11

Making a Plan for Childcare—and Uncertainties

by Avni Patel Thompson

Quick Takes

  • List your top three priorities
  • Create a plan A, B, C . . . and Q
  • Share your plans with your support team
  • Have weekly look-ahead meetings with your partner
  • Talk through backup plans for the trickiest parts

Lisa and Geoff are a dual-career couple, living in Chicago with their 6- and 8-year-old sons. Until the spring of 2020, managing two careers and two kids was challenging—especially without family in town—but they had figured out a routine that worked for them. The boys were in kindergarten and second grade at a neighborhood school they loved that also had a great after-school program. Work was demanding and engaging but manageable. Like most families today, ...

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