as they’ll ever be (although some take a very peculiar view on all that). Schools need to deal with outbreaks on an individual level and then carry back on when able. Our school had a huge outbreak in October. It was dealt with and two/three weeks later, we were back to normal.

I know this isn’t ideal for covid purposes but if needs must. What about advertising for someone who is a stay at home parent with similar age children to look after/support with school work. They may only want a temporary arrangement whilst schools are shut and they might even see it as a benefit for their children to have a couple of friends.

@Bobholll 'as safe as they'll ever be'. So utterly reassuring. Once again teachers should stop moaning about no ventilation or masks and just get ill. They are as safe as they'll ever be so just shut up. Your health means nothing to anyone.

I’m a single parent too. My plan is to contact staff who work at before /after school club and offer them to babysit during my work time.

Covid struck just as I was about to return to work after maternity leave. I decided to delay my return so I could home educate older DD. I then got a job delivering leaflets - and have completely scaled back on food/things I don’t really ‘need’/no alcohol/no eating out/take always/holidays etc. I’ve had to really scrimp, 2 adults/2 children in a 2 bed house - living room is doubling as a kitchen with fridge stuck in corner. Bloody hell I’m glad I did this. I got an email today asking again about returning to work. No - I’m really happy delivering my leaflets, and I’d be completely stressed out with my usual job/homeschool etc. I’m putting my return to work on hold until all this is over - or at least more manageable.

[quote mumsneedwine]@Bobholll 'as safe as they'll ever be'. So utterly reassuring. Once again teachers should stop moaning about no ventilation or masks and just get ill. They are as safe as they'll ever be so just shut up. Your health means nothing to anyone.
[/quote]
After watching little Arthur realise that no one was going to save him tbh I'm so fed up of teachers claiming they're the most vulnerable in our communities. Schools are as essential as hospitals and care homes and those are far more risky.

Hire a nanny. I wouldn't worry about letting her go, the situation you yourself are in is appallingly unfair. What can you do?

Erm, providing she's upfront about the short term nature of the situation, why on earth is it screwing the nanny over?

I don’t know any teachers in real life who take this attitude. My DDs own teacher is ECV and when I turned up to help read the last week of term she told the parent helpers to go against the rules & remove their masks. She said it was ridiculous & they we couldn’t support the kids properly wearing them. She then went off on a rant about how angry she’d be if schools closed again. Similarly, teacher friends say they feel as protected as they can be with vaccines. They don’t want to wear masks at all & constantly complain about having to have the windows open! These are all primary teachers. Secondary is arguably different maybe. And my friendship group is on the younger end, 30-40 mostly,

I’m not a teacher. I’ve had covid twice. Anyone can get it from anywhere! If you are vaccinated, you will be OK unless extremely vulnerable. & even then, it’s not a certain hospital sentence. Vaccines work. Teachers have had them. 🤷🏼‍♀️ (and I’m talking about the general population of teachers here, not those who may be very vulnerable).

Go through an agency or local Facebook group and hire someone on a temp basis.
Like a uni student?

During lockdown 1, student DNiece came to live with us. She had her own online classes, but also did a lot of babysitting for us. In later lockdowns she stayed in her uni town, and did some babysitting for a family from her church.

If you live in a uni town, I imagine it would be possible to find a student to babysit, not 9-5 but at least some hours to cover important meetings.

Don't know how to do the quote thing but I'm not sure where I said teachers have it worse than anyone else. It's a v common lie trotted out v often. All jobs that require any public interaction should have suitable working conditions - ventilation, screens, masks, an attempt at social distancing. That's all school staff have ever asked for, nothing more. My own children have worked in a supermarket and an ICU Covid ward during the pandemic and I'd also wanted them to have adequate protection (at the start they had neither).
It's so so v simple. Staff sick = schools closed. Staff healthy = schools open.
And also, staff feel they are valued = staff hang around to continue doing the job.