PLEASE HELP! What should I do???

I know I won't be much help, but I want you to know that people care.

My pitiful advice?

My school has a daycare, does yours? Can you afford daycare? Probably not considering you're using a babysitter. How much longer can you go without a sitter? Perhaps you'll find a new one in time. How old is your child? Are you eligible for WIC or CHIPS or whatever it's called. These are organizations that help women with children. Ask your local office about help with daycare costs or if they have a list of good sitters. Post flyers up at your college saying you need a sitter. Ask at your church. Some churches have networks or funds for this kind of thing.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know I care. I hope someone else with better advice will write in.

Sorry you are going thru this while trying to concentrate on school. Do any of the LPN programs have night classes? That may be an option. I know when you get into the clinical stage the hours usually go to days but, it may buy you some time.

PS If I were close I would watch your child. I'm all the way down in New Orleans. I believe very strongly in education and advancement.

Good Luck, and keep us posted.

Thanks guys.

The thing is... I AM in the evening LPN program (which btw, our clinicals are evenings too) No, my school doesn't have childcare (and I have 4 children), but it'd be nice if it did! I am so stressed out this weekend, trying to decide what to do, what is the best solution here. It seems like finishing my Bachelor's and then doing that program at UoWI may be my best option?

Do you have family? Fellow students who know of sitters or who have children who can sit? How about DH's coworkers? Do they know of anyone?

Do you belong to a church or social organization that may help you find some resources?

If your DH works days in an office and you're in school nights, then are you looking for someone just to fill the gaps? What about high school students? Do their hours fit in with yours?

How much longer do you have? Could you see if you qualify for any type of subsidized childcare? Before I came to school, I was making around what your husband makes and with only 2 kids I qualified for subsidized childcare. I paid 40.00 a week for day care for my 2 children. Is there an evening daycare program, or could you switch to days? Could the department of Welfare help? They now pay for my daycare during the day while I attend school through the employment training program. There has got to be an option rather than quit your program. If you go the BS to BSN route, will there still eventually be childcare issues? There has to be an answer to help you finish the program. I really feel for you, I hope you are able to find the answer which will work best for you and your family. Good Luck!

Another possibility ... can you take out extra student loans to pay for childcare - I know with 4 kids that is probably too expensive. How many hours a day do you need care? Could you find a responsible high school or college student who could help you out?

I know it may sound stupid but do you not have any family that can help you out? I know my mom has always watched my kids and I have never paid a penny for any daycare or sitter.

By the way who ever said Lpn to Rn to Bsn was the normal path? Go for what you want If you want BSN go straight for it . Why mess around with the other stuff if it is not necessary (I went straight BSN). If you want Lpn then go just for that but most importanltly go for what you want to be in the end , you don't have to take the scenic route.

DId you try the welfare office they are really good at helping people who go to school with stuff like daycare, food, cash assitance, books everything im sure they can help you with day care cost, or i know one lady who has welfare pay babysitters for her so she can go to school and work. Id contact them if i were you, just a suggestion

Why don't you just wait and raise your children until they are in school and then go back ,or were you working also? I think children need their mother more when they are little. Enjoy them now, and nursing later. It would be less stress on you and them. Or you could take one class at the university at a time. I know now that my children (all grown and gone) would have done better. They got stressed when i did with the work and the overtime and the crazy schedules.

Most things have already been suggested....but I would try going through the division of family services office in your county....sometimes they have referrals for sitters. Do you have a Parents As Teachers organization in your area? They could possibly assist with babysitter referrals.....I had thought about your church.....if you belong to a church, you could try and put something in the weekly bulletin noting that you are looking for a sitter. What about any friends you have with children.....word of mouth is a great resource if you are looking for a private sitter. I don't know if you can afford actual daycare....we went from private sitters to daycare when my kids were really young. It did cost quite a bit more, but you could take part of it off on your taxes, plus you wouldn't have to worry about this happening again. We chose that route just because of the same situation you are in. It actually became a blessing for us. Even for the short term, if you could swing the cost of a daycare, at least you wouldn't have to worry. Iwould say as a last resort, you could look in the ads in your local paper. We have people advertising all the time that they do sitting, but I would definitely want to check the references, etc. Good luck. I do know exactly how stressed you are right now.....been there myself. My kids are older now....oldest is 15, so I don't need sitters anymore, but I know that was the biggest stress on me as a working mom.....worrying about my kids and making sure they were okay. I hope it works out for you.

if you lived near me (boston) i would babysit for you

Have you belong to a church or community group who could help you find a sitter? Sometimes other moms at school are interested in watching kids for some extra money if they stay home. At my church, people put ads in the bulletin or school newsletter- that's how my mom always found our babysitters when my sister and I were little.

I'm a bit confused though. If your husband works during the day and you go to school in the evening, when do you need a babysitter? Do you also work during the day?

Good luck and I hope you find someone soon :)

I have exhausted all of my 'leads' and nothing has turned up...church, friends, family. As for family, no there is absolutely no family here. The only one left was dh's gma, and she was the one watching them. She quit abruptly last night. :angryfire So no, no family. We've talked w/ppl from church, the pastor, etc. This is driving me batty. As for childcare...yes, I just need someone to cover the gaps between me leaving and dh getting home. BUT, it'd have to be in-home (as in someone coming to my home) because we have 4 children, all still in corificeats (all aged 5 and under) and so literally dh would have no way of picking the kids up. If there were an option, I'd probably have a friend watch them or something, but it isn't. It's much easier to have someone watch your kids when you can drop them off, versus asking someone to come to your house, though, kwim? AAAARRRRRRGGH So frustrating.

I am looking into the Deaconess program. I didn't know it existed, but literally my mind has NONSTOP thought about all options this weekend. You know how when you are stressed/depressed about something you just cannot stop thinking about it. Thats how it is for me now. So I have thought of just about EVERY single avenue that I can think of. *big deep sigh*