Being a parent with a full-time job and having a partner who also works a lot makes it hard to find a balance when it comes to childcare.
Unfortunately, many Australian parents are in this situation. Let’s take the example of an anonymous medical specialist. She is the mother of three children, and she also has a full-time job. Her career requires plenty of sacrifices, and she usually leaves her house at 7:30 AM and comes back only after 7 PM. While her husband has to be at work at 6 AM and comes back after 5 PM, raising children in these conditions is a real challenge for them. But this is not a singular case in Australia.
Another issue is that both parents’ and children’s schedules are continuously changing, which means that making a plan to cover every gap is even harder in this situation.
Formal and Informal Childcare
If you need help with childcare, there are several options for you. For example, you can go to an agency and hire a part-time or full-time nanny. He/She will take care of your children when you are away, and you have a certain guarantee offered by the organisation, which is definitely relaxing for any family.
On the other hand, if you have enough space, you can opt for an au pair. This way, the same person will take care of your children and will always be around them. This aspect contributes to a proper development of your kids, as they will no longer have to get used to new persons in charge of their care. Switching your nanny too often can have negative effects on your children, even though you may stick to some certain rules for every new person. The personality of the nannies differ a lot, whether you like it or not, and this will be reflected in the way they take care of your children. However, besides the advantages offered by this solution, there are also drawbacks. The main disadvantage is that usually, the bond created between the child and his or her nanny is stronger than the one he or she has with the parents. This could lead to serious problems and a lot of suffering when they grow up.
Australians also tend to opt for informal childcare options. In this category, we should include the support provided by grandparents. In fact, most of the people rely on this help as the primary childcare option. Friends are also trustworthy persons that may take care of your child for a few hours. Also, many Aussies hire students who need extra cash for being part-time nannies.
