Childcare

Life experiences

When we moved to the UK, we were under the illusion that we would have a servant/maid as we had back home. No one had warned us that childcare would be a challenge and that childcare was so expensive. Childcare can cost the same amount as a basic wage for one of you. If you have children or have the intention of having children, make sure you make a plan on how to tackle childcare before you immigrate.

Plan on how to tackle childcare before you immigrate.

Initially when our children arrived with my mother, it was easy as mum was around to assist. My son was three and was not yet in full-time education and my daughter was eight and had started school. My husband had to start working nights because that was the only way we could work it out. This was not an ideal situation as we rarely had family time. Looking back we should have explored all options at the beginning of the immigration plans. Moving to the UK really made us realise that we had to be the parents that God created us to be. This way of life will make you know your children more and better still bond with them more.

I am going to point out different ways to manage your lifestyle when you’ve got children who will need your attention. Before you know it they will be all grown up and by the time they get to their teens they may not even want to talk to you at all.

Budget wisely

Budgeting wisely means there is someone at home all the time with the children, to listen to them and give them the support they need, especially on those days when they have had bad days at school. Also budget your time wisely so that you give your children the quality time they deserve. Make time to be present for your children no matter what age they are.

Having at least one parent when the children are at home is the best.

Work out how much do you need on a day-to-day basis and see if one of you can give up their job or reduce their working hours. If this is an option, this can definitely be the best option because within 3 to 4 years your children can go to school and you can work part-time or go into full-time work and put them into after-care. If you are fortunate enough to afford childcare without compromising your child\’s upbringing and your health by working night shifts or long hours then go for it. Do what works for your family and do not be caught up in making money at the detriment of your children\’s life.

Employer\’s flexible working policy

Ensure you read and understand your employer\’s flexible working policy. Work out how you want the flexible working to work for you and put it in writing. Request a meeting with your line manager and request that a union representative be there as union representatives tend to be aware of your employee rights.

Read and understand your employer\’s flexible working policy

When I had my little one I requested to work on Sundays and this helped the department, so ensure you are also giving something to your employer. Now in these unprecedented times, working from home has become popular, so if your job permits, request to work from home on some days or all the time.

Running your own business

If you are fortunate enough to run your own business, schedule your work not to interfere with family time. You can actually decide when you want to work and how you want to work. That will give you more flexibility as long as you just make sure that you’re putting in sufficient hours into was your business. Try not to mix working with family time as your children may end up resenting your work and missing out on your attention.

Schedule work not to interfere with family time

Besides running a business, there is now a lot of online freelance jobs, such as being a virtual assistant, editing and writing articles for bloggers, or even starting a blog and many more. With these kinds of jobs you can decide when you are working and how you’re going to meet your deadlines. For a detailed video on online business see Humble Penny\’s you tube video and many more.

Remember if you work all the time and your children barely see you they are going to find that attention from someone else.

Research on all types of childcare

Research on the various options of childcare, and check if you are eligible for discounts or tax relief on government websites. Before placing your child in any of these, go and take a tour and ask relevant questions.

Ensure the childcare provider can support all your child\’s dietary, emotional and educational needs that are in line with your values too.

Ensure the provider can support all your child\’s dietary, emotional and educational needs that are in line with your values. Check the local educational standards website for how the childcare provider performs on expected national standards. In the united kingdom, Ofsted is the education standards board. There you can check the latest report on the childcare provider of your choice before making that decision. Below I am going to list the various childcare options to explore.

Family or friends network

This is the best form of childcare besides you and your spouse. Your child will be with people who share the same values as you and if they also have children this can help your child have relationships which can last a lifetime too. The disadvantage is that this cohort of childcare is not regulated by the regulating bodies. Therefore there can be a risk if they are people you have not known all your life, as when you move to another country you will start relationships with people from various backgrounds. However, use your own judgement when deciding on families that you want to trust with your child.

Childminders

Childminders take care of children in their own homes. This cohort of childcare providers are Ofsted registered and they can be researched on the site. These can provide a more flexible way of childcare as they can start and finish later than nurseries which work on fixed opening and closing times. Find childminders who are more local to you such that you can continue to use them for after school care once children are in full time education. The advantages of childminders is that they tend to also have structured play and learning and can also be requested to help children with their homework. The disadvantage of childminders is that there is no one else in their home to monitor how they are treating your child.

Nursery

Nurseries are run as businesses and they tend to have more children per one teacher. These are also listed on the Ofsted website and therefore their performance is monitored. The advantage of nurseries is that there are more people around to monitor how your child is being taken care of. Your child can also make a lot of friends and learn how to communicate with both adults and peers. If possible do not get your child into a nursery that is near your workplace, preferably use one that is closer to your home, so that on those days when you are off from work but want time to rest, you do not have to drive all the way to your work place when you should be resting.

Au pair

Au pairs are students who come from another country to learn a local language. These would be able to stay with you in your home, however you would have to give them time to go and attend classes. These can be useful because they have flexible availability depending on your hours of work. The disadvantage of this cohort is that they can be temporary and also there can be a language barrier as they will be still learning the language.

Nanny

A nanny is someone who can either live in your home or they can commute to your home daily from their home to help take care of your children within the comfort of your home. This can be a better option if you have two or three small children who are not yet in school. This is cheaper than nursery as you will be paying one person to take care of your children, instead of paying individual nursery fees for your children. Nannies are also registered with Ofsted and their reports can be found on the Ofsted website too.

Holiday Clubs

These operate specifically during school breaks and are useful especially if you are unable to be off for the whole time your child is off from school. Some of these are Ofsted registered but some are not. Holiday clubs can run special classes for specific sports or recreational activities and they can be useful if you are cultivating your child\’s talent. Your local school can also run holiday clubs, as well as the local council.

Playgroups

Playgroups are locally run to enable stay at home mums to have time to interact with other parents and for little ones to have a social life. These can be helpful but they are short sessions and they cannot be relied on for long periods of time. However, they can give a bit of respite to parents and also little ones can learn new skills. These are run by the local authority.

I hope you have found the information in this article useful. How are you managing your childcare, what challenges are you facing and how are you overcoming them? Feel free to comment in the comments section below, and do not forget to subscribe so you do not miss out on any future blogs. Have a happy Easter.