Struggling fitting hours around school times

[Ceejay1]

Please does anyone have any advice on this? I have been offered a job in a private nursery working 16 hours per week over 3 days. Great job at a lovely nursery and would love to be able to accept. However, I need to fit my working hours around school hours as no one else to take my daughter to school and pick up. I've worked out how I can do 15 hours a week working 5 hours per day 9.30 til 2.30, but have no idea how to fit in that extra hour! I think ideally they would like me to do two 5 hour days and a 6 hour day, but can not see how I could manage the 6 hour day around school times! School starts 8.45 and ends 3.15. After taking my daughter to school, I'm also dropping my 2 year old son off to my MIL's on the way, as she can look after him while I'm working, so have to allow time for that on the way to work.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated as just at a loss as to how to fit in this extra hour, and would be a shame to have to turn down the job for the sake of one hour.... Please help!! x

Is there an after-school club that your daughter could go to one day a week? Or would your MIL collect her one day a week for you?

If MIL is having DS, can she collect DD to allow you to work a little longer one day per week?

Is the nursery giving you free reign on what hours you do, don't they have specific shifts they need you to cover?

Could you drop off DS before DD and then go straight to work?
Do you really need 45 minutes to collect DD from school? Could you finish work later and still get to school for 3.15?

Thanks for your responses. The job is working as a nursery administrator so no specific shifts as long as the work gets done in the hours. They have agreed 9.30 - 2.30 would be okay for two of the days, so I either need to work a whole extra hour one day, or was even considering spreading the remaining hour over the 3 days, working 5 hours 20 mins each day... if this was acceptable to them! But feel it might be too much of a rush having to get to work before 9.30 with doing the school run and dropping son off at MIL's first.

Would be difficult for MIL to collect daughter from school as doesn't live in walking distance and doesn't drive. After school club not really worthwhile when weighing up cost vs part time salary...even if it was just once a week.

Could you drop DS before you take your DD to school and maybe start at 9.15?

I sympathise, it is difficult juggling work and childcare

I see what you mean if I did the dropping off the other way round - DS first and then DD to school, I could get to work earlier, but my MIL lives on the way to where I'll be working so it just makes sense travelling wise to do it the other way. And likewise after work I allowed 45 mins (finishing at 2.30), to pick up DS first and then DD from school because my MIL's is closer to work, rather than coming back on myself if I was doing it the other way round... But realise that if I did do the drop off and pick up the other way round how I could get more hours in at work...Although more expense on petrol though. Still worth considering maybe.

OPffer an extra morning every now and then to make up the hours?

Could she walk home with a neighbourhood friend (and her parent) and you meet them more or less the time they get home, either once a week, or to allow you to do those 3 x 20 mins?

Having done it for 4 years there's nothing more stressful than being under pressure to finish at work and get to school on time, so I might be inclined to do the hour on another day, at least FTB, until DD is old enough that being 5 mins late doesn't feel like the end of the world.

Can you ask to work only 19 contracted hours?
This might suit them.

Thanks for the ideas.
Condover - Could maybe ask a local parent to help in the morning or after school for one day. Really don't want to be stressing and rushing each day getting to work and back to get to the school. So like you say might be better to do the extra hour one day. Just don't want to feel I'm putting on somebody too much though, but I suppose it'd only be for one day.

solittletimeandsomuchtodo - I'll be doing 16 hours per week normally, did you mean ask to work 15 contracted hours? If so, I did ask the question, but it was a no unfortunately.

pippop1 - they definitely want me to do 16 hours each week, so wouldn't be able to do an extra morning now and again, otherwise I would consider this.

Thanks again

Ask to work one hour per week from home

You are very lucky with the hours you've got and with (presumably free) care for your toddler with granny. Tbh I would move heaven and earth to make some arrangement- either after school club or childminder to collect from school. I don't honestly see how that would not be worth it financially. Even if it cost more than youd earn for that hour, it's not wiping out your earnings over the rest of the week

Would before school club not be a cheaper option for you?

I am a SAHM but my mate uses it and I believe it is £3.50 for the before school bit but £12 for the after school bit as you have to pay for the 3.10-6pm slot no matter how much time you use it for.

Or a childminder who would collect your child one day a week? I know some childminders who do a lot of one offs as they prefer it, so on a Monday they have one child, then a Tuesday it is a different child.

I honestly dont see the nursery letting you do these type shifts because surely they would need someone from 8-9.15 and then again from 2.45-6pm to cover you when you're not there? Or are you admin and not a nursery nurse?

Could you set up a regular arrangement with a friend so she goes to play after school one set day a week so you can work and in return you have the friend over another set day a week when you are not working?