Why is it always the mothers who have to step back in their career, work half-time or not at all? I know there are some stay-at-home-dads on the forum, but those are the exception. My kids are old enough to go to boarding schools and they love it there. Sadly enough this is the only way for me, I have a highly demanding, long-hour job but I love it.

I work as well- one day a week at a bakery/cafe. The remainder of my "work time" is spent teaching yoga classes. The convenience of this (aside from not having anyone compete for my position ) is being able to maintain my own schedule so I am home every morning & lunchtime for my daughter and once she arrives from school as well. Two nights a week, I teach in neighboring cities in the evening once my husband gets home from work. All of the rest of my classes are taught from my studio, which is conveniently located in the same building where I live.
I will say this: even on the one day per week at the bakery, my boss asks me who is looking after my daughter. It was a condition of my hiring that I had to justify/explain that my husband has her in his care and she is looked after. She's ten years old, not ten months.

On a side note: anyone know whether kanton Solothurn voted for or against all day schools? Hadn't heard more on it since the vote...

I`m curious - What reasons did people tend to give for voting against the all day scenario? Or what reasons were touted politically? I fully support parents who are not working while raising children, but from what has been posted earlier, it seems that many local mothers are staying home simple because theodd hours needed for childcare make it near impossible to juggle that with working. Wouldn`t all those people have then voted in favour of allday school, to simplify life?

I'm a working Mum (100%) but wish now that I could work 60 or 80%. My husband works 100% - 1 day at home with baby and 4 days in the office. My boss doesn't let me work from home . Fortunately it's a company creche and I can go visit at lunch time.

We both plan to reduce next year so baby only has to go to day care for 2 days a week instead of 4. She really loves it there, and I think it's good for her to have social contacts; but 4 days a week is too much. After a full day she's really had enough, and I miss her lots. #2 will come in to the picture at some stage too, so I won't be working 100% then with mega daycare costs!

Another solution for Mums with no day care options could be the neighbours. There are so many lovely stay-at-home Mums around my neighbourhood - some swiss and some long-time expats from Italy, Norway, Sweden etc. Perhaps you could get in touch with your community?

Purley out of curiosity are your children at boarding school here in Switzerland? Do you see them at weekends?

I work 100%, due to the nature of my job a career break to look after our children was not an option if I still wanted a career or even just a job in the field I work in. Over the years I have used a mix of child minders, krippes & nannies, the children have always been happy with their carers. They would quickly let me know if they were not.

There was an article recently in a UK magazine ("She") on how zears on, even if both parents work 100%, the wife still does 80% of the house stuff.

With house stuff they were mentioning all the nitty gritty orga things we women tend to just naturally pick up...

But what surprised me was a statement aroudn the fact that most women, if they had a husband with a big enough salary check, would choose not to work....

Do not believe it at all but was interesting to read this and did make me think...

Anyway, back on topic. We both work, our child is in Krippe 5 days a week. I work 80% from home but everyday with shorter hrs so she is reduced time in Krippe. Second one on its way and we will try same setup, let's see... the bill is MASSIVE but still covered especially considering the downside and potential future carerr cut back if I stopped...

But indeed, I think this is potentially the easiest time, krippe is open all day every day... I dread the KG and Primary and especially differing times between the 2 not to talk about hobbies and classes they will need to be taxied to...

Not an easy country, but knowing deep some of the others (Italy and Germany) I am not sure can be classified as worst of all...

K

I do translation work from home - probably 10%, but sporadic so it works out 60% some weeks and 0 others - and am a Tagesmutter for the daughter of a friend two mornings a week. If I were going out to work I would definitely check with all my friends whether any of them would like to be paid to cover lunchtimes or after school for me, or whether we could do a swap, I take all the kids one lunchtime and they take them another. You just have to be careful of the laws about how many hours people can look after a child for before they have to be officially registered and so forth. I think they changed the law last year.

Another option is find a school friend's mum who lives either near the school or near your own house, and ask her if she can pick up your child at lunchtime just for half an hour, which gives you an extra half-hour to get away from work. I do this one day a week for my son's best friend - no payment involved as I'm picking mine up anyway and then they play together while I make lunch, which keeps my son out of my hair! Occasionally she takes my son for half a day to repay me, although she doesn't have to, I'd do it anyway and I think a lot of mums would too.

Hope that's useful to someone. I know it doesn't solve the problem of full-time employment.

Michaela

Oh dear ! I have been thinking of that topic the last (almost) year wondering how it would be for an expat and my fears have become true. I live in Zurich now since Aug. 2008 and here it seems not to be any different. So whats the option for working ladies like us? No kids? Thats a bit sad I find......I would like to have children but all the above is really scaring me and thats why we do not have any (and will probably not in the next year).

Aren't there any expat mother groups maybe? I know that my friend in Vienna is in one where they support each other. Ok, situation in Austria is way better than here (maternity leave is 1 year plus - they have a choice).

To be honest, I am as annoyed as the next person about how difficult it is to sort out childcare arrangements here, but it isn't impossible - it can be done. Yes, it costs money and it's not easy, but it isn't impossible. There are Mittagstisch in a lot of places, and in some places (like Basel Stadt) you will find that a lot of daycares offer after school care up to age 11.

If you like out in the suburbs like me then there aren't so many options - but there is nearly always the option of a Tagesmutter (childminder).

I personally would steer clear of an informal arrangement with another parent. It sounds like a good idea, and I suppose if you know the other person really well then that's great. But I also know people who have done just that and then been regularly let down with such things as "I can't pick up x today because I have a dentist appointment" or "I can't have x for lunch today because I'm visiting a friend in Zurich" etc etc some people just don't take it as seriously if it's not a formal arrangement. At least if you have a Tagesmutter then you would be entitled to some notice if the arrangement will be canceled.

I think I am one of those women who if my husbands pay was large enough I would give up work like a shot. I do enjoy working and I'm sure I'd miss the social interaction and grown up time, but I think if money were no issue then I would prefer not to have to deal with the hassles of childcare - not to mention I would actually enjoy spending more time with my kids.

I think this is probably correct for the larger cities/towns but out where we are in a village in Baselland, we have mittagstisch once a week and are considered fortunate!

I have only worked extremely part time since we moved here, and the problem I encountered when being offered the possibility of a 3 day a week job last year was in what order to do things .. ie do I go for the job (start date was very short, they were in a hurry) and have no idea what to do with the children at the point I have to accept the job, or do I try to locate a tagesmutter but then have no idea what I am asking her to do for me? Tagesmutters are very hard to find around here, so although I could have found full time daycare for the 3 year old, it was the 8 year old who was the problem, particularly with his erratic out of school activities which require someone to ferry him around often quite a distance, where public transport will not suit. This is why I came to the conclusion that a "fellow mother doing me a favour and I'll return it" childcare situation would not work for me.

I came to the conclusion that if I was serious about returning to work, we would do better to move into a big population centre, and that would certainly be my advice to anyone asking me about the possibilities of any type of work (full time or part time) in CH, in the absence of established family support.

I wanted to add that just when you think you have it all figured out...your child then typically gets sick and it all falls apart....

We are blessed with a relatively healthy little one, but this week she has been sick since Monday with no signs of recovery and so hubby and I are juggling and taking turns and discussing who stays home...

I find this is the hardest challenge

And of course there are emergency nannies but I cannot bear the though of my girl at home with a stranger when she is sick... frankly no job/meeting is important enough at that point....

Needless to say, I am the one staying at home the most, as employers tend to understand when women do it versus men, but am not too happy with that...

So yes, it is incredibly hard and takes a lot of will to do...

K