How do women with children work full time?

amother

OP ↓

Mon, Jul 15 2024, 3:52 pm

How do you work 9 - 5?
What do you do if your kids finish school at 3:30/45?
What do you do between camp and school?
What if they have a sick day and need to stay home?

Am I waiting for a unicorn if I’m trying to find a job that can be done remotely?

amother

Babypink ↓

Mon, Jul 15 2024, 3:55 pm

I had a nanny full at home when I had a baby or toddler at home and when everyone was in school I had a housekeeper/babysitter for the afternoons to clean and watch the kids when they came home. Not easy especially if dh also doesn’t have flexibility.

amother

Holly

Mon, Jul 15 2024, 4:00 pm

So, I babysit from home for this reason. I couldn't find a remote job in time and needed money.

For me it made more sense to babysit from my home so I could be here when my older kids were, not laying for babysitting for my baby, etc.

Most people I know who work those hours, either pay for early and late stay at school when available, or else hire a babysitter to take to and from school. For the in between hours.
Then they hire a babysitter for sick kid (be honest and say kid is sick with, XYZ, Are u ok with this...
Or, you have to take off work. Or take turns with ur husband, he takes off one day, u take off the other, etc, alternate.

IF you have family near you, you can ask family to do this, but that's not always possible. ( definitely not for me unfortunately)

mha3484 ↓

Mon, Jul 15 2024, 4:05 pm

From what I see around me there are 3 main options:

1) You both work full time more demanding jobs and get paid accordingly so you have in home help.
2) You both work full but have family members that can help you with childcare
3) One of you works a more traditional 9-5 type job and the other a more flexible job that isn't full time of if its full time its from home.

lamplighter

Mon, Jul 15 2024, 4:08 pm

mha3484 wrote:

This has been my experience as well. It can be very challenging to find someone willing to do just 2-3 hours after school before work. That's why it's usually one of those 3 options.

amother

Lily

Mon, Jul 15 2024, 4:09 pm

I did it for 7 years until it became impossible. Now I work half a day. I don’t know how anyone expects a mother to work full time and take care of the home and kids. We only have two hands and so few hours in a day.

amother

DarkGreen ↓

Mon, Jul 15 2024, 4:10 pm

amother Lily wrote:

I don’t think anyone expects it, most people would agree it’s impossible.

amother

↑ Babypink

Mon, Jul 15 2024, 4:16 pm

lamplighter wrote:

This has been my experience as well. It can be very challenging to find someone willing to do just 2-3 hours after school before work. That's why it's usually one of those 3 options.

I would hire for the whole afternoon, have them clean and do laundry before the kids come home and babysit after the kids get home. I anyways needed the cleaning help since as others have said, we can’t do it all.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, Jul 15 2024, 4:20 pm

amother DarkGreen wrote:

I don’t think anyone expects it, most people would agree it’s impossible.

I’m a single mom desperately trying to find a job to support myself. I need every penny that I will be making.
I can’t rely on a husband to help.
I don’t have family to help either.
Getting a babysitter will be so expensive.
And most importantly, my kids are still young, I love them so much, I don’t want them to come home after a long day at school to a babysitter!

I wish I could find something remote/hybrid.
I was thinking of starting a business but I have no clue what or how.

amother

↑ Clematis ↓

Mon, Jul 15 2024, 4:24 pm

amother OP wrote:

Can you cut your hours and start a side hustle/job at night?

amother

Butterscotch

Mon, Jul 15 2024, 4:43 pm

It worked when my husband worked from home- I worked 7:30-3:30. my husband davened early, then had the kids till he took them to daycare at 8:30, then he worked 9-5, and I picked up the kids at 3:30 on my way home from work.
Now I had to cut my hours to 9-3:30.

LovesHashem

Mon, Jul 15 2024, 5:05 pm

I know in Israel lots of women with kids leave work early around 3pm and do another two hours from home, or come in an hour earlier etc.

amother

Lightyellow

Mon, Jul 15 2024, 5:10 pm

amother OP wrote:

I could cry. I’m currently doing it but I’m def burning the candle at both ends. Yes kids end earlier and I take them off the bus in my workplace. Give them a little something and help them use the bathroom. I wrap up and leave to pick up a younger child from the sitter.
It’s not easy. You’re not going to find tricks- at least not with me.
My story is basically work hours as if you’re a single maiden until you burst and give notice and never look back because it is so hard.

And yes I asked to cut hours, and yes even a half hour would help, and yes I was denied.

amother

Seagreen ↓

Mon, Jul 15 2024, 5:20 pm

I either work very early and finish early, or start later and end later. But either way I have to have my my husband handle either dropping off or picking up.

If you have to do everything on your own, it might make sense to find a babysitter for after school. Either you can take a break from work and drop them off at babysitter, or get a carpool to drop them off at babysitter, have carpool drop them at home with babysitter, unless babysitter can drive and do pick ups.

amother

↑ Seagreen

Mon, Jul 15 2024, 5:21 pm

Shepping wrote:

Are you in lakewood? The medical billing offices usually the hrs are 27 hrs a week, from 9-3...

But that's not full time. Do they provide benefits for those hours?

amother

Brunette

Mon, Jul 15 2024, 5:21 pm

How do I do it? With great difficulty. I’m exhausted and stretched so thin.
I have 4 kids ranging from preschool to high school. I leave work in time to pick the preschool and grade school kids at 3:30 and continue working at home until 5. Rush to make dinner while helping with homework. NGL the TV is on way more often then I’d like it to be but I just can’t entertain them when I get home and need to work for another 1.5 hours. Serious struggle.

amother

Oleander

Mon, Jul 15 2024, 5:23 pm

I’m also a single mom… but only became single more recently …

It’s really hard .

I work in a preschool … so I’m on the same schedule more or less as my preschool age child…