That sounds exhausting. And “almost full time” 9-4 stop doesn’t work to allow two parents to have full-time careers. And that is just one kid. Naturally, the other will be on a different schedule with different care at a different location. God forbid one parent has to travel, then the carefully constructed house of cards comes falling down.
I need more sleep. I’m feeling particularly grumpy today. Damn this country.
Well, it does...it just depends on the career, the type of job, and the amount of flexibility.
Some of the camps have before and after care (for extra). This all means that if you ABSOLUTELY NEED care until 5:30, then you choose a camp with those hours.
But, both my husband and I can work from home from time to time.
So nobody REALLY cares if the schedule looks like this:
Parent A goes to work at 7 and leaves at 3:30 pm to pick up the kids by 4 (that's 8.5 hours...so full time hours)
Parent B drops kids off at camp at 9, and works 9:15 to 6 pm or thereabouts. (again, full time hours)
If my husband travels (I don't travel), then often I don't get to work until 9:15 and then I have to leave at 3:30 pm (this happens during the school year too). That's only 6 hours - SO, I either work from home for a couple of hours in the morning or at night OR I take PTO.
It's hard to figure out how to face it, until you've faced it. It's not so bad once you've done it, or you've met other parents with kids in school - there are literally dozens of ways that people juggle their work and camp/ school/ childcare schedules. I've found that trying to work a full 40 hours when my husband is traveling is just folly. I get burned out. So, I take PTO. That means that 8 or 9 out of 10 times when it's a school holiday, but not a work holiday - husband takes the holiday.