As with any working parent, childcare is a nightmare at the best of times. However, I always find Christmas the most stressful to try and make alternative arrangements.
I work Monday, Wednesday and Friday each week so I am very lucky that I don’t need to find childcare for all five days of the week.
School finishes on the 16th and reopens on the 4th Jan. The Nursery closes on the 23rd reopening on the 4th, which leaves me with a number of days to find cover for (how full time parents find childcare cover is beyond me).
This year Mr Boo’s company has decided that managers must work all Saturdays and Sundays in December which means he will have two weekdays off which is helpful for childcare issues however it also means we don’t get very much family time.
Mon 19th – Roo is with Mr Boo
Wed 21st – Roo is again with Mr Boo
Fri 23rd – I have a day’s annual leave
Normally Mr Boo would have Christmas Day off and work Boxing Day, however his company have decided that managers do not need to work Boxing Day this year (yay!), however this leaves me with a childcare nightmare as this means he has taken is two days off for that week.
Mon 26th – Bank Holiday
Wed 28th – NO CHILDCARE!!! I cannot take annual leave as there will be no cover for my position since the 22nd and paperwork will be piling up. My mum now lives away, my in laws are going away, my sister in law will (hopefully) just have had a new baby (so can’t really dump two more kids on her). So I very kindly offered my managers a solution… Let me have the 28th daytime off and I’ll come in for 3hrs on the 27th & 28th evenings (once Mr Boo is back from work). Luckily they agreed to this (I really do have the most understanding managers).
Fri 30th – I have a day’s annual leave
Mon 2nd – Bank Holiday
Wed 4th – Normal service resumes
What are your childcare arrangements over the festive period?
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