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Original poster

How would you manage this childcare?

21 replies

user1481916344 · 16/12/2016 19:34

I've been offered a job!!!! Taken 5 years out after having DD 6 years ago so this is pretty impressive, especially as it's at about the salary I was on before I left.

Now, the logistics. DH is a contractor and can, depending on contract, be away working and only home 1 day a week (weekend) or away on ad hoc work for any length of time, often with very little notice or working from home. Hence it being easier for me to be at home. Nothing is certain for his work in 2017.

New job is 25 miles away and will require me to be there 9am - 5:30pm most days. 2 days a week DD goes to after school club until 5:30pm and another 2 she has an activity with a friend that starts at 5pm or 4pm. If I'm 25 miles away I obviously can't pick her up, and we've no family to help. When DH is at home he can work around pick up etc but the problem comes when he's away. And as I said, we can only get a few days notice that he's going.

I want things to stay as close to how they are now for DD, so what on earth do we do if DH has to be away and I'm 25 miles away? Any nifty ideas?

OP posts:

JenLindleyShitMom · 16/12/2016 19:40

Nanny or au pair. It would mean DH could do as normal when he Is Home but nanny/au par on hand for when he isn't.

Original poster

user1481916344 · 16/12/2016 19:42

Can you have an ad hoc nanny?

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Original poster

user1481916344 · 16/12/2016 19:43

Where would i look for a nanny? We're in the south wales valleys.

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JenLindleyShitMom · 16/12/2016 19:44

Well you'd have to pay them a retainer to be "on call" but there are some that work like that.

Nanny agencies would be first place to look. Google agencies for your area.

Leatherboundanddown · 16/12/2016 19:51

I would get an au pair. I can't see how you will do the later pick ups otherwise.

MarciaBlaine · 16/12/2016 19:56

CM? Or do you live far from the school? Could you employ a local teenager/student for pick ups?

Original poster

user1481916344 · 16/12/2016 20:10

Not far (2 miles ish). She goes to after school club because she wants to, so I'd rather not stop that. The activities she does are 3-4 miles one way and 4 miles the other way, and not on easy bus routes etc so think it would have to be someone with a car.

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Original poster

user1481916344 · 16/12/2016 20:17

Actually, I could try and find out if any of the after school staff do babysitting.

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indigox · 19/12/2016 02:44

Is he away more than he's not? If so, an au pair is probably going to be necessary and a lot cheaper and more reliable than a babysitter.

anyname123 · 19/12/2016 03:17

Unemployment rates are through the roof in the valleys, surely a mothers help type person for escorting to and from activities won't be too hard to find? I'd be suprised if you managed to keep an au pair for long depending on which valley you're in, most are not cultural hot beds of activity (I'm from the valleys, so am allowed to say this )

Original poster

user1481916344 · 19/12/2016 15:25

Is he away more than he's not? If so, an au pair is probably going to be necessary and a lot cheaper and more reliable than a babysitter.

Impossible to say from one week/month to the next. He's had years where he's been away Sun-Fri for 9 months and years where he's worked from home 90% of the time. No way to know.

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WheresTheEvidence · 19/12/2016 15:33

Can you do flexi so 2 days work earlier hours so DD does breakfast club and you can pick DD up and take her to her clubs or at least pick up from clubs and the other days she goes to after school club and if needs be a staff member can take her home

Original poster

user1481916344 · 21/12/2016 23:15

I wish. The organisation doesn't do flexi, I can't apply for flexible working for 26 weeks (and they wouldn't agree it anyway).

The after school clubs are a few miles from her school, so someone has to take her to them. I've never heard of an after school club staff member taking a child home with them (it's not in her school but in a neighbouring school building).

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SortAllTheThings · 21/12/2016 23:20

I'd drop the after school cluband get a childminder. You're not going to be able to find ad hoc childcare I don't think, as you don't know your DHs plans week to week, you'll need to have something in place all the time.

Original poster

user1481916344 · 28/12/2016 23:48

That's precisely what I want to avoid.

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holidaysaregreat · 28/12/2016 23:54

If you need to be in til 5.30 and after school club finishes same time then it surely isn't possible?

SweetGrapes · 28/12/2016 23:59

Aupair. It's not long hours and your dd is 6 so an aupair would manage just fine

Original poster

user1481916344 · 29/12/2016 20:16

The issue is the uncertainty. If DH is working from home (as he mostly has for the last year or so) then there's no problem as he can collect her and do the after school activities.

If he needs to be away for a week then we can manage that with friends.

It's only if he's away for any length of time, as he has been in previous years with little notice that I have the need of extra childcare. So I don't really want to sign up for permanent childcare when it's potentially not needed!

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cheekyfunkymonkey · 29/12/2016 20:23

Could the parents of the friend she does the class with pick her and take her to the class? Maybe you could icky them up after and drop friend back and get them nice vouchers as a thank you regularly? If you don't know the parents well enough then would any local cm be able to do an hour a day?

Artandco · 29/12/2016 20:23

Au pair. If your Dh is working from home he can carry on working, if he's away then you need someone.

Au pair lives in, does 25hrs a week for around £100. So school days they could do 8-9am, 3-6.30pm. In the school holidays they could do the Same with child at holiday clubs 9-3 or they might do 3 full days and you cover the other two between you and Dh and friends

Original poster

user1481916344 · 31/12/2016 15:25

Will think about an au pair (but DH is anxious about people in the house).

Unfortunately DD's friend is at school around 3 miles away. They both finish at the same time so can't both be picked up by the other mum (she's a good friend) but DD could potentially go to after school club on the day that their class starts at 5pm and friend could collect en route.

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