Working in a school has its perks. For one, I get hugs and special little notes on a semi-regular basis. Smiles that could power a small city. All the little funny things kids say, not meaning to be funny. And bringing my daughter to school when her school is out.

I don’t know how other working parents handle this. Livi coming to work with me is just the default answer. She went to work with her daddy exactly once. He works in an office. According to both of them, the other lost it by 10 o’clock. So some jobs preclude bringing your child with you when there’s a snow day or spring break. Like the air traffic controller. I gotta admit, I’m just not comfortable with being on an airplane with any amount of distraction around. We all think we can "handle" our kids, but c’mon. They’re kids. They think it’s a good idea to put things in electrical sockets. We have cover plates to prove this.

My original intent with this blog was to give you all kinds of options, to ride in like a childcare knight in shining Little Tykes armor and save all your worries. My research put the kibosh on that. There was next to nothing out there. So what’s the answer for you parents in St. Louis? Share your strategies with us. What do you do with your children on a snow day, spring break, or just a random day off? I’m sure you all have creative, resourceful answers. So spill.

By Sharon Linde, education blogger for SmartParenting