Question:
I have been between jobs for about a year, temping occasionally in a slowmarket. I don't know when I will get a permanent job or where it will be. Imay have to commute farther than I wanted to. I've started looking as far as25 miles away.

One reason it's taking so long is that many jobs in my field require extensiveovertime. For someone balancing work and caregiving that is impossible.

Anyway, I want to start getting my mom to day care a couple days a week to gether used to it before I start working and hopefully then she'll go to daycareevery day. But since I don't know where I will be working it could be that itwon't be possible to keep her in the same daycare place once I finally get ajob. My top choice for day care is in kind of an out of the way location. Iknow she could take transporation there but if I have to be at work by 8:00,I'd have to get her on the Access or Citiride van by 7:00 at the latest so Ican get to work, and the daycare places don't all open that early.

Does anyone have an opinion as to whether it's a bad idea to switch day carefacilities? If I get her to one particular one, then take a job that requiresus to move or makes that day care place logistically impossible for her toattend, and have to switch her to another one, will that traumatize her toomuch?

Answer: If I could get her to day care now it would make it easier for me to go on jobinterviews without her fussing about being lonely, but I don't know what to doabout this.

I'd say in your circumstances it doesn't matter if you have tochange things in the future. It might not be the best for yourmom to move her but it will probably be better for her to atleast get used to day care before you go back to work. It'spretty much impossible to plan for the future on this one but Ido think her being at day care now will give you some time to getinto the job market without being totally stressed.