Off Topic Part Cinq

[Marilyn. 340]

the problem I am having is that there are more nannies/babysitters looking for jobs then there are jobs... and the ones that might be available have crazy hours and/or the rates are to low...

[Ban Hammer 13,110]

the problem I am having is that there are more nannies/babysitters looking for jobs then there are jobs... and the ones that might be available have crazy hours and/or the rates are to low...

i wish you lived closer because i know you'd be excellent with my baby boy.

[Hugglebuggles 60]

Watching after kids is a hard job. I can't see any sane person agreeing to do that for $4 an hour! Are people completely mad? When I was 12 I used to babysit my neighbors kids after school for more than that, and I was 12.

Speaking of babysitting, how do people here manage a career and babies at the same time? Here in CO you get a whole 8 weeks of maternity leave. Unpaid. How do you go back to work and leave a 2 month old baby? Who would you trust to watch a baby that young? You'd think there would be a demanding market for babysitters. I certainly wouldn't be dropping my newborn off at a daycare center.

[ashenflowers 5]

Speaking of babysitting, how do people here manage a career and babies at the same time? Here in CO you get a whole 8 weeks of maternity leave. Unpaid. How do you go back to work and leave a 2 month old baby? Who would you trust to watch a baby that young? You'd think there would be a demanding market for babysitters. I certainly wouldn't be dropping my newborn off at a daycare center.

That is exactly why I want to move back to Canada once I get to a point where I want to have babies.

[brightskte 18]

Mathew and I have an agreement that when it's time for babies I'm going to stop working until it at least goes to school. His profession(whenever he gets a job ) will pay enough for only one of us to be working and I don't like the idea of someone I don't know taking care of my baby. Every day you see little children getting abducted on CNN and I'm just not comfortable with having another person raise my child. I'm not sure if it's my job or if it's KY state law, but we get 8 weeks of paid maternity leave so at least there's that upside.

But seriously? $4 an hour? That chick must be smoking crack or something. And I bet her kids are little demons.

Edited August 17, 2010 by Kayla*Mathew

[Udella&Wiz 325]

That is exactly why I want to move back to Canada once I get to a point where I want to have babies.

That is scary - I'm thankful I had my daughter back in Canada - 18 yrs ago - ON had 6 months of Mat leave - I wish I had the luxury fo a year! A lot of my friends are still in the baby stage and they go off for 6 months and then their husband's go the last 6 months - I think that's kind of neat.

A couple girls here in VA from work have had babies and I don;t know how they do it - we work in an office and they're constantly going down stairs to the "Wellness' room to pump breast milk (which itself is rgeat) but then they cart it home every night.....that's just nuts. And they were back to work in less then 3 months...don't know that I could do it.

Edited August 17, 2010 by Udella&Wiz

[Flames9_RN 358]

Keep in mind, one has to have enough hours to qualify for maternity EI in Canada!

I know FMLA gives one up to 12 weeks of unpaid holidays (here in VA, no clue if it varies from State to State) I know in the nursing world, many of the gals save up their days off to use during their pregnancy so they get paid for part of that 12 weeks. As well a few of my colleagues who just had kids, work nights, they try and work every 2nd night (for a ttl of 3 each week if full time) so that way they are home during the day with the kids. Of course they get very little sleep during that first day off, which must be difficult!! As when I come home from work, I walk the dog and crash!! But doing it that way, saves $$$$ on child care. Other option: hope ur mother//mother n law are retired and live close by.

[Kimbear 53]

Watching after kids is a hard job. I can't see any sane person agreeing to do that for $4 an hour! Are people completely mad? When I was 12 I used to babysit my neighbors kids after school for more than that, and I was 12.

Speaking of babysitting, how do people here manage a career and babies at the same time? Here in CO you get a whole 8 weeks of maternity leave. Unpaid. How do you go back to work and leave a 2 month old baby? Who would you trust to watch a baby that young? You'd think there would be a demanding market for babysitters. I certainly wouldn't be dropping my newborn off at a daycare center.

my sentiment exactly.. thats why david and i already decided if we get pregnant, i'm staying home with the child til he/she is old enough for school. i have seen the food daycares give to kids, etc. and i want the child to learn the manners i teach him, i want to raise him, not let someone else raise my child.ya know?

[The_Dude 1,142]

Watching after kids is a hard job. I can't see any sane person agreeing to do that for $4 an hour! Are people completely mad? When I was 12 I used to babysit my neighbors kids after school for more than that, and I was 12.

Speaking of babysitting, how do people here manage a career and babies at the same time? Here in CO you get a whole 8 weeks of maternity leave. Unpaid. How do you go back to work and leave a 2 month old baby? Who would you trust to watch a baby that young? You'd think there would be a demanding market for babysitters. I certainly wouldn't be dropping my newborn off at a daycare center.

OK, for the less initiated, an add on Craigslist for under minimum wage is Craigslist Code for "We are looking to hire illegal immigrants". sigh.

[Colleens 40]

I am just thankful that the timeline for my pregnancy seems to be working out with being able to get my full year of mat leave. I seriously don't understand how people can go back to work with such a young one. I also would like to be able to stay home until the kid(s) are in school.

[Ban Hammer 13,110]

OK, for the less initiated, an add on Craigslist for under minimum wage is Craigslist Code for "We are looking to hire illegal immigrants". sigh.

that i wasn't aware of.

[The_Dude 1,142]

that i wasn't aware of.

Really? Or did you forget the [/sarcasm] tag?

Craigslist is filled with coded adds. You'll see a lot of "Friend of 420" adds on the personal section which means "i'm selling pot". With the employment adds for under minimum wage, who else is going to work for under minimum wage?

[Gemmie 142]

The awful maternity laws are the reason I'm thinking of not doing my PhD if I'm accepted. They give you 8 weeks if you can get your supervisor to agree, sometimes paid, sometimes unpaid. And after that you have to show you can still do the work (teaching, writing your thesis) if you want more time off, which is almost impossible to do with a newborn keeping you up at night and needing you every hour. I asked my husband what people do, and he said they put them in daycare - which apparently has a few months waiting list in grad programmes! - or are lucky enough to have their partner earning enough to support everyone. Having a family that I can spend time with is much more important to me than any career.

[Ontarkie 14,133]

I don't know how ppl here can put newborns in daycare. I know there is no way I could do it. When I had my kids I would tell ppl off who would say daycare is the best place for kids cause it gave the mother a break. Um I thought that's what naps and early bedtimes were for. I see so many parents letting their kids stay up till 1-2am just so they can sleep in a few hours in the morning. I still can't seem to figure out how that is helpful.

My brother in law and his wife have 2 kids, and they made a comment about how one teacher(daycare) said how their son is the most behaved kid in school(daycare). I think that kid is very bad he hits other kids, jumps on his sister she's 2 and swears at his mother on a regular basis. But they think this is a good kid, I'm afraid to see what the other kids are like. Too many ppl use daycare to raise their kids. Now I know their are so many that don't and its just the bad apples that ruin it for everyone else. And I understand that here in the US most ppl can't live off of 1 income and they need daycare but its not meant to raise the kids. And some ppl are indeed using it like that. I also still can't figure out why some parents are determin to call the daycare schools, does it make them feel like they are doing so good putting their 2yr old in school rather then daycare.

Its a hard spot to be in as a new parent, I hope everyone having babies is able to figure out what is best for them.

[Gemmie 142]

I feel the same way, maybe it's an American thing to put your baby in daycare because of the limited maternity leave and pay. I know that my family/friends would be horrified.

I do think daycare can offer socialization as long as it isn't involving aggressive behaviour, which of course we can't guarantee. My brother and sister-in-law are the opposite, they never take their baby out of the apartment apart from a short car-ride to his grandparents. They make excuses when I suggest taking him to the park nearby. They refuse to take him to a kids restaurant, they've cancelled out all public transport (buses, trains, planes), won't let him stay overnight with his grandmother or his aunties because of personal issues. They even don't want him watching kids shows/cartoons. I just wonder how he's going to learn social skills when he's cooped up in the flat all day, you know?

Edited August 17, 2010 by Gemmie