if you work and aren't a teacher

I always thought I'd return to work when my kids were all school age and on the bus. However, I am not a teacher. So how does this help financially? Do you STILL need a nanny which is 500-800 a week?? What do you do with all the school holidays and vacations and days off? I can't take off every time they are off? I am not even concerned with sick days or having someone get them on or off bus but the millions of weeks and holidays. What do you do to make it work? Thank you!

Re: if you work and aren't a teacher

You definitely don't need to pay that much if they are in school all day. You can just get a sitter for the after school hours and pay them until you get home. For days off, we figured those out by either one of us working from home or taking a vaca day. And we would sync up school vacas with our vacations.

Re: if you work and aren't a teacher

Also, most school districts have before and after care programs that are pretty affordable for working parents

if you work and aren't a teacher

We use the after care program. I'm lucky that I work near my parents house, so they watch DD on school holidays and the summer.

if you work and aren't a teacher

I worked the whole time but, now that my older son is in school - he goes to his old daycare after school, sometimes before school, and on days off that I have to work.

DH or I try to be off when he's off but, sometimes (ok, a lot of times) it doesn't work.

Re: if you work and aren't a teacher

Our district has before/after care that is cheap, and the local Boys and Girls Club also does aftercare, and it's like $150 a month. I don't utilize it, as I'm a SAHM, but I know many that do. Our district program is also open on school holidays. Not sure about the B&G club though.

Re: if you work and aren't a teacher

I live in the city so we don't start as late in the day as LI schools, so I can drop my son at 7:40 when the doors open and get to work by 9 (most days, lol).

However, I do use aftercare. It is $225 a month from dismissal (2:20) to 6pm.

There was a time when I had to pay a sitter on top of latchkey because I wasn't getting home in time. That was $$$ because I was paying her $100 a week so my childcare budget was $625 a month.

Now I don't have to do that though, so it's much better

ETA: for school holidays my ex husband has him some days, I save my days for others, my parents watch him sometimes and also our local Y (which also runs my son's aftercare) has 'holiday camp' for $30 for 8am-5pm

Message edited 10/17/2016 4:45:39 PM.

Re: if you work and aren't a teacher

We used our daycare for aftercare until this year (3rd grade). It was convenient because I had 1 pickup location, it's open later than aftercare and I never had to worry about school breaks or snow days. This year, we use the aftercare program at school. It's almost half of the price of daycare aftercare, but it's still not cheap. The aftercare at school also runs programs on days off, school breaks and snow days. We haven't taken advantage of it yet because I have had off, but we will soon. We can definitely save money by taking off during school breaks, but we usually only take off during Christmas break. DS has been happy there so far because he knows a lot of kids in the program. If that isn't an option for you, I'm sure you could hire a local college or HS student as a babysitter in the afternoon.

if you work and aren't a teacher

DS goes to after school care (located in the school). It's around $300/month and they stay until 6:30. For school breaks, we recently discovered a place that is open most breaks and costs $80/day (until 3pm). It's a technology space for kids, so yes, he's playing Minecraft all day, but at least I don't have to burn all my vacation days!

Re: if you work and aren't a teacher

if you work and aren't a teacher

Summers were always my biggest issue, until eventually I found a sitter (a stay at home mom in same schools). She watched them on days off and summers and took them to the beach, the pool. Random days off and sick days I would use my personal/vacation time at work to stay home and do things with them. It worked out. Now mine are older and can stay home alone.

Re: if you work and aren't a teacher

Yes....

It's extremely tricky.

When my girls were born I took maternity leave and returned when my daughters were 15 months.
When I returned , my schedule was random- I would work 5 days off 3.... Work 5 days off 2 days. So,
My days off always varied, and my husband was off steady Friday and Saturdays. That schedule we had for about 2.5 years- we had a sitter that came to our house and my husband worked an afternoon shirt. Some months we needed her 8/10 days per month- for about 5 hours a day.
It worked out well- I would work weekends.

Then the girls turned 4 and went to Pre-K.... And they went to a lady's home. Then- at that point - my scheduled no longer rotated - I was Monday- Friday.

Now
My girls at are in 1 grade, my kids are dropped @ school by my husband and I have a sitter pick them up from dismissal and bring them to her house. I then get the girls 445/5 ish.

What worked for us- random work days/ this means working weekends .. And my husband worked an afternoon shift and my shift started early 6am. Now 730.

Re: if you work and aren't a teacher

Re: if you work and aren't a teacher

When I didn't work from home, DS went to after care. He didn't need before care because DH was able to get him on the bus in the mornings.

For those longer school breaks there is an affordable karate place in our area that has camps which he attends and loves.

On the days it was a single day he would attend a sports place in the area that had half and full day options.

If these things weren't available I have no clue what I would do.

if you work and aren't a teacher

I work at the school as a lunch aide. It's nothing glorious but pays decent & great hours 11-1:40. I am also on kids school schedule

Re: if you work and aren't a teacher

It depends on your district. Ours has no before care. Aftercare for 2 is 500 a month, but you have to get your kids before 5:30. Many hire someone to put them on the bus and either get them from the bus after school or hire someone to pick up from aftercare until they can get home.

Re: if you work and aren't a teacher

We signed up for before and after care, but ended up not needing it as my husband can now pick up. It was $500/month per child. I have three so even this cost would have been a steal compared to what we used to pay for child care. I didn't want to rely on another mom to help before and after. I am fortunate as I have 6 weeks of PTO so I can take off for all activities unless there is a deadline. Good luck!

Re: if you work and aren't a teacher

I'm considering going back. Before and after care will be 900 a month for two kids through our school district but there is a waiting list. Summer camp is so expensive. It would be a lot easier if we had family who could help out.

Re: if you work and aren't a teacher

Re: if you work and aren't a teacher

I was home for a while with kids. Now that I work, DH works from home so any days the kids
don't have school , he is there for them. If we didn't have him at home, I wouldn't be working. The place closest to me is 80.00 per day, for each kid (until 3) for programs when school has off. Plus extra from 3pm to 6pm. The sitters want a lot of money per hour plus I pay for daycare for the youngest child. I don't know how people (non teachers) do it. Most of the moms in my area who work very FT have parents helping or a husband working from home.

Re: if you work and aren't a teacher

For before school, my job is very flexible, so I get my kids on the bus, and I am at work by 9:30. I never take lunch anyway so they dont mind. For aftercare, next year both will be using the aftercare program and itll be like $500/MONTH TOTAL, not week.

As for school days, sometimes I take PTO others, I just work from home. Same when my kids are sick or there is a snow day, I just work from home. Thats a perk I couldnt do without as a working parent.


As for summer, we do summer camp. While its not cheap, its an expense we know is coming, so we plan for it.

Message edited 11/23/2016 8:16:01 PM.