Entertaining a 13 month old whilst working from home

[Mummysparrow]

My childminder is on holiday for 2 and a half weeks in August and despite my best attempts I have only managed to arrange childcare for 5 of those days with another childminder. All childminders local to me are either fully booked or have holiday in August as well (or both). Not family close by to help and I was hoping to get my 18 year sister to help for a few days (as she loves babysitting her nieces and nephews) but she has recently got a boyfriend so no longer interested in helping.
I work from home a few days a week and few days in office. Hubby is going to work from home when he can (mainly when I am in office) so we have no choice to have her at home whilst we work.
Any suggestions on how to keep a 13 month old occupied without just shoving her in front of the TV every single day (as she will inevitably get bored)? Sensory activities welcomed. I just need to put a plan in place so I can rotate activities that will keep her occupied for more than 5 minutes at a time.
I am really not looking forward to it but really don't have much choice. I can't really take unpaid leave as it will mean I won't have enough money to pay the next month's childcare.

If your employer finds out you are breaching company policy by taking care of a child during your workday whilst being paid, you’d be potentially under investigation for misconduct

I don’t understand why you keep saying you can’t take unpaid leave - what’s happened to your annual leave allowance?

I run my own business so I don’t have to do work while he’s there but I can’t leave it all to night time or I’d be up all night. I try to work while he naps but do also get an hour or two done while he plays. I actually think it’s made him really chilled as he’s so good at entertaining himself and I’ve never shown him that the tv has such a thing as baby or kids programmes so he’s not interested in watching it. At his toddlers she says to have a big box of things like pots, pans, tin foil and just random items they can build with etc. They keeps him entertained for a while and other than that I just rotate a few toys at a time out his toy box . I’d say don’t go out your way making up actives that are going to require so much of your involvement you won’t actually be able to do any work at all, keep it simple. They really don’t get that bored

Not answered the question about you annual leave entitlement OP!

Will the savings on the childcare bills this period plug any gaps in loss of income?

Yep I'd have no problem with a teenager helping out whilst I was in the house - any teenager would probably be way less knackered than me so would do a much better job at entertaining a toddler for hours than I can ever do (they may even do craft/play doh/dressing up/all the other stuff I hate doing).

Do yours and DH employers allow this?
Lots do not allow you to supervise a child under 11 for example, they are not insured for home workers to supervise children,

You haven’t answered questions about whether your employer knows.

Where I work, it would be a disciplinary matter.

Why can’t your husband take leave?

I've donenit and will be working from home with 3 kids 8,6 and 3 for the next 6 weeks.

You just survive. Prep what food you can. Find out what shows, films YouTube things she likes.

I have bought window pens and magic sand and that's been a big hit.

Just survive and Don't push your standards to high.

Annual leave then?

Could you use half leave with half days so less hours of work to complete?

For all that have asked, yes my employer knows that I have childcare issues and they appreciate me trying to work rather then taking leave as we are a service that is really underpressure. I have some annual leave left but if I use it all now I won't have enough to cover me for Christmas

I would be happier to have a teen I've never met look after my child when I'm also in the house than to have no one look after my child. The other option is agency babysitters - check sitters.co.uk.

If your job involves meetings and you cannot guarantee that your DD will be asleep at that time, then you're going to pulled impossibly in two directions. If there is no face time involved and your employer is flexible, you might manage to pull it off.

The most fail-safe solution (and the one I used for key meetings when we didn't have childcare in the first lockdown and I just couldn't be interrupted) is to strap your child into their pushchair in front of the TV. I did this a few times but I can't describe how much of a shit parent it made me feel like.

People aren't judging they are asking very obvious reasonable questions that you mostly aren't answering other than to get cross your sister has let you down.

how much annual leave do you have left? When does your next annual leave year start?

Ditto your partner.. how much annual leave does he have left and when does his leave year start?

this is parenting unfortunately. I have to take my annual leave when the childminder takes hers and when there is school holidays etc.

I really really resent the colleague who refuses to do the same and often ends up trying to look after children whilst working because she doesn't make arrangements when her usual childcare isn't available. The rest of us have to pick up the slack.

Op I know my responses (and most others I expect) saying it's going to be a massive struggle/ work out a way not to do it, are coming from a place of being in the situation you have and NOT MANAGING.

The biggest issue being the safety of your child. If we suggest something to keep her busy, and while she is playing with suggested item, you look away to work - you could miss an accident. Slipping over, swallowing something, something breaking open.
It's just not safe to work as you usually would unless she is sleeping.

And what about your husbands employer?

and how much annual leave does he have left?

No one would have considered this before COVID, and honestly OP it is probably going to be pretty obvious to your employer that you have your child home with you as you are not going to be able to work properly.

This is what unpaid leave is for, and honestly most parents i know have back up childcare in place for these sort of circumstances.

You haven't answered about annual leave, or how much notice your childminder has given you.

My employer is flexible, but if they found out i had my 13 month old home with me whilst i said i was working it would be a disciplinary

You can't do this and do your job properly or parent safely. This is what makes the rest of us look bad working from home. You need proper childcare or for you and DH to take some annual leave to cover it.

People did it during lockdown because they had no choice but it was absolutely hell. Unfortunately it ended in tragedy for some as I believe an 18month old died whilst his mum worked from home in a tragic accident, it only takes seconds of your attention not on them.

Phone round local nurseries, some might have children on holiday that week and be able to fill a place.

No one’s having a go Op, this is the reality most people face, particularly with childminders. But two employed working adults have what 40 days + annual leave to spread across the year? Take a couple of days unpaid leave, have your partner take a couple of days unpaid leave.

I’ll be honest you could prob just about do this with a baby- never a toddler!

Could you truly say you would be happy with a teenager you have never met before (and no childcare qualifications) looking after your young child who doesn't like strangers?

No, it would be shit. But unless you have a really really laid-back job then the alternative of trying to work while looking after a 13 month old is going to be worse. I’m another one who had to do this during lockdown and it nearly broke me. Honestly, try anything, anything else.

If you and dh can both work flexibly from home then one of you logs on at 5am and works til 12.30 and then the other logs on and works til 8pm.

I think you need to take annual leave and just work at Christmas.

you simply can’t work and care for such a small child.

it not fair on anyone and I m surprised your manager is okay with it.

most employer have rules in their wfh policies.

You xant work whilst looking g after a baby/toddler. Childminders usually give you their annual leave dates in advance and yoy

This. Nurseries are open in the school holidays. I had to send my two to holiday clubs, nurseries, breakfast clubs etc so that I could work. 3 years ago we didn’t have the option to wfh. You are taking the Micky,

Sorry pressed sent by accident! You normally coincide your annual leave with your childminders. In an emergency my husband and I worked in shifts (like in lockdown) one of us worked 6-2and the other 2-10.

I work in childcare currently with a 12.5 month old (as well as others) and have had one myself. I really don't think it is possible unless you can work during nap time or on a night when they are asleep. It obviously does depend on the child somewhat but because you have asked for advice it doesn't sound like they usually play on their own for any length of time. There is still a little bit of time to get someone in for a couple of getting to know sessions then them being near you while you are working and playing with the baby.