Nurses with children.....

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Am curious. How do you do daycare/sitters? Cuz i'm pondering going back to work after i have this baby, probably by early summer when the baby is a bit older. Anyway, i have a 3 year old and a 15 mth old as well. I know daycare would be expensive, i've already called around. :eek: is all i have to say. lol $720 for 5 days a week (regardless of how often they are there) for my 2 boys, NOT counting the new baby. So my DH and i decided that if i go back, its more to get me back in the game than anything, the money will be nice but it HAS to fit our family. So probably part time or prn will be what i do. No more than 2 days a week. We are going to TRY to do it so DH can be home with them, but if not i need a backup system. But everywhere i call they can't be dropped off before 630am-7am and have to be picked up by 5 or 6. WELL the problem with that is that i will most likely be working 12 hour shifts (that's all the hospital offers) and they are from 6-6. So i'm curious, what other options should i explore??? I'd really prefer a private sitter, but i know that can be costly as well. Someone to come to my home, ya know? Its not really about the money, i mean not the only thing, ya know??? So i'm just curious, how do you guys do it??

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Specializes in midwifery, ophthalmics, general practice.

hi

difficult one this. I have 2 sons- aged 16 and 12 now. I went back to work when the eldest was 6 months old. I found a job which allowed me to work sociable hours with no weekends and resigned myself to paying approx half my wages to a childminder ( someone who is registered to look after children in their own home) I decided that if i was paying more than half my wages in childcare then I would stop work! My reason for working was that if i stopped, then i would need to retrain etc- which i didnt want to do. now I am a nurse practitioner and working almost full time- and I dont need to pay for childcare!

I wish you luck- its not easy and trying to juggle all the balls can make you turn grey!!

Karen

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Have you considered nights?

Have you considered somewhere other than the hospital setting where the hours are more compatable to your needs?

Have your considered doing child care yourself? As a nurse your are eminately desireable as a childcare provider.

You might want to weigh out everthing it will cost including non tangeables non monetary cost. It might be worth it to waite until your children are in school.

Look for someplace that offers child care. My hospital has on site child care. Some employers help out with child care.

Consider flex hours. Job sharing. Non conventional shifts. Many employers are happy to accomodate you given the shortage right now.

Consider someone with whom you can trade child care with. Since you are talking about part time this migh be especially workable. You watch my kids in tern I'll watch yours.

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WOW!

I would ask a family member or friend to help out, but would also work separate hours than my husband, so he could watch them while I was working. (That's what my hubby and I do! :))

Best of luck to you!

Julie :)

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Sounds like nights or weekends. When my babies were small I worked nights and stayed home with them. When they napped, I napped. Or weekends, You sacrifice seeing your spouse is all.

-Russell

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This is a hard one ... I have 2 little kids and one of them is diabetic, do I couldn't just get anyone to watch my kids - and I don't have any family in the area ... I posted a note at the local university in their early childhood education program and found a student that needed some money and also got credit for school for helping me out. I was able to train her about my son's diabetic needs and she was great. It wasn't that expensive - better than daycare and only a bit more than regular babysitters! Do you have something like that available to you? Good luck!

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If you work PRN or part time nights then the children could go to daycare as drop ins while you sleep and they are not really away from you any more than if you worked days, but I would wait until they are sleeping through the night. This is what works best for me, but sometimes (like today) I just got off work and my six year old is sick and home from school so there was no point for the two year old to go to daycare and I will be up all day :zzzzz :zzzzz so basically there is no easy way until they are all big enough to fend for themselves.

Good luck! BTW that is outrageous for childcare where do you live? its only about 60-70$ per week here.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I do PRN around dh's schedule. This is the only way for me, not cause I cannot afford daycare but because I do not want to use it.

It has worked well for 4 years since the birth of my youngest. Can you try this>?????

good luck and congrats on your pregnancy, you will be a busy momma!!!!:)

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Been there, done this one...

When my children were small I did a variety of things to be able to work and provide good care for them.

For a while I worked a total of 3 shifts a week. One, an eight hour shift was during Mon-Thurs, the other was a 16 hr shift on Saturday or Sunday. For childcare on my one shift during the week I hired someone I knew to be in my housewith them. I paid premium wages because she also cleaned the downstairs area for me while she was there. For the weekend shift, my husband was home with them.

I tried 32/40, working only weekends, but hated it and only lasted a few months.

Then I took a part time job as a research nurse, worked 3.5 days, one of those days I was able to work at home...my kids were a little older and I used a daycare center for the 2.5 days they needed care.

The biggest thing about trying to provide care for your kids is that BOTH you and your husband (and your careers) must take equal responsibility for them. You cannot make all the sacrifices while he just goes to work and you juggle and struggle and worry about who will drop the kids off and pick them up.

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i do 32/40 weekend doubles

my wife works m-th

there are many options, but opposite schedules between spouses seems best...or having family help...

besides going to the park 2-3 days/week is great - less crowded...

watching your kids grow every day rules!

having someone else do it (and losing 1/2 your salary) does not

sean

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I'm not an RN yet but when I do work I plan on working night and my hubby days so he can watch them.

Also consider contacting a nanny agency or even running an ad in the paper if you do it on your own just make sure you check refrences and do a background check and driving record.

I was a nanny for years and worked both through an agency and through an ad in the paper. I'm not sure what the average pay is where you are but it was around $10 an hr or less here or salary.

If it was me this is the route I would go. JMHO

RockyMtnEmt

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:eek: WOW?

I am glad to have my daycare rates!!!!!! I hope the rates drop with the age groups. I started taking my son to daycare at the age of 1 years old. He is now 7 and it is like a second home.... I trust the people who take care of him. That is something that you need to actually go into each daycare and evaluate for yourself. I would make surprise visits to check on my son, and found that he was treated like he was their own. I thank God for these people and their prices. He is in the age group now that I only pay $45.00/wk. We started at $70.00/wk when he was 1. Good luck. I would suggest rotation with your husbands schedule and stay PRN, so you are not obligated to having to work if your family needs you. If I didn't have to carry insurance on my family I would definitely go PRN. But I love being a nurse and it is hard for me to stay at home all the time. I just love my job, but hate the paperwork!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Moho:specs:

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