The best class hours I can find are Saturday, 9-2. I expect that my husband will be home and it won't be an issue, but he has 3rd year med school rotations, so I want to be prepared. The school doesn't have childcare or allow kids on-campus for classes.
Texas doesn't have an age to leave your kid home, but he's too young for 6 hours of self-care (not quite 9 yrs old).
I'm going to check around, but do you have any "out of the box" ideas for emergency back-up child care?
If you have Fort Worth specific resources, that's appreciated.
Thanks!
Have you looked at the sittercity/care.com kind of websites? They charge more than neighborhood teens, but in a pinch, I'd use them.
Check with your local schools to see if they sponsor a Red Cross babysitting certification program. Those kids might be available. Also check with the Senior or Ambassador Girl Scouts. Many of them do projects to raise funds for a trip (we have 2 troops in our town that are engaged in major recycling programs to raise money, but maybe individual kids will want more work.
If the guidance office at the high school offers a job board, you could post it there.
Set up a network with your neighbors and other friends to trade off time. There will be a lot of teens and tweens off school on a Saturday although you need to work around their games and activities. Maybe you can trade off with the parents of a few of his friends, sending your kid to them on Saturdays when you need coverage, and reciprocating on the Saturdays when your husband is available to host a friend.
You won't be able to get a teen on short notice (not sure how much notice your husband has about his rotations), but perhaps you should hire someone ahead of time as an "entertainment" even if your husband is around. Then he can get some other things done even if he's not working at the hospital.
You can certainly hire someone through Care.com but it can get expensive. If you think you need someone regularly, it's worth the membership fee (which I think is $35 a month or $25/month if you sign up for 3 months). Then you can post the job and get several applicants with their resumes, and then choose. These will be adults though, not teens.
If you are a member of a gym, see if you can put up a notice - sometimes they have babysitters for gym members in classes, and they may want extra hours. Same thing for other places that have child care, like YMCAs and JCCs.
Teenagers. Get one that you can call in a pinch (I used to do that all the time as a teen). I often worked a Saturday when parents worked shifts.
I had a friend I could sub in if I was busy, or one of my sisters. Just ask the sitter if they would recommend someone if they aren't available.
Or if you knew a family you'd be comfortable asking - with the idea that you'd reciprocate. That might not be as easy and straightforward as just hiring a teen. I still think I'd go that route. Good luck :)
Sitter City or Care.com might have someone, or start calling friends with college kids to see who is home/done with exams? I'd also start calling your friends whose kids he gets along with and see if you can arrange a long playdate (with the expectation that you'll return the favor). Or just blanket friends with HELP! emails and see who has a resource. I found my last sitter just talking to an acquaintance at church whose daughter was in town.
Not specific to your area, but there must be a hospital or recreation center that gives babysitter/CPR/First Aid classes. Can you contact them and see if they will provide grads with your info?
I would post at the local high school/college career center. Teenagers and/or college students are always looking to earn extra $.
You could also ask your son's friends parents if they'd be willing to help out. We traded babysitting with our friends all the time, play dates for the kids and the occasional date night for us, win win.
I realize it would be hard to have an "on call" teen or neighborhood sitter. Do you know any retired adult neighbors who might be able to be a stand by?
I am in Plano and there is a drop in place around here called Adventure Kids. I've never used it because my daughter is almost 21 now and I have no idea of the cost, but I would think Fort Worth would have some drop in options as well.
Good luck.
Is there a neighborhood friend he could hang with for the day? Or in general? Or a relative? If not, there are Saturday sitters but you pay for them of course. I don't know that 9 would be too young to leave at home if he had a cell and was ok playing video games and watching movies and know how to make a sandwich and chips for lunch. But only you would know if he was ready for that or not. Good luck.
Sat should be easy. Get a high school kid.
Could he go to a friend's house.. either a friend of his or yours? Sign him up for classes at the Y or check out the local Boy and Girls club.
You could also ask friends if they know of any teens in your area who need a little extra money and be willing to babysit.
Does he have a friend? I would contact a friend/parent you trust and ask if she could watch your son. Even offer to pay for the kids to go to a movie or something.
A babysitter is also an option. Since it is Saturday, most school aged babysitters could be available.
If your husband has rotations they are not emergency. You look at your calendar and call a teenager and hire them to sit for those times he will be gone. Problem solved. Don't wait until the day before figure out the days and get it set up ahead of time.
