The Daycare Dilemma

By which I obviously mean nursery, but that doesn’t sound as alliteration-y.

All being well, I finish work to start my maternity leave for beansprout on the 24th May. The first week or so is holiday allowance, weekends and bank holiday which should tide me over until 6th June (unless I give birth before then, in which case my maternity leave automatically starts).

Anyway, so the current question on my mind is… what do I do with Isabel?

In the ideal crunchy world, she would be removed from nursery (which we have no choice but to use as working parents) and thus at home with me in “SAHM” glory. However, this idea presents several potential issues:

  • The early days of nursing are hard enough work without a toddler underfoot
  • Isabel enjoys nursery now and frequently asks to go in on Fridays (our day off)
  • There would be no guarantee we’d be able to secure her a place when I inevitably go back after leave with #2
  • If removed, all her friends will be a year older when she needs to start again, and she’d have to reintegrate with carers and children

Conversely, if we leave her in, we have to contend with:

  • The financial burden of childcare on only one and a little bit salary (Karl’s + statutory maternity pay, which you only get for 9 months anyway); childcare is our biggest expense at over £100 more than the mortgage per month
  • The question of how many days we send her in for… she won’t need to go for the full 4, but again if we reduce down too far the nursery will not be able to guarantee a full placement again after a year
  • The ridiculous judgement of those mums who think that daycare and/or working is for common folk who don’t love their children (and the inevitable guilt it will bring me even when I pretend I don’t care)

Tough choices to make.

Posted on: March 27, 2012 · Category: Parenting

Glorious sunshine

What a weekend. 20 degrees in March, fantastic. Predictably spent most of it in the garden (and have the pink toasty shoulders to show for it – oops)

Tidied up the front garden a bit (although forgot to water flowers – south-facing daffodils are looking very scorched) and bought a big plastic compost bin from a local nursery that’s being wound down. Got some bedding plants ready to be potted up and placed somewhere to brighten the place up, and a colleague has offered me a big sack of horse manure to fork into the raised beds. Blueberry bush and cherry tree covered in lots of lovely new growth so obviously happy where they are, but no sign of any growth from the tomato / pepper seeds – thinking it might be a bit too chilly overnight even in the greenhouse, so might pop them in the airing cupboard to give ‘em a quick boost.

Isabel spent most of the weekend interrogating worms, ladybirds, butterflies, bees etc. Not sure clapping her hands whilst holding a worm was the best idea, but she was convinced he was enjoying it…

Posted on: March 26, 2012 · Category: Home & Garden

I need a holiday

I must not whinge.

I must not whinge.

I must not whinge.

Oh, and the raised beds are in – now just need a bit more compost/soil.

Posted on: March 22, 2012 · Category: Misc

What a bloody morning

Had only been in work 5 minutes when Karl calls to say that Isabel has been sick and nursery want us to pick her up. Spend 20 minutes trying to get hold of a) my boss, b) a client I was supposed to meeting at 10:30, c) Karl to arrange for me to go home with Izz, only for my mum to offer to look after Isabel, so then have to spend another 20 minutes undoing the planning/cancelling etc.

Head off for meeting at 10am, giving myself an extra 10 minutes than I should’ve needed because it was my first time driving to a meeting(!!!) and making full use of it when I took a wrong turn at a roundabout and ended up driving around the wrong half of an industrial estate. Call work, get redirected the right way, only end up 5 minutes late with a very warm car that doesn’t like 2nd gear (v. noisy).

Meeting took twice as long as I thought, so came away very hungry and desperate for a pee (should’ve gone before I left); detour to a local shop to get lunch only to park and then realise I’d left my purse (thus money) at work! ARGH. Back to work, no money in my purse, so had to scrounge a couple of quid to get a sarnie from the bloody café next door (for them to tell me I’m “visibly waddling” today – gee thanks!)

I’ve got raging heartburn from leaving it too long between ‘meals’, 8 hours work to fit into 2 hours and 2 new jobs have just been plonked on my desk for quoting on.

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK.

update 7:41pm: like my day needed to get worse… turns out Isabel really is ill, and I’ve smacked the car into the bloody gatepost again. Anyone else want to throw any shit at me today?!

Posted on: March 14, 2012 · Category: Parenting, Work

Bum

Nothing quite like being woken up by a sopping wet toddler at just gone 5am because of an epic nappy failure.

We’ve been using close parent pop-ins (old style) with the dri-night booster overnight for some time, and had up until this point been full of praise for them. Although they’re bulky with the added booster, the leg gusset meant no pee leaks (which as a co-sleeper, is quite important to me; I’m sure you can imagine why).

Except Izzy is leggy, and so although she’s still under the weight limit (“35lbs+”) I can only just get them done up. This means they’re too tight, and so last night wicked pee all up the nappy, pyjamas, and my bloody bed sheets.

Task: ‘find a new toddler-proof night nappy’ is a go-go…

Posted on: March 13, 2012 · Category: Parenting