How do you cover child care in school holidays?

[Smanderson]

Ds1 will be going to school in September and I'm starting to panic about child care for the holidays. I can't believe how many holidays there are! How do you cover child care in school holidays?

 

[loeylo]

Become a teacher, lol.

In all seriousness, most people I know alternate holidays and make good use of family. Or holiday clubs if they are an option.

 

[caz_hills]

Most people I know do a combo of grandparents, friends, family, holiday clubs and each parent taking alternate weeks off work to cover. Holiday camps seem the most popular x

 

[storm4mozza]

I can only speak for my personal circumstances, so here goes (=

I have a 4 yr old DD in reception (kindergarden) and a 5 year old (in year 1). I work part time and Hubby works full time. I have to look in advance and try find babysitters , like kids have half term mid February and I have looked at the days where I will need a babysitter and asked around, my cousin is currently trying to cover one of the days.

Other days my Sister or Mother can have them, if not I can go to work early and get home in time to take over so Hubby can get to work in the afternoon. I would suggest looking at any annnual eves your entitled to? or looking at prices of childcare in the area.

 

[SarahBear]

My daughter is just in preschool and my son is a toddler, but my husband is a stay at home dad and I am actually a teacher. However, before I was a teacher, I had a variety of jobs, one of which involved caring for a kid when he had days off school. That can get rather expensive. I think if my husband worked and my kids were in school, we'd have to take turns taking time off work for the occasional days off here and there. As for the actual breaks like winter, spring, and summer break? I don't know how working parents who aren't teachers do it!

 

[lindseymw]

We use a mixture of grandparents and holidays taken between my husband and I. I work part time so I am off some of the days anyway and husband is self employed so has some say in when he will work.

Friends who work full time use a combination of family, childminder and holiday clubs.

 

[k4th]

13 weeks school holiday a year... I get 6 weeks of holidays & oh gets 4 weeks!! So even if we never took time off together we couldn't cover it.

My mum is happy to have dd some of the holidays and we're going to try out of school clubs over summer next year. There's a really good one near us that does just one week - loads of activities and gives you the opportunity to give a code word so they can be grouped with friends.

Once school starts you may hear of more schemes through them and some mum's I know pull together and help out with each other's kids if someone is really struggling. It helps to know what the other kids are going to - I find it really easy to talk dd into it if I tell her one of her friends from school is going.

It's really hard when they have so many more holidays than a typical working family does.

 

[Smanderson]

Thanks ladies, unfortunately family isn't really an option as my parents work full time and my inlaws help my sister in law and couldn't cope with her 3 and my 2 all at once. I'll have a look into clubs in the area hopefully we'll find something that will cover some of the holidays at least xx

 

[lau86]

Our holiday club is ran by the people that run after school club, I've not used it yet but would be happy to. I only work 3 days a week so two are covered by me and grandparents can usually help.

 

[Pearls18]

We alternate holidays where we can, use holiday clubs at £27 per day (this is last resort! Usually do one week in summer) my mum is a massive help but she lives 4 hours away (and also works full time but she uses much of her leave for them) so it means we have to send them to hers but it works out well as they love it and it means they get quality time with grandparents and still have a good relationship with them despite the distance

 

[Pearls18]

Oh and asking to work from home, I usually do this on those awkward inset days when I've assumed they go back sooner than they actually do ha.

 

[shanny]

If you are part time?
Try friend kid swapping - we do that a lot for all sorts of occasions eg you have someone elses kids for the day and then they have yours another