Working Parents & Childcare

Parent-meeting season at work means two evenings a week till 7.30. Our caregiver leaves at 6

teal_lantern_1022

I coordinate at a school, so the weeks after reopening are full of parent meetings, and for the next month or so I'm in the building till 7.30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Our caregiver's hours end at 6 and she has a family waiting at home. My partner can usually be home by 7, not earlier. That leaves an hour, sometimes ninety minutes, with a 2 year old. The options I can think of: ask the caregiver for paid extra time on those two days, ask Atthamma to come across, or have my partner start early on those days and leave by 5. What have others done for a short, predictable crunch like this?

5 comments

  • rose_diary_1020

    Ask the caregiver first. A month of two late evenings, paid properly, is often welcome. Ours was happy to do it.

    • teal_lantern_1022

      Asked her yesterday. She can do Tuesdays but not Thursdays, because her son has tuition that evening. So half of it is sorted, and my partner is looking at Thursdays.

  • orchid_drum_2372

    Is there a reason your partner can't do the early start on both days? You listed it last, and it's the only option that doesn't depend on someone else.

  • cedar_camera_9153

    We have something similar on my on-call weeks. What we learnt is that whoever covers the gap needs the evening routine in detail, or the hour ends with a cranky child and a late dinner. We keep a short list on the fridge for whoever is doing it: dinner, bath, which toy he wants ❤️

    • sunny_chai_860

      the fridge list is a good idea. we did something similar when my mother started helping. she ignored half of it, but at least she knew what we'd normally do

  • fern_pigeon_3414

    When mine was small and customer demos ran late, I paid for the extra hour and also booked the caregiver a cab home on those evenings, since she'd be leaving after dark. The cab mattered more to her than the money.

  • bronze_kite_9821

    For four or five weeks, a patchwork is fine. Caregiver one evening, grandparent the other. It doesn't have to be the same fix both days 😄

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