How do you manage work with school age children?

[daisy1999]

I have been forced by recent events to find a job for the foreseeable future and I can't work out how to manage this with two 5 yr olds at school. We have no family to help and I can see how after school can be done with after school clubs but what does everyone do about getting children to school and school holidays? Any experiences and suggestions would be gratefully received.

My dss's were (until I became SAHM) dropped off and collected at school by a local childminder who then gave them their tea before we collected them early evening. In the holidays, we did a mixture of childminder, family support and other children's playschemes. At the beginning of the academic year, I would work out my holidays, the childminders holidays, etc and work out when extra help would be needed IYSWIM. It's hard work and takes organisation, but it's not impossible.

Do you have room for an au pair? They are only about £40 a week in pocket money I think, and they can work up to 5 hours a day so would cover after school too and probably work out cheaper than the clubs. Plus your children would get to be at home more.

We are going to do this I think. Just depends if you can handle the thought of sharing your house

daisy I am in the same situation as you - no help to fall back on at all and so when I managed to find a job which suited working round school hours/terms I was desperate to keep it even though I had troubles earlier in the year. My mum died during my dd's first week at primary school and as she was due to be picking my dd up for me I was at a bit of a loss as I worked full time. In the end after a few months of after school clubs etc and trying to dash to get ds from nursery I gave up work. I then started temping and became freelance legal secretary for the next 3 years until I got hte job I have now. You have my utmost sympathy xx

It's not easy is it but I presume loads of people do it somehow. CD no I'm afraid an au pair is not an option as we don't have the room and I think it would drive me mad to have someone else in the house even if we did.

you can get help towards chilcare if your on some benefits ( i dont know which- someone will if this applies to you) i work some evening as does my dh - and the kids are old enough to be left for short amounts of time. however in your situation i think the only option is a childminder - ask if work do flexi - time you could thn drop them off but pay someone to pixk them up. or could you ask another mum at school to do it and pay her cash for a reduced rate?

I've got two - one at nursery and one just started school. Do you have any chance of working flexibly? I'm lucky because I can work from home two days a week. And my DP has scaled back to three days a week, so we only have two days to manage. But we don't have family around to help either. It is just getting organised - I drop them both before work -dd at nursery and ds at a friends who walks him to school with her daughter. And he goes to after school - luckily they pick up at 12.00 for the first term as he's only there mornings until Xmas. TBH the days we both work are long days for them both and I feel bad about that.

jimmychoos what do they do at after school club?

Daisy, I also occasionlly used an afterschool club. The boys didn't mind going because some of their friends went, the activities were play/art based - board games, jigsaws, drawing, painting, making cards, outdoor games if the weather was nice, that sort of thing and there was also a computer. HTH

We have just had to face up to this problem as well. DD started school two weeks ago and the upheaval compared with the (expensive but simple) 8-5:30 nursery option we were used to is a nightmare. There are no pre or after school clubs, and our family are all in other countries. So we have had to change our working arrangements completely. I now work a long Monday, while DH works a short one and does pick up and drop off. We swap this on Fridays. Other days I drop off twice and pick up once, and my days are extended at the other end. If that makes sense? Holidays will be a whole other nightmare, but we are coping (just) with this system for the moment. If both parents are willing to try to change for the sake of their child it can sometimes work out. Good luck!

daisy1999 - some childminders will drop and collect children from school. I know mine did although she only walked so in the end I came to an agreement with work that I would take my lunchbreak at 3pm in order to collect DD from school and drive her the 15 mins to our Childminder and then return to work for the last hour or so, they also turned a blind eye to turning up 5 mins late after I dropped her at school - but I did chose a school nearer where I work than home - purely so that I could drop her off and only be a minute away from work.
For the summer hols I take 2 weeks, she goes to her paternal GM and maternal GM for a week each and - prob diff situation but her father's for 2 weeks (my exh), otherwise the child minder would have her (its expensive but you can get increased benefit across the hols)
HTH

I have the same problem - DS1 at school and DS2 at childminder. Both boys go to childminder from 8 till 9, then DS1 goes to school and DS2 stays with childminder (term time only arrangement). For after school I found a local lady (friend of my MIL) to collect the boys each day at 3 and take them to my home. (I have an informal arrangement with her re pay etc!). We had teething problems but its fine now and I would recommend it.

In the holidays its a mix of me, DH, MIL, my sister and the above mentioned babysitter. From January when DS2 goes to the school nursery full time i will be dropping htem off myself and going atriaght to work and then the babysitter will pick them both up from school and bring them home as per now. she helps out with houseowrk too which is lovely.

She's a sort of Nana to the boys now and its the best solution for us I think. I really wanted them to be able to come straight home after school and I like to be able to go straight home too without having to pick them up from anywhere. Good luck with finding a solution that suits you!

Can you work part time or is that not an option? I drop DS off at school at 8.30 (it opens at 8.00) rush to my office, do 4 hours work and race back to the school in time to collect him at the 1.30 pick up. I also negociated the entire summer off when his school was closed because I told my employer that either they would have to pay me more money so I could employ a nanny or I would need the summer off, much to my surpise it was no problem because the summer is fairly quite in my office anyway. I do however, realise that I was exceptionaly lucky!!

Daisy
The afterschool club is very chilled out and mostly lets the kids choose what they want to do. They only go up to age 8 too which was a big factor in my decision as I thought lots of older kids running round would scare him (he's only in reception). They have an outdoors area and loads of activities set out from puzzles and toys to arty stuff, also an outside area. They try not to be too prescriptive because the children have had such a structured day. There's also a computer and a tv room.

Thanks everyone, it's good to hear different experiences. I'll find out about after school clubs and childminders in the area.

You have my sympathy Daisy1999 - this issue makes me so angry! My dd is not quite 2, and at the moment I'm working from home. But feel very clearly that by the time she's at school I will want to be back in 'proper', fulfilling, career-type work. But it seems to be MORE difficult to find suitable childcare at that stage (piecing together the patchwork), than now, when at least her nursery is open from 8 till 6 every day. Hope I don't sound very selfish if I say that I am prepared to give my family 5 years out of my career and professional life - but not 15! I have written to my MP to say similar stuff . . . !

daisy, it can be a struggle juggling all the childcare arrangements with work, but it is possible, and once you are used to the rountine, not as bad as you think IME. As you are looking for suggestions, can I add this to the list?

Keep everything very local to you as much as possible - school, childminder, playclub, but also dentist, doctor and hairdresser. Consider changing the latter three if your regular ones are a distance away. When you look for a job, if at all possible try an get something nearby. It is so much easier if you can go from a - b - c- e in 10 minute stretches, not 40 mintutes, especailly if you are travelling through the evening rush hour. Helps so much when you get those inevitable emergencies.

Also, won't apply right now, but as your children get older, don't go mad about signing them up for lots of exra curricualr activities on school evenings. Lots of stress and more journeys if you are not careful. Don't feel you have to keep up with other parents at the school. Your children will have years to develop hobbies and skills. There are lots of weekend clubs children can go to instead - ie weekend swimming and drama lessons. Much easier to manage these IME if you are working full time.

HTH

Hi, this is one for 'sobernow' (great name - I know the feeling, half a shandy and I'm useless these days!)

Have you looked at 'work from home' options ? there are no end of Network marketing businesses where you can run your own business around hours that suit you - earning depend very much on what you put into it and the type of business you choose.

There are a few that are geared toward mums and with children - Mini-IQ, Usborne books etc. They are generally ideal as you have such a range of contact with children at school and you can usually work it so that you can have the time wirth children when it counts - after school in particular is where I need the time at the moment.

I can let you have more info if you like.
Linda