Childcare and homeschooling

[MOM2ANSLEY]

I was just wondering what parents that work during the week and homeschool do for childcare of older children??? Not working out of the home is not an option for me, so I need a little input as to how other working parents home school. I will probably be working 12 hr shifts 2 weekdays each week.

[Mere]

I'm in a similar situation - I work a very flexible part-time job and really enjoy it, and I'm not interested in giving it up at this point. I'm thinking I can cover the time (maybe 2 days) with some combination of dh taking an afternoon off, grandma helping out, and maybe some homeschooling friends doing childcare. I've just joined our local homeschooling group, so I'll be looking out for people that might be interested in a trade or just the $$. The kids' current daycare also offers an afterschool program, and I'm thinking maybe I could sign dd up for that even though she won't actually be in school. That wouldn't help you though with a 12 hour shift...such a program could cover part of a shift though?

[Crunchier]

So far dh and I have been able to trade off so that one of us is always with Ben. We are both in school, and we've managed it ok.

In June, BIL will be moving in with us to cover the couple of hrs each week that we are both out. DH will be working 12 hr shifts, and still in school ft and I will also be in school ft.

We will consider preschool until Ben is 6 (school starts late here, so he can do preK for a long time), and then afterschool care for the evenings, if I can get a later shift when I start working. If that doesn't work out, We may drop him off at grandma's or find a homeschooling family to keep him.

[laralou]

I would absolutely die to keep a school aged child while homeschooling. It would be so nice. I second the ask around in your local homeschool group. Moms of onlies or moms like me with a much older one along with babies would probably jump at the chance.

[rsps]

So far my husband and I trade off. My plan if this doesn't work is to hire a nanny who speaks Spanish so maybe they'll learn a little Spanish while I'm gone.

[MOM2ANSLEY]

Thanks for the encouragement laralou. I will be checking with co-ops soon.

And rsps, I WISH we could hire someone that spoke spanish...but, we are in the SOUTH and thats not really likely...and we probably could not afford a nanny. Right now my sil keeps dd...I'm just afraid she will loose interest later... maybe not she has kept her 2-3 days a week for the last year.

Wish me luck!!!

[Ravin]

My present plan is to just keep DD going to her present daycare provider, who cares for children in-home. She takes school-aged kids in summer and during spring breaks and such (usually that she also cared for when younger or whose younger sibs she cares for), so I doubt it will be a problem. Home providers are often more flexible than centers. You can find them and find them more affordable for wierd hours, etc.

There is also at least one mom in a homeschool group I've recently networked with who does daycare in her home, and has stated that she'll happily take on other homeschooled kids.

I think as long as it's clear that you want childcare, not having them teach anything. That's one reason I've steered clear of centers now--I swear as soon as they're out of the infants' room all of them behave as "preschools" and are trying to provide "learning environments a la Montessori" or outright teach--I prefer an informal home environment for DD!

[Mylie]

When my homeschooled son was younger and I worked 6-2:30 I had him at an inhome daycare...She homeschooled her kids too so he got to take part in a lot of field trips ect...She didn't teach him per say...I would send over easy stuff like read a really cool book or a hands on project he could work on outside ect...But we did most of our work in the evenings so I could be with him..

The sitter I had before the really cool one was a real wash...I got some help from the state for childcare and he was leaving her care due to her husband being a real jerk..She was mad and called my caseworker an told her I was homeschooling and sending him to daycare during the day instead of school...In Michigan rules state a school age child can't recieve childcare during the day...If I was working 3rd shift it would have been different...So they stopped paying my good sitter...Which was fine I guess...I just paid her myself and claimed it and my food card went up..


He stayed with the cool sitter for a year and then I was able to quit and open my daycare and keep him home with me...But he had lots of fun and "most" sitters don't care if the kids are school age and they are getting paid...A spot is a spot...I would check it out...


Love mylie xx

[lilyka]

i take in homescooled kids specifically (what an easy job) and will even cover some of the school work. Ask around your local homeschool groups.