Whats your family support network like?
Answered 3 years ago
I'm hoping to return to work next year and in theory, have an amazing support network for the early morning starts before the before school care opens. We have 4 kids, 2 in primary school, 1 in preschool next year (the year BEFORE the first full time year of school), and a baby. I don't expect our family to babysit all day or even do the school runs. But the job would be a 6am start and the daycare doesn't open until 7. So for an hour and a half a day I would require their help. With babysitting and then dropping the kids off to the facility. They're all really supportive with me going back to work and everything, but they act offended when I ask if they can help. Of course I'll pay them for fuel costs and for the time spent with them. But, I just feel so.... icky... about it all. Is it so bad to ask for help? Would your family help you out? Am I asking too much? There's more in the comments.
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I'm so confused and irked by the whole situation. Everyone has been cheering me on to go back to work and take the opportunity, but then leave me in the lurch when I need their assistance. Urgh.
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What world are you living in? You have 4 kids in three seperate places and and hour (at a ridiculous time) with no paid care available .... How about this.... stay home and look after your kids, or find a job which fits around them.
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I wouldn’t dream of asking family for the sort of help you are after. Best of luck.
Just reading some if the comments on trying to get out of the house & to work on time exhausts me, but you shouldn't definitely take the opportunity to work if that's what you want!
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Maybe you're right though.
Obvious answer Op is get a diff job/ move position in company or negotiate a slightly later start time
No help from his family at all, haven't seen or heard from them in years. My family are really close but I wouldn't want to ask them to do child minding especially on a long term basis and at such an early hour. I just think it would be too much for them
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You are allowed to ask for help, but in turn, they are allowed to say no. Maybe see if each set of parents is ok to do one day a week and hire someone to do the other days.
Do you have a partner? Can they change something to help out one day a week?
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To answer your question, no family network of support here. My family live in another city and my husband’s parents who live very close by are not supportive at all.’