childcare panic - any suggestions?

[beansmum]

I've been back at uni full time since feb and so far it's all going well. Just having a slight panic about childcare. Two things really...

What do you do for one off childcare, like when you have an exam outside of your usual hours? ds is at school now (started today!) and I've managed to fit all my lectures into school hours but I have an exam coming up which is from 2:30-5:30. No family or friends and no places at the after school club - Any suggestions? Do you think I could ask the teacher if I could pick ds up early, in time to get him home for a babysitter?

My second problem is holiday care. The holiday programme at ds's school fills up pretty quickly and I don't have the money to pay the deposit this week. So by the time I have the money it might by full.
Has anyone tried taking kids to lectures? This might be my only solution, would it work?

Can you make an arrangement with another mum at your DS's school? Someone he makes friends with - you could ask the mum to take DS on your exam afternoon and you could return the favour another time?
I don't suppose the uni has a creche?
Good luck in your exam by the way. How is life in NZ? Missing sunny Scotland at all? (actually it is sunny today!)

Some childminders will do occaisional jobs like that - mine does. Perhaps get a list of those local to you and have one or two on standby, if they have space.

NZ is great, freezing cold though! I'm in a flat with no heating and two walls made entirely of single glazed windows.

I'm hoping that ds will make some friends with nice parents but he's only just started school so I don't really know anyone yet. I don't want to start asking for favours in the first week! I'll have to start looking into childminders I suppose.

What about taking kids to lectures? Does it work? Or would I be better off just staying home and catching up later? I have taken ds to a few so far, and it went ok, but I had to get him a new movie to watch on my ipod during the lecture so I wasn't constantly trying to keep him quiet. I couldn't do that for a whole week.