14 days of work to go. I'm starting to really struggle with sitting 8 hours a day so hope the days go faster than than the last 2. Sucks having no work to do.
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14 days of work to go. I'm starting to really struggle with sitting 8 hours a day so hope the days go faster than than the last 2. Sucks having no work to do.
Ok, thanks :) work had been a bit quiet. Really not sure what to do with myself!!
BD - is the 14 days up now - are you happy to be finished?
MG - what did you decide about interstate trip? I did a couple of week away trips middle of last year (DS was about 18 months) , I got my mum in to help with the kids and that made it easier because I knew it would be special for them being with her too. I did miss them but also was just so busy I didn't think much about it and did enjoy eating evening meal in peace :-). It also sort of connected me to the past a bit, because I used to travel a fair bit for work so it reminded me of that, and I think that was a good thing.
I have 17 more days left to go on my current contract, I have left work so many times the past few weeks going to pack it in that I had to count the days to see whether I could do it. I have told them I not renewing it and why - partly the travel but also because it is a complete disorganized mess and they don't listen to me or plan anything properly - and I need to enjoy my work. They wanted me to stay just one more month - but I told them no because I don't believe the extra month will have them anymore sorted - I know how things work - I would do an extra month and they would beg me for another (but only be prepared to contract me month by month).
I have worked 4 nights this week plus the usual three days and will have to work tomorrow arvo/evening - I get paid for it but that is not the way I want my life to be, I don't mind extra hours under certain circumstances but not when it is just the result of poor planning and resourcing, and they expect you to be able to drop everything at their command.
I am hoping I can find something permanent next even if means more days a week, I am not suited to these short-term contracts at all.
I am currently doing a submission for productivity commission on childcare - they want to hear opinions from parents - these are the types of things they are interested in hearing about -
"Are problems with access to, or the flexibility, cost or quality of ECEC preventing you from undertaking work or study (or the number of hours you would prefer to work or study)? How
should any problems be addressed? Would, for example, extending childcare centre hours or the length of the school day make it easier for you to work?
I am a bit late doing it but I think is still worthwhile.
Sure am finished yesterday. I'm happy and sad at the same time. I will miss people and the money but not the company.
Hubby is starting a new job next week and will be on 12hr days so it's going to be tough but the money is good
I actually decided not to go. I had a closer look at the content and couldn't convince myself that a) I was going to learn anything new b) it was worth the money (even though I wasn't paying for it). Instead, I enrolled into a course I want to do.
How is everyone else doing?
Hi. I was up with DD for about an hour it so at 2.30 this morning. I don't manage too well at work on a bad nights sleep.
How do you Mumma's manage at work if you've been up with you LO during the night?
Hi. I think it is now safe to say I have a job! Ive had some serious trouble finding a job and keeping one. Its a long painful story and alot of **** happened... but I think im feeling comfortable that this one will work out =)
So my commute is an 1 hr 15mins in another town. And its shifts too. Max hrs is .5 I was keen on family day care but found a centre that is perfect. Its on the way (I have to drive past it) its open long hrs (cause a morning shift starts at 7 I needed some where open early)
Sorry had to cut it short, my phone started acting like it was possessed. Hopefully it is over it now...I kind of need it
I just do because I have no other choice. I hope your day isn't too bad:
Lots of coffee, might even have soft drink at lunch time.. But I just have to get through. There were times when I got a colleague to drop me home (and collect me next morning) as I didn't feel ok to drive, but I made it through the day..:
My survival after a crappy night is second breakfast. For some reason grabbing a bacon and egg muffin on the way to work just gives me that bit extra energy and I am not so reliant on snacks to pull me through the day. Also tea and coffee. Normally I stick to one coffee at work (we have an awesome coffee machine), but I will often grab a second on hard days.
Im all about the cuppas. But I dont think they really do pick me up. I agree on the 2nd breaky. We will eat before we leave but spock will refuse cause its too early. And the by time I get to work im felling that drop.
Sorry my last post cut short. ..no idea what was up with my phone but it hasnt done it since. .
So when I tell Spock I am going to work she says care? And I go yes, you go to care and she is happy and talking about how fun care is. But once we get there she won't let go. Today shw cried and screamed =( I could hear her screams from the front gate =*(
Congrats tt!!!
I'm all about the coffee when I've not had enough sleep. Coffee and walks. I'm lucky that I work across three campuses, two within walking distance of each other. So I go do my rounds at the other site. If I'm really tired, I do lots and lots of rounds. Being active helps me. But if I have to be stuck at my desk, it's all about the coffee!
I second the second, third breakfast etc. Luckily DS seemed to stop waking overnight around Christmas time, so I am doing better now but before that definitely food, and a coffee first thing - as long as work was busy I managed ok - is a deskjob and I would have been useless if had meetings but otherwise was ok at work. I was more concerned about the drive home, I am more of a morning person so the drive in ok, but coming home especially if traffic bad (an hour plus) I used to worry about tiredness but was always ok.
TT - DD went through phases of being like that - where you talk about it and they are happy but not when it comes to it, have you asked how long she screams for - DD never screamed for long and I just got used to it - I also think that sometimes it is a memory thing - e.g. they scream or cling on once because they were unhappy and then they just do it the next time because they think "mmmm what do I do in this situation - oh yes I remember I cling on and cry" and it can take a while to break out of that cycle.
Coffee. Sooooo much coffee.
Im struggling with late finishes I get home after 11, so Spock is asleep when I get home. I give her a kiss bedore I go to bed but it doesn't wake her. Then in the wee hours she comes into our bed and on nights ive worked she is hard to settle because she is seeing me again. She even then got anxious/upset when dh had to get up for work at 5. Any tips? I dont think there is any way around it.
I had similar issues when my dd1 was small. I think we are in the same industry. I found a video call on my meal break helped. But it did take a few years for her to truly settle. It wasn't until I had set days and set shifts that truly settled - she then knew when Mummy would be home etc. But video calls def worked a little.
DD2 is lucky because i work set shifts and days so she has never experienced a rotating roster and the turmoil of that. She does usually have to wait until I collect her in the afternoon before she sees me because she is usually still asleep when I leave for work.
I Skype or FaceTime if its been a day or two since we've had proper time together. And I maximise one on one on the weekend :)
Does anyone work full time in addition to their other half working full time? If so what sort of hours do you do and how do you find managing it? I really don't want to do five full days but maybe it wouldn't be so bad ?? It isnt the kids being in daycare full time which worries me (as they love it) but DH and I being able to keep up the rushing about for five days (both of us in 9-5 type jobs). I have done a few odd weeks of full time and we cope but not sure about everyweek. At the moment I am in office three days but doing about 33 hours a week anyway so in real terms 5 extra hours isn't that much extra but being able to work 5 days would open up alot more c opportunities. Maybe 5 days but less hours per day might work better?
DH and I worked full time for about 10 months, between babies. He did a strict 38 hour week, and I do anything from 40 - 80 hours, depending on what's going on. But we both knew that it was short term. With my hours, plus travel and interstate/overseas stuff, I would never want for both of us to be full time while the boys are little.
When I was growing up though, both my parents worked full time from the time my youngest sibling was 2. Mum worked as a teacher for a lot of that time, and a journalist the rest of the time. Back then, we thought it was fine, but now we'd be branded as latch-key kids, and there's no way the school would stand by while we (from the age of 4...) walked 2km to and from school solo.
Considering that's DS1 in a year's time, I couldn't be ok with that either! This isn't 1985...
But if DH could get a job near school, with school hours (oh, perfect world in which that would be) or an acceptable mix of school and OSHC and I could get my hours under control, we'd be happy for us both to work full time :)
This is me too !!:
No, I have one RDO per week (and one work from home day) but when DD starts school (in 2018 lol) I will be going F/time again. The plan is to use OHSC in the mornings and DH finishes in time to pick up the kids. We will continue having a cleaner and already we batch cook (eg Monday night cook Mon/Tues dinner) etc Lots of people do it. I think the hardest thing would be the rush after work - dinner/bath/bad - and ensuring bedtime is reasonable every night:
Before I went on Mat leave with DS2, DH and I both worked full time.:
We had no dramas in doing it, once we got into our groove it was fine, even with the travel I did with my job.
Dh and i both work full time. I am away for at least 12 hrs a day 9 hrs at work and 3 hrs travelling.
Lucky dh works 15mins from home so he starts early so he can pick up dd1 from school.
Some days i struggle and so do my kids because they have to wake up at 5.40 so i can drive them to my mums.
Lucky mum looks after dd2 so i can check up on her anytime
I couldn't work full time from about 25 weeks pg and can't see myself getting back to ft anytime soon. I'm really struggling with 3 days on little sleep. Wanting to yell and cry at work really isn't ok.
Both DH and I work full time and i couldn't do it withhout the help of my parents. DH works odd hours (In law inforcement) so isn't always around to do drop off so I don't count on him but when he can its a bonus for me I can get to work earlier and leave earlier to spend time with DD. My parents look after her 2 days and do the daycare pick up on the other 2 days. I work from home one day its hard but managable you just need to be super organised. I also made the decision that I would happily stay in a similar role to what I have for the next few years while DD is growing up and then look at my career options
DH and I have both worked full time since DD was 13 months old (she's now 6). DH is a teacher so he has school holiday time which makes a big difference, however during term time it can be a bit crazy. He has to start early, which means I am on morning shift each day and have to take DD to school. He is able to finish at a reasonable hour though and can pick DD up most days from ASC. He can sometimes be stuck though so I have to step in sometimes - luckily we are both only 15 minutes away from DD's school (and home).
I think I would find it more difficult if we didn't have a break during school holidays. It means DD gets lots of special time with her dad and it means I get a break from the drop off etc. Holiday time gives me a chance to stock up on the freezer meals to get us through the next 10 weeks.
The hardest year was when DH moved schools and DD was still at day care - it was close to my work (we used to work in the same town) so I had to do all the drop offs and pickups (except one each week when DH travelled an extra 35 minutes so I could go to the gym).
If DH wasn't a teacher, I think I would have looked harder at going back part time - it would be difficult in my role, but I think things at home would have fallen apart if we were trying to juggle leave with school holidays etc.
Evenings are busy - we've given up on trying to do reading then and now sit down straight after breakfast to read. You just have to work around and look outside the square!
I work fulltime and DH is building back up to fulltime. He cooks dinner most nights which is a great help but all the rest is up to me. If your both working fulltime and can afford it I suggest getting a cleaner for the bathroom and mopping. I find these my hardest to keep up with as I can't really do it while DS is awake.
We have had times of both of us working full time hours, those times though we were able to fly MIL over to help out. Whilst she did not cook, she would sweep, mop, hang out and fold washing (I would put on the machine). It was just doable for us in that situation. We also have a property to work on as well. If we were to have both of us full time, then I would move to a basic property.
Thanks for the answers it helps - I was speaking to some recruitment agent and I was talking about wanting altered hours so say 7:00 - 15:00 or something and he said lots of people do just normal office hours - but I don't actually know anyone with both parents doing standard office hours - but I know lots of people who do work full-time, so I just wondered. I just can't get my ahead around it having to be like it is now but five days so us both leaving home by 7:15 and getting home 17:45. So I think I am on the right lines sticking to wanting altered hours, unless I can get a job 15 mins away.
Work have begged me to stay an extra month for the past two days - so now I am compromising and agreeing to do a couple more weeks of knowledge transfer. I don't know if is the right decision, I can live with 9 more days.
I could work standard office hours IF school had after school care, but they don't. I would have to move the girls to a different school. Also I am not sure financially it is worth the extra pay, as I would be going back to paying care fees.
Speaking of OHSC, does anyone use it and use morning and afternoon? Do you use everyday or only some? Any experiences of what combinations work well or not?
We use it before and after school 4 times a week.
My boys use OHSC every afternoon and they love it.
When my eldest was in prep, he went morning and afternoon.
I found that DS1 was very tired for the first term in prep but once he adjusted, he was fine. He had been at daycare full time previously so that may have helped.
I think as long as there is a routine, the kids will adjust. I wouldn't recommend chopping and changing days if you can avoid it.
We use after school care 4 days a week - no before school available. What does everyone else pay - ours is $20 a day, then we get the tax rebate back.
DD loves it and would like to be there more often. Heaps of food, craft, playing and they do a sport activity twice a week. Sometimes it's hard to get her to go.
Once a week she catches the bus into town to my work - I finish early and we do the shopping, get a drink, go to the park, or sometimes just go straight home.
Have never used vacation care.
Ours is $13 before school and $17 after school. We also use vacation care but my advice is to shop around for a good program. Our oshc one is dreadful so found another one run by teachers close to hubby's work. We also send DD1 to the zoo for their program once every holidays. She adores that because she has an infinite love of animals and they do awesome behind the scenes stuff. We also have the flexibility to take her to work with hubby but that is boring for her so try not to do it. I take as much til as I can during holidays to spend with her.
We have great council run vacation care. $57.50 a day before CCB and CCR, plus excursion and incursion fees. There a generally a couple of big bus trips to places like Halls Gap, or just small local trips to beaches etc. Every day is themed. The girls complain in the morning about going, but are always happy when I pick them up. A couple of rival vacation care services have started up by a couple of the private schools.
School has an active after school program that is free, runs most of the term (first week or two not on), there is no guarantee of a spot, plus the activities are not always great (this term is Football or Netball, which neither girls wants to do). I could not rely on it for work, so chances are if I enrolled the girls, I would use the time to go shopping and only stay at work if there was an urgent need ;)
The school claims there is not enough need for AFC and that it won't help enrolments, but I saw the list of kids going active after school and it was obvious a large portion were enrolled for work purposes, not because their child wanted to play the sport.
I just had a look at what ours would be (is run by Camp Australia) - it appears different rates for casual - I assume that set days every week is not considered casual - so looks like is 12 for before and 17 for after before rebates etc. A few people have said to me that is not much cheaper than daycare - not sure how that can be? 29 dollars a day full fee compared to 109 full fee - and the CCB and CCR applies to both - or am I missing something?
Also appears there is another session called - Prep Gap 2.30pm-3.30pm - does that mean Prep's finish at 2.30? Is that normally just for a few weeks or a term etc? Seems a bit odd that Prep Gap which is an hour costs $10.00 full fee and then normal after care is 3:15 PM to 6:00 PM and $17 does that mean that if you have a prep you end up with a full fee of $27 - just for the afternoon?
What do people do about other activities like swimming etc if using after school care all/most days - does everything get pushed to the weekend or do you find just don't do them?
Work is so annoying, I have been there nearly six months, and still yesterday they were like "oh you are not in tomorrow" (I have only worked one Tuesday in the six months) - "any chance you can do a few hours work for us" - am fed up with trying to cram 35 hours into three days - people seem to fail to understand that it isn't about money, just because getting paid doesn't make it ok.
Last year DD did dancing which was run by an outside person who hired the school hall. She would just get changed at after school care then run across the grounds and we'd pick her up after it finished.
We do swimming at 5:30 in the evening, so we pick her up at normal time from ASC, then do it later.
She is doing tennis this year instead of dancing so we pick her up a bit early and take her to it.
I prefer to have our weekends free - but I would like her to do nippers next summer which is only on a Sunday morning.
I also like weekends free - last swimming lesson of the day round here appears to be 5:30, and unless I can get altered hours then wouldn't make it for that one. The more I think about it the more sense it makes to not work 9-5 - the silly thing to me is that I work in logistics and most of the 'real' logistics work e.g. warehousing, delivering etc works more like a 7:00 till 3:00 day or slight variations on that - why IT companies are so set on this 9-5 business is beyond me.
I should be careful what I wish for, so fed up of work wishing for time off, now DD has Impetigo (school sores - I never heard it called school sores in UK) so can't go to daycare for 48 hours. So now I will be working from home tomorrow and possibly Thursday depending on DH. Saves me 2 hours driving, but I am not keen on working from home, the concentration required is not easy when even one of the kids are around. It must be very job dependent but always amuses me when work say can't you just work from home on if you haven't got childcare - mmm yes and what exactly are my 2 and 4 year old meant to do for 8 hours while I am tapping away on the keyboard. Yes a few hours here and there can manage with them around - but a days work - no chance - and I really prefer that if I am with the kids - I am "with" the kids.
Working from home can certainly work in some jobs, but I think those that can be done while also being responsible for children in the home are few and far between.
As I deal with payroll, most clients need their payroll done by 3pm, so it really works well with school friendly hours. Well that is assuming they are a client on the Eastern side of Aus ;)
I find I can't work from home either. I get snappy at the kids. I can do a quick bit of research, but any data related work is too risky.
Occasionally one or both of the girls may come into work with me, but it is only ever for around an hour.