Do you live in WA if so I might have an answer just ask...

I work in hospitality. Mostly night work, though some places you do lunches. Usually they want people who only work nights. But of course you're not home at dinner time. And don't forget it means that you're tired during the day cos you've worked through what would mostly be your sleep time.

 

I am sorry if i offend but sometimes beggers just can't be choosy! I think the best idea would be to ring up a few day care centres and make an appointment to go and have a look around. You need to feel comfortable with where you are leaving your little bundle of joy and who they are being left with....i am with you there! I went with the first one i went to!
As for the milestones, some childcare centres make a portfolio book with all little things that they have done for the year! I know my daughter's centre made one for her, i nearly cried when i went through it!
She has also learnt so many social skills (well more anyway) and has developed alot quicker! I think it would be worth a shot!
In the end though, it all comes back to what you feel comfortable with! Good luck in finding the solution!

When my kids were little I worked at Jenny Craig as a weight loss consultant.  They did consultations up to 8pm in the evening and on Saturdays, so I made sure I could get those shifts for the most part.   But I did have to have my kids in care for a while each day - usually only a couple of hours - cause I would start at 4pm, but the girls' father wouldn't finish work till 5pm.  Still, with child care benefit, you end up with more money in your hand from working even if you do need care.

And you're not missing out on more milestones using care than if your hubby's looking after them while you're out.  Most places are very good about recording the kids day and telling you what they've done, which is all that your hubby would do anyway.

It's a bit of a toss-up - you can either be with them 24-7 and not miss anything, or you can accept that you can't be there for everything and let them be in someone else's care for a while.  The wonderful thing about having someone else care for them, is that you now have more people who you can share the excitement and joy of the milestones with!  The kids have more people who care and love them and who are excited when they stand up and you can share what they've done at home and the carers are excited about that too.

My sister worked at K-mart at night after it was closed. She just had to put things back where they belonged. She also had flexability with days and times she wanted to work.

when i have this bubs im going to try and find a job for a few hours a week, somethink to do with the course im doing with child care.
hope you find a great job.
theres alot of cleaning jobs about there if you are interested in doing that.
francine xoxoxo

My friend night fills in supermarkets, she works from 4:30 to 8:30 in one job and 7:00 till 11:00 in another, the pay is good too, better than expected!! other than that bar work, or find something to do at home, in town here we have ironing lady, pet walkers, or general house cleaners or gardeners, you could probably bring your kids to home based work?! oh and creche, my SIL works at a creche in a gym and brings her kids to work. I hope this helps

Don't ever feel useless or that you are letting your family down! You're a mother. You have the biggest and best job of them all. I personally do feel that 5mths is too young to put your little one in care, I have my child in daycare once he turned 12mths old. That's my personal choice, however, having worked as a nanny and also a child care worker in the past, I know what it's like being on "the other side of the fence" with children in daycare. I feel no matter how good/trained the staff are, nothing beats the care of the mother. Yes you will miss the milestones, and lets face it - how fast do they grow up. I feel if you don't need the extra income, enjoy being at home with them, there'd be a lot of mothers out there that financially have to work but silently wish they could have the choice of being at home. Also, another thing, if your partner works all day, and you work all afternoon or night, yeh, your children would avoid daycare, but where's the quality time with the two of you? That's just as important! Wishing you luck, and chin up!

In my opinion I think your choice not to put children into care is a good one while you have such a young one. Is there a reason why you need to work right now? Can you leave it until the little one is a bit older.?

That is what I am doing. I won't put Zack into daycare at all. I don't believe that I could trust anyone with my child until he can talk and tell me whether or not he is having a problem so I am doing a correspondance course. That way when I do go back to work I will have better qualifications to get a better job.

 Lexi xxx

As a stay at home mom, I know how you feel.  I hated having to be away from my daughter, but at the same time I did want to work.  Now I can't work, and I too don't seem to find that right job.  If you don't want to have them in daycare, and you and your husband have talked about it, then don't.  So many times we feel that just because we stay home we don't do enough.  Yet our job is the only job in the world where we work 24/7/365.  We don't get sick days or holidays or vacation days.  Don't feel like you are letting the family down.  You are a blessing to everyone there with you.  You know that they did a study and all the things that we do as mothers, if we were paid would be more then $500 thousand a year!  That's alot! Though it's not in money, its in love and satisfaction, remember that you are doing what you feel is best for your family.  You can certainly look for things at the local hospital or care centers.  I don't know what you want to do, but places that are open 24/7 are more then willing to hire for evening and night, most people don't like it.  You could look at customer service centers that are 24/7 too.  But don't feel that you are useless or letting your family down.  Because you get to stay home with them and be there, you are giving them, I think the most important thing, love and attention.  If all else fails, try and open a daycare at your home!  It does not take much and that way you can have your kids with you on the job

Try commercial nite cleaning,they will usually put on people with little or no experience,bar work is another nite job.I think you may be putting too much pressure on yourself enjoy your baby as they grow up too quickly hugs Merle