Is it okay to leave my little boy with my step mum

[Alexandra26]

So basically work have asked if I'd like to go back earlier. This would mean instead of starting on June 29th I'd be going back June 8th.

My step mum (who 37 and healthy) was going to look after my DS who will be nearly 9months when I go back. She currently works from home and is only leaving the house for shopping.

I can take him to work with me as I work in a nursery. However we haven't planned for the cost of child care as he was always going to be looked after by family. That and my partner will possibly be furloughed at the end of the month and we are unsure when he will be back.

I'm just worrying what neighbours will say as they see us going to and from each others houses as there have been a lot of posts on Facebook where people have complained and we live on the same new build estate. Do you think it's okay he's going to her house?

June is still 6 weeks at least. We don't know what restrictions might be in place then so impossible to plan that far in advance at the moment

If things remain as they are then that is against the guidelines. But things might have improved since then and rules changed - may be higher, may be lower. Have you asked work if you can bring your son for free until family are available?

Is your step mum prepared to juggle working from home and looking after a baby? I know many parents are doing it but it's exhausting and undoubtedly work is being compromised.

She won't be able to work from home while looking after a 9 month old regardless of covid-19.

If her employer finds out she's doing that she could loose her job. When she actually tries it she's likely to back out and leave you in the lurch anyway, as it's almost impossible to get even half as much work done.

If your partner is furloughed though that solves your problem short term - obviously he will be a stay at home dad for as long as he's furloughed. That's ideal - childcare done by a parent whilst loosing only 20% of one parent's salary is pretty much as good as it gets!

If we’re still in lockdown, then yes, you’re wrong as you don’t live in the same house. Surely if your partner is furloughed, he’ll be “minding” him?

If your bloke is going to be off work then surely he's the first choice OP?

Tbh I'm that bloody sleep deprived I don't even know why I didn't think about my partner 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

But yeah if he is furloughed he'll obviously have him 😅

But if he isn't I guess I've just got to hope that things will have calmed down by then 😬😬

Alexandra26 thank goodness for that!

I'm so glad you didn't post with excuses your son's dad making to avoid having to look after his own child whilst furloughed! There are some threads which would have gone down a "he doesn't have the patience/ wouldn't know what to do/ will ignore our baby crying while he plays X box" route!

Under the current rules, that's a tricky one. Your DC would obviously be at less risk being cared for my your DSM than in nursery with loads of other kids. But as you're a keyworker I think she'd be allowed to look after him if she was a registered childminder wouldn't she? (Or is it only nursaries that are allowed to care for keyworkers children?) I agree that if they're asking you to return early they might be up for offering you a free place, at least for the short term though.