Both parents go into an office and baby goes to nursery - how are you managing?

You just find a new routine!

I work shifts so left for work at 4:45 some mornings so my partner would do the nursery run then go to work. I’d then be back for pick up.

Some days I worked evenings so got in as late as 3am but would have my son in the daytime then go to work when my partner got back and he’d do solo dinner/ bedtime.

At least I’m assuming you have two hands morning and evening?

Honestly you just find a way! We found a rhythm for washing and chores etc. Dinners we cooked one week a month and froze spares for easy quick dinners after nursery nights.

I manage a pub in central London so cannot just leave the building so if we ever needed a pick up my partner would fetch my son but he works in the field so could be anywhere within 90 mins so that part was a little tricky but we managed x

The honest truth is, unless you have an extremely empathetic boss and one who understands what it’s like being a parent of baby in 2026 and not 1986, one of you will end up being fired.

When my daughter went to nursery 3 days a week, we dropped her off at 7.30am and then he would drop me at the station and I’d head to London and he’d also head to work. He works locally so he would collect her at 6pm and I’d get home around 6.30.

She did not do a full 3 day week until she was 1 year in! Why? Sickness and illness. If she had a temp she had to be off for 48hrs. If she had D or V, again off for 2 days. If she needed Calpol, again off for 2 days. This is nursery policy. If she’d needed to come home early, I had to leave work and pick her up. Would your boss let you have 2 days off work every couple of weeks with no notice?

One (or both) of you need to negotiate flexi working to accommodate it. Or go part-time.

I did this for 2 years and it was doable.

I picked a nursery next to my office as my work was more predictable than my husband’s.

I left in the morning with our eldest and we commuted together. Drop off, coffee grab and straight across the road to my work. Then end of the day, left work, collected her and came home together.

Having the nursery near work was the game changer. I got into the routine very quickly and successfully did it for 2 years, through another pregnancy and a promotion. The only reason I stopped is we relocated and I stopped working after baby 2. Whilst working though I loved it and she did too at nursery.

Never had issues with sickness and we’ve had daycare kids for 3 years. Only had chickenpox which the whole class got at once. Never missed work for sickness or nursery drama. She went straight in 3 days a week and loved it!

When he went to nursery it was so much easier! But I worked 6 hours, so I could drop off at 8, get a quick workout in, or washing etc, then be there to pick him up at 4.30 (after his tea)
On office days, I'd get him there for 8, rush to bus, get to office have 30 mins for dinner and then finish at 3.30 to get him for before 5.
Now he's at school it's madness