How Do You Deal....

[AnythingsPossible]

Very frustrated with my profession right now. My daughter needed picked up 20 minutes ago, her Dad said he could get her. He just called, got stuck with a customer, so he is just now going to get her. She needs to go to the doctor, but he has to get back to his customer, and I obviously can't get out.

There is an activity this weekend that I want to register my girls for, but the place is only open until 5, and I work till 5:30.

My dog needs groomed, but our groomer has decided not to work weekends anymore, and I can't get the dog to her during the week.

How do you all deal with not being able to do things? Sometimes it really just gets me frustrated and down. The fact that I can't run a quick errand on my lunch hour, or have someone cover for me for a few minutes while I pick up my child is sometimes enough to make me want to hang it all up! You would think after 10 years, I would be used to it, but it just seems to get harder and harder.

[Blackcat31]

I hired a substitute or an assistant or I scheduled things far enough in advance to close early or all together if necessary. Oh and I sometimes found parents on the same teams as my kids to help me out.

That was the only way I made it through those years (when my own kids needed to be somewhere).

[sharlan]

I handle it with a full sized van and extra carseats.

[daycare]

I feel you. since I came to northern Cali from the south, I have not had any helpers. My husband is here some days, but he is alerady over worked and can't really take on the daycare for long. I have a medical condition and it's hard to get into the doctors, dentist or anything that my kids do.

I think what is really hard, is when something not planned goes down with your own kids or family that you feel stuck.

Is there anyone that can pick up for you? Close friend, relative or anything that like? My daughters best friends mom has picked up my daughter 2 times for me now when my daughter was sick or got hurt at school.

There are a lot of sacrifices, but you have to take care of #1 first before you can take care of anyone else. See if you can't arrange ahead of time to take the dog once a month and tell parents on the last friday of each month I will close at 4:45 or something to this degree.

If you are not happy. NO one is happy!!!!

[Crazy8]

Fortunately my DH has a pretty flexible schedule and can often cover things like those but if that isn't an option I'd consider finding someone that can be a substitute - even if it means just leaving them with the kids during nap time (that's what I do with DH sometimes, LOL).

[Country Kids]

I know exactly how you feel! This was great when my kids were little and when I had my substitute. Now as they have gotten older the stress level of not being able to be there for them is horrible.

I have one daughter-the migraines and other things that we haven't had diagnosed-that worries me because if something happens and she can't drive home I don't know how we can get her home.

Another daughter stays after school sometimes to work on school things. I've just had to put my foot down and go get her and let the parents know that is what we are doing if I have enough seats in my van.

I have two in braces/was three and you know how ortho's are. I can't be taking time off every six weeks.

One so bad would love for me to be able to come to a class party without 4-5 children.

I was doing just preschool for a few years and that worked wonderful. My husband though had his company close and was laid off. I did find wonderful families and filled up quickly but I went to being able to do things with my children to saying no, I can't I have daycare children. Causes resentment sometimes with my children. My hubby did find a job where he has tons of vacation time/personal time/sick time and has only been there not a year yet! He does run the kids to their appts. but he is starting a position where he will be meeting with clients in the afternoon and can't always take the time off now. So back to trying to figure things out.

I just found out the other job I want to do in a few years possibly only pays about 1,000 a month! So now I don't know if that will be a reality or not.
So even though I'm here for my kids when they leave for school and get home I'm really not here for them when they might really need me.

If you need to talk please feel free to pm me and we can talk that way if you would like!

[kathiemarie]

I handle it with a full sized van and extra carseats.

This is how I do it too. Daycare will NOT take away from my kids. If some one doesn't like that I drive I tell them we are not a good fit.

[Zoe]

I have a small group, so I can go places if I need to. I try not to do errands with the daycare kids, but if I had to pick up my daughter from school, I'd do it. Or if it were urgent. My mother lives a couple miles from us so she helps as well.

My DH is my sub so I can use him. I also allow myself 5 personal days so that I can be there for important events that happen during the day that I can't take the daycare kids to.

[laundrymom]

I use a mobile groomer. $5 more per groom but she comes here, parks out front and only takes an hour. LOVE IT!!!

[cheerfuldom]

I have an assistant but also, just have to deal with the fact that there are no mommy groups and very few options for classes and such for working moms. Thank goodness my ped. is open late!

[saved4always]

I have always made sure that I never watch more children than can fit in my van (with room left for my child) in case one of my kids gets sick at school and I need to pick them up. I never want to be in a situation where my child suffers because of my daycare work. Plus my husband is the major bread winner in our family so I not ever have him leave his job to pick up kids or do doctor appts. I am also very fortunate to have a group of fellow childcare providers who are my good friends who can help out for doctor appts. or other things that must be done during daycare hours. My parents know them so it works out. I help them out, then, too when they need it.

[bunnyslippers]

This is definitely one of my biggest issues with running a child care. I hate when in the middle of the night one of my own littles get sick, and all I can think is "how will I manage this tomorrow." I actually get resentful when my husband commes home from his day and tells me about the errands he ran during his lunch hour! I am just trying to bite the bullet until I can close this down and go back to my old life - teaching in a public school. I have a 1.5 year old and a 4 year old. My plan is to close up shop when my 1.5 year old goes to preschool.

Until then, I plan my appointments on the same day (I also have a medical condition) and close down when I have to. I give enough notice that the parents can make other plans, and I schedule 5 paid personal days into my contract to cover the financial aspects of having to close down. I also shortened my hours - I close by 4 every day. It is so challenging, and I really do feel for you. Hang in there!

[AnythingsPossible]

Thanks for all the replies. Last night I was extremely frustrated and needed to vent. Love this place for that, not only can we vent, but then get to see how many others are in the same boat.

We ended up in the ER with my daughter last night, she essentially was having a massive anxiety attack coupled with an illness that was causing her to have breathing problems. Scary, but nothing major so that was a good thing. I posted last week about insurance issues, so we also do not have insurance, but even if we did, they wouldn't of covered the ER visit anyway.

I think I am going to finish out this school year with the group that I have, and next year will go down to 5 or 6 so that if I need to pick up my kids for something, I can. I have let daycare take over our lives and worry about everyone else's children over my own. That is the opposite of why I started doing this!! I am also working towards my ECE in hopes of getting a teaching job at a preschool or one of our local districts that offer preschool programs. That's a few years out, but in the meantime, I think lowering my numbers will be the way to go.

I think a hard thing for me is that I have never worked out of the home, so I have an assumption of working out of the house and being able to leave at a moments notice if you have to, but I suppose it doesn't work like that in the outside working world either. The best solution is to be a stay at home mom to be available whenever, but if that was an option that is what I would do!

Thanks again everyone, hope you all have a good day!

[youretooloud]

I have only teacher's kids, (and two students) so I close at 4:30. It's made my life and job so much happier this way. The summers are hard because i have no kids, but our family is happier.

Also, I found a regular family doctor right by my house that has evening and Saturday hours.

Mobile groomer.

[bunnyslippers]

I have only teacher's kids, (and two students) so I close at 4:30. It's made my life and job so much happier this way. The summers are hard because i have no kids, but our family is happier.

Also, I found a regular family doctor right by my house that has evening and Saturday hours.

Mobile groomer.

I also only take teacher's kids. It takes a little more frugality during the year to cover my summer vacation, but I find it much easier than staying open really late. I also find my teacher families are more understanding of the need for family time.