What-to-do depression

When i went on mat leave in october last year, we worked out that we would be able to afford me to stay home until the end of feb. now at the beginning of may i'm still at home and grateful that we managed to really s-t-r-e-t-c-h our money out but now the thought of going back to work is actually making me sick - literally.
I cant bear the thought of putting Evie in care but it's really our only option for me to make a decent amount of money. the other option is that i babysit my SIL's baby and her friends baby for like $200 a week. this would mean that we'd be still scraping by but i'd be at home.
i've been around to childcare centres looking for relief work but that still doesnt help that evie would need to go into some sort of care for the day.
its not that i'm lazy and dont want to work but i just hate the thought of her being in someone else's care - especially since i have worked in many childcare centres and just dont want her in any centre fullstop.
Now i just cant enjoy the time i have at home now because i am just so edgy about whats going to happen with me and work.
i just dont know what to and cant seem to find any solution that makes me feel ok

That's no good - I take it you work in Childcare?? What if you got a job in a centre and she could come with you?

i do work in childcare, i just didnt put her on a waiting list so she hasnt got a place to come with me. family arrangements fell through thats why she's not on a list

I refuse to let Chelsea go into day care centres, but family day care is my best and only option i would go for. I feel safe she is being looked after, getting attention, not around heaops of others kids, so less likely to get nasty bugs, she get treated right, goes to the park etc. Its hard to leave kids with just 'anyone' but they will enjoy it. I can see the difference in Chels after 1 day at FDC and she is a bubbly baby when i pick her up.

Goodluck tho... its not easy, we never knew when id go back to work, and i wasnt on maternity leave, i quit my job flat out last March.....before Chels was even conceived. But as u know i now work 2 days a week, only thanks to DH's mates who needed some accounting help, and a bonus he works at the same place!

Did you think about running a Family Day Care from your house?

In my area they are always looking for qualified people to start it up, you can keep your daughter at home with you, and take in more than 2 other children to hopefully make it more worthwile.

I'ld look into it, you get the best of both worlds ($$ and DD), and see if its worth it in your circumstances.

Hello, I would think that registering as a Family Day Carer would be ideal for you, especially as you have existing child care experience. They sometimes require carers to attend a course over several weeks before registering but it would be worth it for getting the balance you want.

HTH

The FDC option sounds ideal you will have DD with you and you can use your existing skills too..

i have looked into it, the only problem is that we have to make a lot of changes to our house which we cant afford to do, like it's a couple of thousand dollars worth.

Hi Taralee,

Wouldn't your child receive priority if you worked at the childcare?

If not, would your friends only be paying $200/week in total for full time care for 2 children? That doesn't seem like very much money - they would be paying at least that if their children were in day care. Maybe you could negotiate a higher rate with them?

Cheers, Mary

It's all sorted. i am looking after family and doing relief work, MIL looking after evie when i need to go to work and on the other days i;ll have kids at home but at least be with evie.
also, does anyone know how much i'd get for my kidney?