Childcare for weekends when both parents have to work

Hoping someone might be able to offer some advice. My SO is an ER resident,(PGY-1) I'm an ER nurse, so our schedules/rosters are crazy at times and blissful at times.

My question is I'm hoping to move over to the US to join SO soon, How easy/hard is it going to be to find a childminder/childcare that will be willing to look after ds when we are both working, bearing in mind we'll be working weekends too. Initially for the first couple of years I'm going to have to work full time to support all of us as neither of us are US residents we can't take loans out so I can be a SAHM.

Any advice, or links would be gretaly appreciated. We'll be living in Boston MA.

[planet]

Hi Mrs. B,

My first thought is that Boston is SO expensive that you might want to look at working at an outlying hospital to work at and live near where the cost of living is less and the standard is better. Your SO may not have a choice where he works, but you will, right?

I recently met an ER doc (and of course stuck my foot in my mouth when I started going on about what a great lifestyle EM is ) who is married to another doc. They alternate shifts so that one can be with the kids. It is obviously hard, but clearly they do it.

I still think your best bet is to get into a living situation where you can lower your COL and work less or at least pick shifts that work.

Good luck. BTW we opted for living in extreme poverty for me to be at home and it has its own stresses and difficulties.

[planet]

Sorry Mrs. B,

I didn't answer the question AT ALL. I know a lot of people have nannies. I can recommend someone who may be able to help if you end up living just north of Boston. Some people share nannies. You will probably have to search hard for a 'pinch hitter' who can come only as you need and on shorter notice. A regular sitter or nanny on weekends may actually be cheaper. Sharing a nanny with someone in a similar situation could mean she is being paid regardless and you just work out where she will be. There are no easy solutions.

Sorry again for not reading the title.

[planet]

Oh, and I can't afford even half of a nanny so I can't help with that.

[DCJenn]

In Massachusetts, if you go out from Boston, you will find significantly less expensive everything, including child care. My friend was able to hook up with some ladies from church to do a co-op kind of thing for evenings and weekend (they all did some form of social services which required weekends on-call)

There maybe a child care center at one or more of the hospitals or at least affliated with them.

It's tough, unfortunately the US doesn't seem to value childcare options like the Europeans do.

Jenn

Thanks so much for advice and help.

Believe childcare is a nightmare here too if you work outside the hours of 9-5, I rely so much on my parents to take my son when I'm working and I have a childminder who looks after ds when My parents are both working, my childminder is great she has 2 boys of her own who are 6 months older and 6 months younger than my ds.

The only way I can come to america is if I work full time, there is no way I'll get sponsorship for a visa if I only want part time work. so unfotunately thats what i'll have to do or else get married before we want too which I feel is unfair particularly on my SO who is an only child and wants to do it properly, not rushed.

I will be over in Boston in 8 days :ra: I can't wait, but have agreed with SO that I will look at places we could possibly live and see what we can afford while he's at work, I think I am going to end up working full time just to pay for childcare and have nothing left after it, so annoying!!

[Ames]

Boston is expensive! I lived and taught there for over 5 years! How old is your son? What hospital is your SO going to be working at? I know some of the hospitals there used to subsidise (sp?) daycare. Mass General runs it's own daycare center but I'm not sure what it costs. I have friends who teach/nanny in the city so if you end up in Boston I could find out how much they charge.

AMy, any advice and help would be gratefully appreciated. SO is at Mass General at the moment, he will also be at Brigham Womens, the childrens hospital and Mount Auburn on his programme they rotate hospital with their rotation.

DS is nearly 2 1/2. I don't know the area at all, I don't know the US at all, or the childcare system so relying on boards like this for advice. I will be over next week for 4 weeks to try and get a feel for things and see how we are going to have to arrange things, I may have to make a change from ER nursing to another area that would be more child friendly, but will do anything to have my family back together again.

SO is finding it so hard being there on his own, we talk for 3-4 hours every night, I don't think either of us expected such a culture shock that he is experiencing, not just in work culture but just normal day-to-day living, probably niave of us!

Jane