Any parents in NS without a support system?

njmomstudent · Jun 27, 2010

Have you checked to see if the school you are attending has childcare? If not, I'd be looking at daycares. My cousin has been quite successful with craigslist and small in-home daycares. If you have a 4 year-old he/she should be able to attend a preschool, and some counties have free preschool programs. Another option is to get involved with a good church that has a daycare program. Sorry I'm not much help. Just trying to throw ideas out there.

randy77 · Jun 27, 2010

Thank you for starting this thread. I also will have this kind of problem when I start my NS. Although I have a husband I cannot expect much help from him as he has a very busy schedule at work. I also recommend craigslist but I know how we mothers feel when leaving our kids with someone who we don't know much about. My son will be almost 4.5 yrs when I start NS. I'm hoping to put him in a pre school (full time).money will be a problem but threre's no any other option. I also don't have any family in the town.

Just like you said my biggest concern is what to do when kids get sick. We can't send them to the day care center & I won't be able to stay home either specially on clinical days. We've got to have a backup plan. But finding someone who would care for a sick child is not easy and not cheap( at least I think so). I'm in Tucson AZ , I just googled but had no luck in finding a place here in Tucson that provide help for sick kids.

I'm thinking of posting on craigslist to find someone as backup just for those "sick days".

Sorry I'm not much help here, but just wanted to share my thoughts as I can totally understand your situation. Hope you'll be able to find some support soon. Good luck!!!!:redpinkhe:):redpinkhe

CBsMommy · Jun 27, 2010

Check your state licensing board...they should have names and numbers of people close to where you live/go to school that can be interviewed. I would never suggest Craigslist or an unlicensed sitter to anyone (I know there are good people out there but I just don't trust it). I found a fantastic daycare provider who is the best of the best and will work with me because she knows I'm a single mom in school to better my son's and my life. She has put him in a seperate area when she knew he wasn't feeling well until I could get ahold of someone to go and pick him up.

I know that it's tough with the little ones but just take it one day at a time, give them lots of vitamins, have them eat well and have them wash their hands ALL THE TIME. This will reduce some sickness although, if you are putting your child into a new preschool, be prepared to have them come home with some sickies!

Also, if you are moving soon, check into some clubs around town and meet other moms or dads. Chances are, some of these people stay at home during the day, and if you become close, you can possibly lean on them to help during the most desperate of times. I belong to a book club, a gym and a scrapbooking club where I meet a lot of people.

Good luck and you can do this!

racquetmom · Jun 27, 2010

Hi,

I have been reading on this site for awhile now and decided to finally register so I can post on this important topic. I am married with two children, no family support in the area. I have the same concerns. The clinicals start to early for even the before school programs to make it in time. In addition, I don't feel good about waking my children up that early for me to go to school. I was concerned about finding someone on craigslist because I believe it will be easy to say I can't come today. I feel very lucky to have found a college/nanny company to come to my house. Found by searching online. My kids get to sleep til a normal time and I feel better knowing the person is working for a company and is bonded, insured through them. This company also has a pool of on call people, in case something happens. I still don't feel so great about that as it certainly doesn't mean someone can get to the house by 5:30 a.m. if you find out at 5am. What I like is maybe they will have someone an hour later that will stay for the entire day for a sick child. The cost is very reasonable and comparable to the childcare place I was looking at going to. It was a before school for two days and then they bus to the school. That actually costs more than someone coming to my home and letting my children sleep. Just something to think about and google for your area. I paid a fee to the company to do all the background searches and checks and you interview people. I don't start until August but have been working on this process. So, really can't give any feedback to how it is actually working. I hope this might help some as before I just bypassed the thought of a nanny thinking the price would be way out of reach. Oh, and that was another reason as well then just going private off craigslist or a friend is that a company will have a tax ID number so you can deduct the expense off your taxes.

racquetmom · Jun 27, 2010

I forgot to mention that my husband travels extensively so I won't have him to help out a great deal of the time. I think even to go to a preschool all day is difficult depending on what time you start. My local school before school care opens at 6:30 and the private childcare center opened at 6 a.m. which is pushing me to make it to my clinicals at 6:30. I actually wouldn't be able to do it in time and be stressed out trying to. Someone told me that Kindercare's open at 5:30 a.m. that means waking kids up at like 5am to get ready to go and commute to arrive at 5:30. I felt awful about that choice so that is why I am thrilled to have found a company to help bring someone to me.

RNTutor, BSN, RN · Jun 27, 2010

I am also a fan of the babysitter/nanny companies. I use sittercity.com (which, btw, lets you have a free account if you are a military family!!). I actually needed a sitter for today, so I posted the job Thursday night and when I woke up Friday morning I had 5 applicants already. I've used a lot of sitters that I've found from that site, some better than others, but the ones that I've really liked I keep them on my short-list of people to call in the future. I'm sure you could find a list of sick-day sitters who would be available that way, you would just make sure you take the time to screen them in advance before the kids get sick.

starmickey03, MSN, RN · Jul 1, 2010

Thanks for the input everybody! I guess I will have to check out some of those nanny/babysitting companies and see what I can find. I actually had a very long talk with the academic dean at my school and he told me that he and his wife use babysitease.com. The prices were ASTRONOMICAL. I dont plan on working while in the program so the prices were way more than I could possibly afford. I believe there was a $60 registration fee along w/ $9 per hour and $1 extra for each individual child. So my 2 kids would be $10 an hour, and if Im at school 4 days a week for 5 hours at a time that would add up to about $1,000 a month. WAY too much for me, and on top of that there were extra fees to pay.

Could you please shoot me the names of the site you used Racquetmom? And thanks RNtutor, I'll look into sittercity and see what they have.

Nursesomeday0211 · Jul 1, 2010

I am sure that you have thought of this but this is the only thing I can think of that hasnt been mentioned. Meeting your neighbors if you live in a nice neighborhood may be helpful. I know my mom has volunteered to take kids to day care etc when there is a time crunch or something. Sometimes if there is someone who is a grandmother in the area she is willing to take care of sick kiddies if day care wont. Also they might be willing to pick up a sick kid if they get sick at day care.

Ask around, you never know what gems you may find! Good luck and best wishes!

RNTutor, BSN, RN · Jul 2, 2010

I don't know how babysitease.com works, but on sittercity.com you can post whatever price you want. There is a recommended "going rate," but you get to decide what you want to pay and if someone is willing to take it, so be it. If you're going to be booking someone as more of a nanny on a regular basis, they might take less than $10/hour, especially if you can find a college student (or even a homeschools high schooler!)

Good luck!

racquetmom · Jul 2, 2010

I am using collegenannies.com (college nannies & tutors). They do have an expensive initiation fee to do all the background checks etc. My fee is 14/hr and yes, I do think that is expensive, but I was surprised how reasonable it is compared to taking to an outside facility. I will actually be saving money and my girls get to sleep. My guilt feels a little better with that :) My daughters will be 11 (6th grade) and 7 (second grade) so in school all day and that certainly makes a difference. Believe me, I understand what you are saying with 1,000 a month. My 6th grader took the babysitting class this summer so she can watch her sister and help in a big way. In addition if my husband isn't traveling then he can help when they are sick. I just don't want my sixth grader taking on the responsibility of getting her sister up and ready for school. Having kids not school age would be completely different. I like the idea of this company having an on-call pool for emergencies and that it will give me a tax break being licensed. Someone mentioned neighbors which I agree to a point and have some neighbors who offered but in reality 5:30 am just isn't going to work for neighbors nor do I feel good about that. Especially as a back up it is emergency or last minute so you call your neighbor at 5 a.m.....I can't do that. Plus, the one neighbor has her own kids to get ready for school etc. I am thinking if one is home sick then maybe during the day the neighbor may be able to help if my college nanny can't find anyone from their pool of people. Again that is last minute and maybe neighbors have appointments or plans that day so i am not relying on that at all. I also have a retired couple next to me that have offered in a pinch, but they are busy too so if it is planned then they probably could. I don't start til August so I can follow-up how the nanny service is working. We just have to pay it because we don't have family nearby and I want peace of mind that my girls aren't waking up so darn early for me to go to school. Good luck with your search.

racquetmom · Jul 2, 2010

Something else to consider is if you find someone on your own or private then you are responsible for that person while in your home if something happens. The company we signed with is bonded and insured and the people work for them essentially and not me.