Granny as nanny: It’s happening more than ever these days, and there are definitely pros and cons to this particular childcare setup. We’ve talked about grandparents as caregivers before, but it’s been a while — so when Kristine, a manager mom in Houston who was kind enough to share a week in her life with … Read More about Guest Post: The Pros and Cons of Grandparents Watching the Kids
Do You Change Your Work Schedule for Summer?
Now that the school year is almost over (um, how?), it’s a good time to ask the readers this question: Do you typically change your work schedule for summer — or your childcare schedule for summer? If your kid goes to a typical childcare center, you may not have to deal with any summer schedule changes, … Read More about Do You Change Your Work Schedule for Summer?
How to Level Up Your Childcare/Personal Help (When Money is No Object)
If you’re a busy working mom, good childcare is a must — but what happens when a nanny doesn’t even begin to cut it? How can you level up your childcare and household management? (Warning: this post is not terribly budget-friendly.) I’ve wanted to talk about this ever since I read this post from Penelope Trunk (written in … Read More about How to Level Up Your Childcare/Personal Help (When Money is No Object)
The Cost of Daycare: What Do You Spend?
A couple of months ago on Corporette, we discussed how much you should spend on housing costs, and today we’re going to talk about something that often looms just as large in the minds of working moms: the cost of daycare. Lately, the news seems to be full of articles about the cost of daycare … Read More about The Cost of Daycare: What Do You Spend?
Backup Childcare
2018 Update: We still stand by this discussion on backup childcare strategies; you may also want to check out our most recent discussion on snow days and working parents. What does your backup childcare situation look like, ladies? How many backup layers do you have, how did you decide on those, and has your backup plan … Read More about Backup Childcare
Daycare: Near Home or Work?
Is the best daycare near home — or work? We’ve talked in broad strokes about the pros and cons of different childcare options, but not specifically this. A reader wrote in pondering this question a while ago, so let’s discuss. First, here’s her question: Kat, I’ve searched the site but I can’t see that you’ve … Read More about Daycare: Near Home or Work?
School Break Camps: Open Thread
Do your kids go to school break camps during winter and spring school vacations? With day care, you usually don’t have to worry — just send them to your regular provider. But parents of school-age kids need to find an alternative child care situation. Good sources for information about school break camps include local parent magazines and websites, and … Read More about School Break Camps: Open Thread
Teacher Gifts, Floater Gifts, and More
Holidays bring a special stress for parents: teacher gifts. So let’s discuss, ladies — what gifts are you getting for your child’s teachers, floaters, and other folks? If there is one “group gift” to which you’ve contributed money/energy, are you done with it? Do you feel stress to “keep up with the Joneses” in terms … Read More about Teacher Gifts, Floater Gifts, and More
Diaper Bags: What’s In Yours?
What’s in your diaper bag? Who stocks it, and who usually carries it? I know a lot of people keep their cars and/or big strollers well-stocked — and some have the nanny in charge of the diaper bag — but I’ve always kept the bag stocked and ready for us to go out to eat, to a museum, or to the airport. … Read More about Diaper Bags: What’s In Yours?
Grandma the Babysitter: Grandparents as Caregivers
2017 Update: We still stand by this thread on grandparents as caregivers, but you may also want to check out our newer discussion (a guest post by a manager mom in Houston!) who has a “granny as nanny” situation. We’ve talked about childcare pros and cons, but we’ve never directly talked about childcare with family … Read More about Grandma the Babysitter: Grandparents as Caregivers
Daycare Tips for Working Moms
Here’s a fun topic: what are your best daycare tips for working moms? What are the things that only friends will tell you about daycare (such as dress your child as cute as possible); what have you learned the hard way by the way of daycare tips? When readers were discussing baby clothing and daycare … Read More about Daycare Tips for Working Moms
Your Kids’ Activities, Overscheduling, and Working Parents
A while back, some readers were discussing the difficulty of scheduling your kids’ extracurricular activities — and homework, and family time — without overscheduling your kids, all while navigating hours/timeslots that may or may not be favorable to working moms. As one woman noted: Kat, could we do a discussion on overparenting/overscheduling when a working mom? … Read More about Your Kids’ Activities, Overscheduling, and Working Parents