I Know It’s Not Your Fault, Internet
Can we talk about part-time infant daycare for a minute, please, Internet? What’s that? Oh, there is no part-time daycare for infants, you say? Yes, I know, I’ve tried every freaking daycare in Columbus and the surrounding area and, yeah, they already told me. No part-time infant daycare. Waste of cribs or some such nonsense.
Try babysitting websites, you say? Yeah. We have also tried those. We’ve paid our registration fees, submitted our information, and sat back waiting for all the babysitters to pour in. Out of 22 days we need a sitter we have had exactly one day taken care of. One.
And another thing, Internet. What is the big freaking deal about driving fifteen miles? My husband and I do it every. damned. day. You say the babysitters won’t sign up because they don’t want to drive fifteen miles? Well I say they are stupid and lazy and care too much about greenhouse gases. There’s a super cute baby sitting here just waiting for someone to come play with him twelve hours a week. I think the ozone can handle it. And I know those babysitters are driving fifteen miles to the mall because there aren’t any malls downtown. OK, there’s one, but it is a sucky mall. Malls don’t pay you $10 an hour, babysitters. Seriously. Think about it.
Internet, I’m so sorry I’m yelling at you because I know it’s not your fault. There’s that saying about shooting the messenger, of course, but you’re not even the messenger. You’re an innocent bystander. And I’m starting to worry about how my husband and I are going to handle things when our super nice just-until-she-finds-a-job temporary babysitter finds a job and can’t come over. Sure, paying a sitter costs half of my income, but we still need the other half – I can’t just not work.
If only I had it in me to start my own daycare – a place that only does part-time infant care. Because us part-time working moms are people, too, and we need someone to watch over our babies just like all the full-time working moms and dads do. We shouldn’t have to post an ad on Craig’s list and take our chances with psychopaths and murderers. Assuming psychopaths and murderers would even drive the fifteen miles to our house which, let’s face it, no one else seems to want to do.
Ugh. Just one more way going back to school this quarter sucks. Luckily my students are cool and my iPod is stocked with new music to listen to on the commute.
Filed under: Parenting, Rants & Raves | 6 Comments
-
Subscribe to this blog Recent Comments
Letter9 
My sympathies, totally, but that’s a very funny post you’ve written.
Here via Christina’s blog. Sorry you’re having such an issue finding part time child care for your baby.
Have you tried contacting local schools or churches and inquiring if they are aware of any women (a recent retiree would be great, no?) who might be interested in the position?
I live in a suburb SE of Columbus and have been providing day care for over 20 years. I work from my own home though.
Good luck in finding someone you can trust to care for your child.
That’s such a tough one, oh is it ever.
I wish you lots of luck, and wish you were in my area because we have such a great network here.
Also lots of moms at home doing in home care, like my next door neighbor.
Have you tried a job posting at the local hospital? A lot of nurses and so forth are contractors or part-time because they are moms and some like to pick up extra money as home caregivers. Our church is a good resource too. Mostly, other mom word of mouth. Does your hospital have a mom’s group? Anywhere have any kind of mom’s group?
Hang in there.
Julie
Using My Words
When Cordy was a baby, she was enrolled part-time at the Jewish Center’s daycare. (Aaron’s aunt is the director.) Before she got into the school district’s preschool, Cordy was going there two days a week this past summer.
They do offer part-time, but book up quickly. I could e-mail his aunt and see what openings they might have. Which days do you need?
If you live on the SW side of town, I’d be happy to help if possible.
I feel your pain. When I went back to work after Charlotte was born, we must have switched daycare providers a half a dozen times looking for the right situation for us. I needed part-time care as well because Ryan had time off during the week, and we didn’t want her to be in daycare if it wasn’t necessary. Good luck finding something more long term.
-Deneese
I know what you mean. WHen I was pregnant this was a big problem for us. Plus? WHat ONE place I found expected 30 hours a week and was way more money. Fortunately I was able to quit. But yes, it sucks when you don’t have that option. (If you were in MO, I’d TOTALLY do it! I miss that sweet baby smell and baby smiles… Not so much the baby poop, heehee. But all of the other wonderful baby things.)