It’s my last week in San Sebastián before heading back to reality.
Next week, my eldest starts elementary school. A couple weeks after that, my little one starts preschool.
They’re growing so fast, and I feel anxious every time I get that reminder email to check in for my flight back.
Once I start thinking about returning home, I go straight to logistics.
Table of Contents
The Challenge
Here’s what I’m facing: two kids, two different schools starting two weeks apart. Two working parents, both full time.
- Kid #1 goes 8:30-1:30 at school #1.
- Kid #2 goes 9-1:45 at school #2.
- After school programs exist for some days but not all.
- Ballet on Wednesdays still needs sign-up.
- Swimming lessons should probably be added too.
How do we handle the gaps? A full-time nanny doesn’t make sense. A family assistant would be amazing, but not this year.
There are literally only 180 days per year of school—that’s half the year! And that’s before accounting for sick days and traveling for Thanksgiving.
My Plan
I’m the one who’s supposed to have it all figured out. My plan? Sign up for the sitter program I created: Always On: Babysitting and Backup Care, or AO for short.
The Smart Sitting team prescreens all the best sitters. This includes interviews, reference calls, work authorization verification, social media sweeps, CPR/First Aid certification, background checks, flu shot confirmation, and tracking down old Covid vaccination cards—the whole kit and caboodle. Then they introduce me to my sitter team, and we work it out.
Ashley’s coming for my birthday (thank you, Ashley!). Shannon helps on Friday afternoons because one school ends at noon on Fridays, of course. We’re splitting up other early morning, full day, and after school shifts as needed with about two additional people. I’m traveling for work a couple times in September and once in October to Vegas (Alanis, very important!).
That’s my plan.
Want to know my favorite part?
Once we get the sitter team together, I introduce them to each other.
Then they swap shifts if they need to.
Conclusion
This week: I celebrate Semana Grande here in Donostia.
Next week: logistics mode activated.
Facing your own back-to-school scheduling puzzle?
Consider building a reliable childcare team before the chaos begins.
The planning pays off when you can focus on what matters most.