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I am considering going back to work full time outside of the home. Our children are 12 (almost 13), 8 and 8. My husband works out of state on a 2-on and 2-off work schedule. Any advice? Childcare?
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virginiad on March 21 at 10:23 p.m.
Hi Lisa! When I worked full-time, one of the best things that my employer at the time (The Spokesman) allowed me to do after maternity leave was gradually transition back to full-time. So, after a six-month maternity leave, I went back to work two days a week for about a month or so. Then for the next six months, I worked about 32 hours a week (which was ideal) until I was back full-time (which was really hard after my second was born, but that’s another story).
Anyway, I so appreciated the gradual build-up of hours because it was difficult to leave my kids and I couldn’t do it cold turkey. I also wanted to continue breastfeeding, so the slow transition really made a difference.
Your children are older, but it will probably still be a little bit of an adjustment.
A company that offers flex hours or telecommunicating would be really ideal. Or one with on-site childcare, but I don’t know too many places in the area that do that. That probably won’t be too much of an issue for you since your kids are already in school.
I do know quite a few families who use the Express program in Spokane Public Schools for before- and after-school care. I’m sure other districts have something similar.
Good luck!
garyc on March 23 at 1:13 p.m.
Hardest thing for me to nail down is summers. The school year provides structure that you can build around. The Express Program is also offered in the summer. That’s a possible solution for the 8-year-olds. My son, now 12, has gone to Camp Dart-lo for a few summers, but that is a long day for a kid. Up earlier than school for a long bus ride. Get home about 5:30.
We’re skipping that this year. But I still need to cobble together something else. Flexible employers are a godsend. Virginia is right about that.
If you can figure out summers, congrats. It’s quite the hurdle.
mindystewart on March 27 at 1:28 p.m.
If the employer does not offer some type of child care solution -and typical employer-sponsored child care does not address child care needs of school aged children- balancing care is a daunting task for parents. I have 3 girls, age 8, 5 and 3. I get to balance school schedules (those lovely half days, frequent in-service days, sick days, etc.) with preschool and child care needs. It can get very difficult to get everyone where they are supposed to be and still get time to work.
If you are just looking for employment you may have the ability to be selective about your employer. I would look for an employer who values their employees and understands that we all must balance work and life demands.
Specifically for child care, our area has a child care resource and referral agency - Family Care Resources (FCR) - that can help you with child care referrals. School-based programs will not typically be included in FCR referrals, because often they are license-exempt programs. Your school should have all of the needed information, however.
High quality school age summer programs tend to fill up early, so you will want to be actively looking now. I have had terrific luck finding in-home summer care for my girls, but I also work from home, so it works very well for me. I get to have lunch with them, play with them when I have time and most importantly, supervise the caregiver.
Good luck with the job search and figuring out your child care arrangements. Remember, always do “drop in” checks with your provider to find out what they are doing when they aren’t expecting a parent to drop in. These will tell you a lot about the quality of the program. Also, interview current and past parents who have used the program, as well as the director and teachers in the program. You will want to contact the licensing bureau to check out any complaint history against the program. And make sure you visit the program in person before leaving your children there. A walk through is invaluable when selecting a provider. You can take a look at “Choosing Quality Child Care” on my company website www.kidcentric.com if you would like.