Moms w/ little ones, who watches the kids?

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Trying to figure this out. I have a 8, 6 and 20 month old. I dont work and the nursing program is 830-430 (m-f). Daycare for my son would be $150/wk and aftercare for the older two at school is like 400-500/month. We do not have this kind of money on one income.

How did you do it??

Specializes in Professional Development Specialist.
I am in FL and Have checked into every resource I can find, if you have any suggestions that would be great.

I have been a stay at home mom for 8 years now and I am 30 and I feel the pressure to do something now. I am also ready. I am determined to make this work ...one way or another!

I also found a way to make it work and I would never try and dissuade someone who truly wants to be a nurse. As I said I spent a whole lot of money and used our savings as a calculated risk. But if you haven't truly looked at the job listings in your area I'd do that first. There are hundreds of listings for RNs in my city but on closer inspection they have 1+ YR EXPERIENCE REQ and NO NEW GRADS. The caps are not mine but directly from the sites of over a dozen hospitals and so far another dozen plus nursing homes. FL may be different but go into this venture with your eyes wide open. Talk to recruiters if you can and find out the real market for grads, the salary and if you can work full time or per diem only. Our savings is gone, but I'm glad we had it. However there is no possibility of a job in my future and the debt grows by the minute.

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Yikes! I am really lucky to have my husband be so far along in his career that he has tons of leave to use while I'm in school. We also own our own business, so when that comes up, I am on my own- I usully tap my best girlfriend who has a daughter a few months older than mine.

Is it a CC? My community college has childcare resources on campus. Maybe something similar is offered at your school.

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Specializes in NICU.

Do you have family in the area?

My husband had to move 800 miles away for his work while I was in school, so we sold our house and our infant daughter and I moved into my parents house (at their invitation). My mother is a nurse, working 3 12's, midnights. She watched my daughter on days when she didn't work the night before. On days that she did work the night before, daughter went to my grandmother's house. I had a few other babysitters that I juggled around in there, but primarily those were her two babysitters. It was pretty hectic trying to arrange care, but I managed.

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I have a 4.5yo, 3 yo and 18mo old. It is not easy. I am a VERY hands on mom, refuse to let the tv babysit them, and refuse to put them in daycare, not that we could afford it. I have been a SAHM since the first was born. One stroke of luck is my husbands job is a 24hour place. Something to do with tracking the cars on the railways. No clue, to be honest!! I am at a community college, with duel acceptance to a larger Uni, that has paired with the cc. I have lecture two nights a week, and one full clinical day. My husband has been able to change his days off to one of my lecture days, so I can study all day before, and off on my clinical day. On my 2nd lecture day, he goes into work an hour before, and gets out an hour early, so if I haul butt, I can make it on time. Really sucks because we used to do a lot of family activities on the weekend, now it is like tagteam parenting. I went to a surgical supply store and bough a few extra items, and have the older kids practice with me. They helped me with A&P, and they will do it again now. It is amazing, Ithink my 4yo knows the cardiac system better than me!! It would be impossible for us to do it with your school sched. But our community college has a day care/preschool attached to it. They offer big finacial aid discounts for students. Only catch is, you have to take them 40 hours a week, nothing less. Nope. Not for my kids. It was very hard to find info on the programs, but eventually I did. I am in NJ, so I can't give you Fl specs. Sorry. Best of luck!

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Specializes in Tele, CVIU.

I have a 4 year old and a 12 month old. The 4 year old goes to preschool all day M-F and because she has a speech delay she gets free preschool through the school district. My mom watches the baby while I'm in class/clinicals and while hubby is at work. I would also check into your county's free daycare programs. Good luck.

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Check to see if there is some kind of workforce development program. In those cases they give you money and you can use it for daycare, tuition, etc. Most colleges have daycares and they get grants to help students pay for daycare. Check your college online and see if there is any info on that. Federal student loans can be used for whatever expenses you have, but they usually aren't dispensed until 6 weeks after you attend school.

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Specializes in PICU/Pedi.

I have 4-yr. old twins, and I couldn't go to school without the childcare subsidy program in my city. It is associated with our local employment office. You have to fit certain criteria, like go to school and/or work 25 hr. a week, and make a certain income. You can only use providers that participate in that program. I lucked out and found a woman here who does childcare in her home, 24/7. It's great because I have someone I can take them to at 6:00 A.M. on clinical mornings. She gets them dressed and feeds them, so I don't have to worry about that. Like all government programs, it's a pain because you have all kinds of paperwork, and you have to recertify twice a year, but like I said, I couldn't do it without them.

Another option is that some childcare places offer a scholarship for needy parents. I know the YMCA did this for me, before I was able to get on with the subsidy program. You might check with them.

I hope you are able to figure something out, because, believe me, you don't want to start nursing school without some kind of reliable childcare in place. At my school, you can only miss two days of each class and one day out of each clinical rotation, which you have to make up at then end of the semester. Not much leeway there!

Now I'm just trying to figure out what kind of childcare situation I will be able to get when I graduate and am probably working nights...

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Now I'm just trying to figure out what kind of childcare situation I will be able to get when I graduate and am probably working nights...

Don't want to take a tanget here..but for nights, the RN I used to work with used to advertise at the local colleges. She would have them come spend the night while she worked and get the kids off to school. When I was in high school I used to do that on occasion, but I think you would be better with college students for more frequent nights.

To the op..I did a quick search and I think there is a workforce development in your state. You would have to search on your county. Usually you have to go in for a few days orientation and then you are given a grant once you are accepted into nursing school. But all of them work different.

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Specializes in PICU/Pedi.
Don't want to take a tanget here..but for nights, the RN I used to work with used to advertise at the local colleges. She would have them come spend the night while she worked and get the kids off to school. When I was in high school I used to do that on occasion, but I think you would be better with college students for more frequent nights.

Thanks for the advice! I had thought I might try to do that...it's just a matter of finding someone who would be WILLING to spend the night at your house and take the kids to school the next morning. And that you could trust. But I will cross that bridge when I get to it. It's an idea to keep in mind, though :).

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Specializes in Operating Room, Long Term Care.

Depending on what state your located in, some states have a paid babysitting program for families who are under an income cap. Check with your local Social Services Department at the Courthouse.

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I got a little giggle when I read this in a previous post: "so we sold our house and our infant daughter" That's not the complete sentence, but for a second that's exactly how I read it.

I have no helpful advice. We've been swinging it on one income with a 6 yr old (in school and if I'm late for pick-up, grandma watches him), and two little ones in daycare. This year, we were given a part of dh's grandma's savings and that is the main way we are still afloat. Next year will be tougher, but we'll only have one in daycare at that point. I think we'll get by through penny-pinching.

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Specializes in ICU.

My youngest (14mo) is being watched by my cousin who is a SAHM. Before this semester I had him in a daycare 2 full days a week and that was expensive enough.

My oldest (5yr) is going to a full day pre-k which has been really expensive as well. This fall he'll be going to kindergarten, but if I can't get him into the full day slot, I'll have to pay for after school care which is practically as much as his full day pre-k.

I am lucky to have a husband who's income pays for most of our needs, but I need to take out student loans to cover the daycare costs, which are by far my biggest expense while in school. I would strongly encourage you to look into your community colleges where tuition will be much cheaper than other private programs. Good luck!

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