DAD.info
Free online course for separated parents
Forum - Ask questions. Get answers.
Free online course for separated parents
DAD.info | DAD BLOGS: Mrunal | The Toils of Childcare

The Toils of Childcare

My phone pinged. I looked at the text message that had come through…

 

“S**t!” I turned to Clare my wife. “It’s from Hannah. She says that she can’t do school pick up on the 26th.”

I looked at my diary and sighed. “I’ve got a full day of meetings that day. What a nightmare.”

And it was. Almost all of the working parents I know grapple with the daily nightmare that is childcare. Clare and I are no exception.

I am self-employed which means that I can work flexibly in and around my children’s schedules: most days I can do school drop off and school pick up. I take holidays when they are on holiday. Clare is also afforded a good deal of flexibility in her job. So, even though we are sheltered from the worst of what many parents have to face (just how do you manage 13 weeks of school holidays a year with an annual holiday allowance of 5 weeks each?), there are some times when we just can’t be where the kids need us to be.

Research and surveys show we’re not alone – more and more grandparents are effectively running childcare facilities and the cost of care is soaring making it less and less feasible for both parents to work. However, we have decided, from the beginning, that we were the ones that were going to raise our children. Many other couples call in after school clubs, grandparents and even nannies but we decided that wasn’t going to be us – they were our children and raising them was our responsibility. So, we have set a limit on the number of days that the kids are dropped off at school and put to bed by someone else (two apiece each week). So, on these occasions we call in help.

However, sometimes it doesn’t work and the nightmare ensues.

After the text from Hannah, I ended up spending a significant proportion of the next two days searching someone who the kids knew well enough, who could pick them up from school, feed them, bath them and put them to bed on the 26th. I called and texted around, my stress levels growing ever higher. Eventually, one of our babysitters said she could do it and I could relax.

The following week, my e-mail pinged this time.

“I don’t bloody believe it.” I cursed my luck. “They’ve only gone and moved the meeting forward a day. I need to find someone who can pick the kids up on the 25th”.

 

The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the blogger and do not necessarily represent the views of Dad.info. 

Related entries

Too old for this

Too old for this

It was late on a Thursday evening and Rodger and I were walking up Upper Street in Islington, looking for a Thai restaurant. We were a little worse for wear   “You OK?” he asked looking at my awkward gait. “Yeah,” I said with that little inflection that indicated...

Too old for this

The big day

I could hear the rustling from the room next-door and glanced at my watch: 6:30 am. I groaned to myself but there was a certain inevitability about it   The kids bounded into our room moments later. “Is Uncle Steve here? Is he here?” They asked excitedly. “Yes,...

Too old for this

The big questions

I was walking home from school with my five year old daughter. As we approached our front door she looked up at me   “Daddy?” she asked in that tone of voice that all dads will recognise as a precursor to something that they’ve been pondering. “Yes?” I answered...

Latest entries

Fun and easy Easter activities for kids

Fun and easy Easter activities for kids

It's not always easy to think of ways to keep kids entertained during the Easter holidays! So, we have gathered together some great, simple ideas for Easter activities for kids to keep them busy. These activities also result in lovely items that they can decorate the...

How to help a bullied child

How to help a bullied child

For parents, bullying is always a concern. With our child's school lives being mostly a mystery, it can be hard for parents to keep on top of their social interactions, and know how to help a bullied child should they need to. The Anti-Bullying Alliance has found that...

Pin It on Pinterest