Thanksgiving Break

I'd have loved that as a kid. As a working mom, it's an entirely different story.

From late start Mondays to half days to inservice days to prolonged breaks, finding childcare for a school age kid who is too young to stay home alone is a challenge. This week, I've cobbled together childcare via a sister, a grandparent, and my ex taking an extra day off. If I hadn't been able to do so, I'd have had to take a day off myself.

Life was easier - if more expensive - when he was just in daycare. Of course, at the time I was only working part time and ten months a year. Still, it was easy: drop him off four days a week, pick him up four days a week.

Now it's a logistical nightmare.

I have four people authorized to pick him up from school and, depending on the day, he's with one of those four. Sometimes they trade off amongst themselves and I have that horrify realization I don't know where my son is. Add to it, his little sister is at daycare most days, though she does stay with her grandparents one day a week and her dad twice a week.

For a few crazy weeks, the kids alternated the days they stayed with family. And for a few crazier weeks, Joseph had an after school reading program. I never realized, before I had kids, how insane it could all be.

Especially when they're regular schedule is changed by a school holiday.

On the plus side, I've already put in for time off during the Christmas holiday. There's no way I want to go through this again.

What do you do when schools change their schedules?