Oh bother! I'm about to reach my breaking - point

kit_kats_mom wrote: Well, today was Lauren's first and last day at daycare. The plan was to send her to Ms Candaces (K's home daycare for over a year now) on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 to noon. Candace said she felt bad but it was just too much (I hear you sister) and that she'd forgotten how hard a baby is. I was planning on those 8 hours and the 4 hour block I get on Saturdays, to get the majority of my work done. I do have to have some client contact and weekdays are the only time I can make calls. However, I can't make those calls with a baby hanging off of me.

The benefit to having both girls at the same daycare is that it is much cheaper. I pay $155/wk for K full time and then only $15/day for Lauren. Now I'm thinking, you know I really can't work with Lauren at home so why not just pull K out of daycare too and either quit my job or make DH watch the girls for a couple hours every night and on the weekends so I can get my hours in? I know that K likes daycare but I can't help but think that she's picking up some bad habits (getting more sassy since the new kid started) and that if she had her druthers, she'd rather be with me.

We really do need my job and frankly, I don't want to give up my part time work at home money maker but good gravy it's hard sometimes. I know...."life is hard. Buck up Cary!"

I don't know what to do. Just venting really. bah!!!!!!!!!!!!

luvbug00 replied: Aww you need that hug. I would maybe concider another sitter? or have DH watch the girls. I would try to keep the job if I could. GOOD LUCK!!!

jenn3 replied: Id also try to keep the job.

MyBrownEyedBoy replied: Tough decision, lady. If you enjoy what you do, then look into another sitter for a few hours a week for both girls. That way, you get to spend time at home with them, and then you can make your calls with no little voices "helping".

Maddie&EthansMom replied: Well, that sucks. I'm sorry it didn't work out. I really wish you could find someone that would take them both for a couple of hours a week at least.

Maddie is in school now (all day Kindergarten) and I have Ethan all day by myself. I called today to get him in with a lady once a week or so. Just really when I need her. I am a SAHM and need help. I can't imagine how you feel trying to juggle a job at home and 2 kids.

CantWait replied: Awww Cary, you don't need to buck up. There's nothing wrong with wanting the money and the time to do your own thing. Is there another daycare in the area, or dayhome provider that could take both the girls. Even if you have to wait for a bit and somehow compromise with dh. Good Luck.

kimberley replied: that sucks . i hope you can figure something out so you can still work part time. sorry Candace didn't work out.

MommyToAshley replied: I hear you.... working at home sounds great, until you try to do it with a child! DH and I are lucky that one of us can watch Ashley while the other one works. But, there are times when both of us have something we have to do and it is tough with Ashley. Not only is it hard to work, but then I feel guilty because I can't give Ashley attention. Fortunately, on those days, MIL is more than willing to take Ashley for the day and spoil her.

Have you thought about putting K in preschool and then having a sitter watch Lauren for those hours. I bet K would love pre-k and it would probably work out cheaper just having a sitter for those few hours. You could even have someone come to your house and watch Lauren. I really miss Ashley when she is in preschool, but I get sooo much work done at the same time.
Just a thought.

I hope you get it all worked out... but in the meantime, here's some

ediep replied:
this is a good idea,

Sounds like a tough situation...hope it works out for you and you can keep your job

amynicole21 replied: That stinks I really don't know what to tell you. I know how nice it is to have the extra income. If I were closer we could both work from home and take turns watching eachother's kids...

jdkjd replied: Could you get a neighborhood girl to come over in the afternoons as more of a Mommy's Helper?

I already know that there is no way I could work at home like you have done, so in my eyes you are already Superwoman.

kit_kats_mom replied:
Thanks for all of your suggestions guys. DH is talking to his boss to see if he can take two afternoons or mornings off during the week and just work on a weekend day from home. He already puts in about 10 hours every weekend from home & right now it's just overtime so it would make a small dent in our income but it would be ok.

I've thought about having a neighborhood kid come over but the two I know who are somewhat responsible, are both in school from 10 am to 5 pm. They've had to stagger the school schedule for High School students here because there are just too many kids. They can't all fit into the school at one time so some start at 7 & then it staggers until 10. Nuts!

We are still debating pulling K out of daycare. Candace's DH started his own business a few months ago and I know that she is counting on the income from us. But I know she could find someone to fill our spot and I'd work with her until she did.

Doesnt' preschool cost money? K missed the september cutoff so I thought she couldn't even start prek until she was 5, otherwise she'd be in preschool for three years.

I'm a bit concerned about Katherine starting to wonder why I ship her off every day but keep Lauren KWIM? At this stage of the game, Lauren is no easier than Katherine....just quieter! LOL

oh, and Jenn...not super woman. Not at all...more of a lazy-hates-to-get-dressed-to-go-to-the-office-and-deal-with-stupid-daily-politics woman.

Kaitlin'smom replied: HUmm I am sure you can figure something out, but I would try my best to keep the job. I like the idea if your DH cant be home a couple moringis or afternoons then just find someone to watch both for a few housr a couple days. i am sure it woudl be cheeper. Best of luck. Heck I dont know how anyone who works form home with kids does it or just say at home get anything done. I was such a slacker last week I wanted to get so much done and did not just spent time with kait

My2Beauties replied: You do not need to buck it up hon, you are perfectly normal. I only have one and I work outside of the home and still feel that way, so I couldn't imagine having two and working at home trying to care for them I hope you guys figure something out soon, I know you will! Hang in there!

MommyToAshley replied:
Preschool is much cheaper than a sitter, at least from what I have seen that everyone pays for a sitter. And, I really like that Ashley is getting used to the "classroom" setting and rules before going to kinder. In Ohio, the pre-k cut-off is September 30. So, Ashley made it for the cut-off, but she is the youngest in her class. After next year, I'll have the option of putting her in Kinder or keeping her back a year, since she will be so close to the cut off. I know some states have a cut off of Sept 1, but I think most are Sept 30. It's worth looking into. I know a lot of preschools around here are still accepting enrollment, while others have waiting lists.

Plus, K may see it as something special she gets to do because she is a big girl, and Lauren is too small to go.

kit_kats_mom replied:
LOL! You were reading my mind. I was looking into pre-k after my last post. In Florida we have universal pre K which is free. BUT the cutoff is September 1st, your child has to be 4 on or before September 1st. Well, that means that Miss Katherine couldn't start until the day before her 5th birthday. She would be board to tears! The kid is already starting to read short sight words, knows all of her letters and sounds, counts everything etc. Grrrrrrr. As it is state mandated, any school that runs under that mandate has to follow the rule. The lady I spoke with at the board of education said that private schools do not have to adhere to that rule if they choose not too.

So I called the montissori school which is near us. They take kids 18 mos to 6. They offer half day and full day programs during the school year with summers off (even though they do have summer programs as well). The half days are cheaper than where K is now but they are full. The full day program is full also but even that is only $35/month more than I pay her current daycare. The teacher reccomended I come by in January to tour the school and enroll K for the following August. I will probably do that anyway since I think that she will be ready for a more "school type" vibe by next year. I'd also be able to keep her half days and do fun stuff with both girls. I could even enroll Lauren if I wanted since she will be of age then too. So, NEXT YEAR I will be able to get my work done. ROFL! I need an immediate solution. This is silly Well, at least I'm doing something and not just wallowing in self pity.

amynicole21 replied: Yep, we've run into the same issue with Sophia starting pre-k when she's 5 I was considering the Montessori school too, but hadn't looked into it much yet. Good thing you did the leg-work for me! LOL!

Maddie&EthansMom replied: Around here kids start preschool at 2. Maddie did. There isn't a church there that has a mother's day out or preschool that you could check in to? I would call around. We only paid $200/month for Maddie's preschool at the church. And we weren't members...didn't even GO to that church.

I hope you find a solution. :friendhug: I do know how you feel. I was trying to work from home when we first moved here and knew NO ONE. Maddie was 12-18 mos at the time and nobody would take her until she was 2 unless I put her in daycare f/t. Luckily things have changed and they have wised up around here and we have lots of options with Ethan if I decided I wanted to work from home again.

A&A'smommy replied: OMG I don't know what to tell you I hope you guys can get things worked out soon!!!

coasterqueen replied: Well if you gave up some of the extras then to me it sounds like you could SAH and just quit your job. If you gave up things like the cleaning team, etc and pull Katherine out of daycare could you live off of one income? Just a suggestion .

Is there another daycare that would take both of them? Sorry I have no other suggestions .

Hope you find one that works for your family.

DansMom replied: No new ideas here, just sympathy Cooperative preschools are much cheaper, but there's a lot more work involved---fundraising, assisting at the school, even cleaning.

I'd be hesitant to give up the job completely. I hope you find a solution! Does DH have any ideas?