Working moms of preschoolers?

[OrangUtahn]

New and clueless to SG’s preschooling system as I have been living abroad for nearly a decade.


Full-time working parents I have questions for you. If your kid(s) attend 4-5hr preschool and kindergarten per day, how do you cope? Do you leave work to collect them from school, send them for various enrichment classes through the rest of the day then return to work? What if you don’t own a car nor have anyone (like a babysitter or family member) who can take care of them for you while you work, what do you do?

I don’t have a car yet nor have help, so I am considering sending my kids to an all-day school but the cost is too steep for me to bear. If I sent them to regular preschool and Kindergarten, I wonder where to place them next? Are there childcare centers that will take in kids after school? Where can I find a list of them? TIA!

[SammiMum]

Hi there,


I am a working mothers with preschoolers. I don’t have a maid and I am not living with my in-law or parent. My elder boy just started his Primary school this year but my younger one is still in childcare.

My question is; does your work allow you to leave office during office hours to collect your kids and send them to another enrichment center? If this is an issue, I would suggest to place them in full day childcare center and only to pick them after work. Besides, those enrichment classes are not that cheap and usually is only 1.5hrs. You probably have to pick them up again in the middle of your work. Given that you do not have car and no other helps, this can be very tiring and costly for you.

Depending on where you live. Some of the PCF childcare are not too bad. Fee wise is defintely more affordable than those private CC. Visit the school (at least 2 times I would suggest) and talk to the teachers. I am sure you will be able to find one suitable center for your kids.

Cheers!

[Mommee]

Hi,

I’m a full-time working mom as well.

My elder is at a "premium preschool".
I’ve just come to realize that instead of the stated 1-7pm, the school only operates from 1.30pm - 5.30pm (pick your child up any later than 5.30pm and you will have to pay a "fine").
The lights go off by 6-ish and they have more holidays and non-teaching days than a semi-government childcare.
Most of the kids there get picked up by their domestic helpers or grandparents.

If your job requires you to work standard hours, you may be better off exploring places like PCF or My First Skool.
My younger child is in the latter’s infantcare and their hours span 7am - 7pm. She goes with me to work (the childcare is just 5 minutes’ walk from my office) and I pick her up at late 6-ish after work. We take the bus to/fro.

The proximity also means it is less of a mad dash to fetch her if I’m held up at the office.
Plus, I don’t have to anxious about unreliable public transport/ train glitches on my way to pick her.

My younger child’s infantcare is only allowed (by MSF) to close for 5.5 days a year.
No funny self-declared half days or non-teaching days.
Which means you have a more dependable operator and can conserve your leave for when the kids fall ill.

[libran269]

Its quite inspiring to read; I am working Mom too. For the DD1 I tried the option of childcare…but I realized after few months my DD1 was feeling sick a lot. So had to change actions - Got a full time maid & half day child care/preschool. Just to ensure someone is around when she is sick. My office hours not fixed too… earlier I was always stressed to leave at 6. Now the second option worked for me.