Sanctions

Dunroamin

iammumtoone wrote: »

They are not at school as we are talking about weekends. Weekday/school days are not an issue as there are professional childminders that work weekdays, but they don't work weekends or evenings however the job center expect lone parents to take weekend work once their child reaches 13.

There are childminders who work weekends, just as there are those who work evenings/nights, although I appreciate that they can take a while to find.

Why worry about childcare for the weekend when you haven't been offered a job that requires it? It may never happen or not until your child is a year or so older when you may feel he's responsible enough to be left.

skintmacflint

Sounds like good business potential for someone wanting to set up as a weekend or after hours childminder service, if this type of service is in short supply nationwide..

Dunroamin

skintmacflint wrote: »

Sounds like good business potential for someone wanting to set up as a weekend or after hours childminder service, if this type of service is in short supply nationwide..

I always think that, when someone without a job posts about lack of childminders and high demand in their area, the obvious thing would be to consider setting up as one.

(And, before anyone shouts, I know that's not possible for everybody.)

bigboybrother

I have showed this thread to my wife as she might have some input.

When my wife was 12, her responsibility when she arrived home after school was to look after her baby brother (2 yrs). Their mum (a single parent) then went to work at 5pm and came back home at 6am after having completed one of the weekly, five 12 hour shifts.

Not only had she to do her homework but in addition she had to cook, clean and iron for herself and her other brother (10).

My wife tells me that someone of 12/13 is more than capable of being responsible in looking after just themself.

hunters

bigboybrother wrote: »

I have showed this thread to my wife as she might have some input.

When my wife was 12, her responsibility when she arrived home after school was to look after her baby brother (2 yrs). Their mum (a single parent) then went to work at 5pm and came back home at 6am after having completed one of the weekly, five 12 hour shifts.

Not only had she to do her homework but in addition she had to cook, clean and iron for herself and her other brother (10).

My wife tells me that someone of 12/13 is more than capable of being responsible in looking after just themself.

just as a matter of interest what does what your wife did 50 odd years ago have to do with now?

LunaLady

Dunroamin wrote: »

I always think that, when someone without a job posts about lack of childminders and high demand in their area, the obvious thing would be to consider setting up as one.

(And, before anyone shouts, I know that's not possible for everybody.)

Its definitely not a career path I would choose/:p

bigboybrother

hunters wrote: »

just as a matter of interest what does what your wife did 50 odd years ago have to do with now?

That someone who is 12 or 13 should be able to act in a responsible way if left alone at home.

Shakethedisease

Last year, a mother who left her son of 14 looking after his three-year-old brother while she popped to the shops for half an hour got a police caution for cruelty, and in 2010 social services threatened to intervene with the parents of an eight-year-old and five-year-old who allowed their children to cycle a mile to school unaccompanied.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/shortcuts/2012/apr/23/reasonable-leave-children-home-alone

It's not that simple..

Ellejmorgan

bigboybrother wrote: »

What's wrong with looking at jobs that need you to work on a Saturday or even a Sunday come to think of it?

As it a weekend, you will have more of a chance of arranging child care with friends or family.

not everyone has friends and family to turn to, for some lone parents lone parenting means just that....

FBaby

So all single parents can only do shift work and only only inflexible shifts are available. They can't leave their 13 year old alone, they don't have a dad to go to at week-ends, they don't have family to go to, and they are no childcare available during that time.

That's a lot of single parents with an incredible combination of circumstances preventing them from working week-ends....