Need childcare suggestions

JAngel_2

Hi

I'm a working mum, but I cant afford a full time babysitter for my daughter. Being a nurse, i dont have a fixed schedule, and i often recieve emergency phone calls from work too. Its begining to get very difficult to ask favors from my kind neighbours to babysit my child at odd hours. I do know of a few babysitters who could work for me part time.. but they are so often busy when i call... I cant always tell them in advance.
Can somebody give me some suggestion how to deal with this situation.:embarasse

Sarah16

Have you ever considered back up childcare?

JAngel_2

whats back up childcare? m sorry I'm not aware of this, but could you tell me if I could avail of it in Bristol?

Sarah16

Well..! Backup childcare lets you book childcare as back up in case of emergency, at short notice.. There is an organization called Emergency Childcare that provides backup childcare, at a reasonable budget. Do have a look at their website for more information: www.emergencychildcare.co.uk

Yorkshire-Lady_3

Most NHS organisations have a childcare network. This is childminders who do specific training to belong to the NHS Network. These childminders offer overnight care or unsocial hours. You will pay a premium, but that's to be expected in my opinion. Other than that, do you not have any family you can call on, or see about adopting a granny!

Sally x

liney

A live in Au Pair type person ?

sunnyflower

Have you got friends / colleagues who would be interested in reciprocal childcare; you have their kids when they are working / out and vice versa?
You may find others in the same boat.

Most employers now have family friendly policies. I think all NHS trusts are obliged to have such a policy in force by law.Your manager may not advertise this of course, so ask personnel!!

Don't be harangued into going in when they are short! Either have an excuse ready pinned up by your phone for when they ring you (then you aren't stuttering and stammering out an excuse!), or take a deep breath and tell your boss that you will not come in at short notice.Managers are very good at playing on your conscience!

I'm a nurse, and when my kids were young I did nights. Not always conducive to family life, but better than packing them off to a childminder, and of course no fees!

Other options; pay your neighbour / friends, then it's not so much of a favour, holiday / after school clubs, do you know an older teenager who will babysit, maybe someones daughter?

lynzpower

One of my mates whos a nurse had exactly the same situation, people going off sick, she had to change to nights, days, earlies, lates, literally being at the beck & call of the ward.

She took the quite radical decision to go into outpatient nursing for a while until LO is in school, then she will reappraise then. She has taken to working in sexual health/ diabetes/ and ENT - so she has got plenty of variety yet manages to work days only around CC issues.