child care for part time, infrequent hours

[Peony]

I can't be the only one in this boat, what the heck do you do with your kids? I've been doing this job about a year now, and child care is a struggle every single time I have to go in. I run a small program at a health dept, most of the time I work from home, the way it works is that I am always on-call for phone support and then I have limited in-office commitments a month. 

My biggest issue is that my days are never the same, and I can't make them regular, like every Monday for example. For the ones I can control, I do make them on the same days, but that is only two mornings a month, for the rest I am at the mercy of the dept. Which makes finding child care impossible. More professional sitters want regular days, and full days, I always work just half a day because of office space issues. When I do find someone it last maybe a couple months and then I am back to square one. Like I am right now. I have to hire and train 3 more employees in the next couple months and both sitters I had been using can't sit anymore. 

I have to have a sitter and not drop in child care because sometimes the kids have to be driven around, DS gets speech therapy at the house, etc... I am due with #4 in early August and want to find someone to help out 2-3 days a week for a few months because I will have still do school drop off, pick up, multiple therapy appointments... I don't need someone that regular right now. A friend and I have been thinking about trying to do a nanny share then, but I still don't know what I am going to do until then. What do you do?

[joyvs123]

As crazy as it sounds I have found good childcare on Craigs list.  The lady I use now has three other kids around my son's age and is totally flexible about when I bring him in the morning and how often I bring him.  I work part time and never have the same schedule so this is important for me too. 

Driving may make it more difficult so good luck.

[provocativa]

Just posted this on another thread, but why not try to help out another mom?  You can join the homeschooling e-lists and ask there.  Our LLL leaders will send out an email for such a position since it will help another mom keep nursing.  Also, there is a bulletin board at our health food store, and at the prenatal yoga place.  You also might consider that many potential sitters won't have a large enough van to drive your crew around.  I would just check the sitter's driving record, and then trade cars with her.  Seems risky, but.... really, what's more valuable, your kids or your car?  If you trust someone enough to handle your kids, then they should be trustworthy enough to drive your car.

[beebalmmama]

I am caring for a baby girl and her mom saw my post on craigslist. I've been keeping her for about 6 months now and it's working out great. They have pretty crazy hours because one parent has a revolving work week over a two week schedule. So I have her one day one week and two days the following week (opposite days too) So I have to block out Mon, Tues, and Thurs, even though I don't have her all those days every week. I am keeping her for extra money to get by so I can stay home with my own ds. I did request a minimum amount each month that typically covers the days she's here. But if a parent has a surprise day off or trades with a co-worker, I still need to make that minimum for it to be worth it to me.

You may have to pay a minimum number of hours for it to be worth it to someone to continue. How far in advance do you know your work hours? Also the driving around will probably make it tougher and ultimately a nanny share might be your best option.

[Peony]

I might have to try Craig's List, I am in a rural area and it is not that active. We have a college here so I often end up with students which have not been reliable. Depending on the sitter, and the number of kids that day and activities, I either leave my car (I can take DH's who has access to a company car if planned in advance) or install seats on theirs. I have two reoccurring days a month that I can always count on, the others are all over the place. Some months I might have nothing but those two days, other times I need a sitter another 5 times that month. I usually know at least two weeks ahead, sometimes more just depending on what it is. Unless it is a home visit, those are last minute always and I always scramble and basically just call everyone I know. I try to only work mornings because then DD1 is in school. But when I do mornings, I have to leave my house by 7:30 to make it there by 8, I've found moms with small children do not want to be at my house that early! And because of DS's therapies, it does really need to be at my house. With me needing to train again, that is a couple days of interviewing and then at least 25 hours of training that I break into 4 hour sections, I can plan those days but I am very limited because of space and have to take whatever day there is an open room. 

I often have 2-3 sitters at a time that call around and see who is available. Right now I have none. One is not working out, I don't trust her with the toddler, and another is very ill from a medical crisis. I begged a family member to sit next week, then I have two weeks where I need something covered with no one in sight and I am planning on doing interviews in late March. 

[beebalmmama]

Are your ds's therapy days set in stone and do you know them well in advanc? It seems if you could work around those days so you wouldn't need to have the care at your home you could really open up some more options.

That is a tough one. I'm surprised your not able to find more students who would be interested, or at least a pool of 3-4 students. But then unless they have the time determined in advance it could be tough for a student as well to work around classes/work.

Have you considered whether your pay for the sitter is high enough? Part time usually doesn't make it worth it for someone for those minimal and unpredictable of hours unless the pay is adequate to make up for it, kwim?

[Peony]

I pay between 10-15 an hour for what is almost always 2 kids since DD1 is in school, if she is around I tend to pay more towards 15 but honestly she is more of a help then anything since she is 8. The college students, their schedule changes and they forgot to tell me, they get overwhelmed, it is finals, they got a new boyfriend, they want to take a last minute trip, they forgot, there is a group project, on and on. Which is fine and dandy for them but when I am left hanging, it bites. Therapy is set in stone I can't change it due to limited therapists, I had to take the time slots that were open. I am always gone some of those dates every month so I can not work around it.