How do people work and cover holidays and sickness

[jenkel]

I have 2 dd's that arent at school yet. I have always worked full time before having them, but am now at SAHM. However I couldnt imagine being a SAHM for long, especially when they are both at school. But I just dont know how to do it, DH is self employed and has limited holiday, I have no relatives close who could help out. How do you who work cope with holidays and sickness, I guess the ideal job will be in a school but would imagine that everybody wants those jobs.

[Bozza]

I work 3 days a week. I have DS in reception with a childminder before/after school. I have DD (1) in nursery. In the school hols DS goes to the CM all day. If DS is poorly I take holiday or DH works from home. If DD is poorly I take holiday. If the CM is on holiday (she gets 4 weeks a year) we have to fiddle around with arrangements. She is on holiday this week.

Yesterday DH took DD to MILs (she lives about 1 hour away from us). I don't normally work Mondays but came into work at 8 am today (DH taking DS to school). I will work until 2.30 then go home, collect DS from school and drive over to MILs for tea and bath the children, put them in their pjs and drive home. I will be out of the house from 7.15 am to 8.30 pm. Tomorrow I will take DD to nursery and get to work for 8.45 am. DH will take DS to school. I will finish work at 2.45 and collect DS from school and then later DD from nursery. Weds I will take DS to school and get to work for 9.30. He will go to a friend after school. I will work until 4.30. And the same goes for Thursday although it is a different friend....

It is complicated. And I am lucky that my boss is accommodating. Also because I only work part time there is the option of making time up. When both kids go to school I am thinking of changing my hours to 2 full days and 2 half days to cut down on childcare costs.

[bluejelly]

I cope with a combination of childminders, after school clubs, relatives, friends etc
Prior to school she went to a private nursery which was opend 51 weeks a year, so I really worried how I would cope with school holidays etc
But it's actually been fine-- not half as tricky as I imagined
Good luck

[FairyMum]

We cope by sharing holiday- care with friends in the same dilemma and me and DH only take 1 week holiday together a year when we go on our family-holiday. We don't have family close either, but find the sharing with friends in similar situation a really good thing!

[FairyMum]

And we cover sickness by taking time off. We share 50/50 and it really hasn't amounted to much time off each a year at all eventhough we have 3 children to cover sickness for. I woudln't worry too much about sickness.

[Bugsy2]

Pretty much like everyone else here, I have a combination of people & clubs to cover holidays. I don't have a DH to help out either, so it is definitely doable. Just requires organisation & backup plans.
Thank heavens (I'm touching wood & crossing fingers) my children are rarely sick enough to stay home but on the rare occasion it has happened, then I just have to pay for extra care from one of my many friendly ex-nannies, childminders, aupairs etc.

[Tortington]

get a job like mine with lots of evening meetings - that way you can claim the time back and have during the day off. ( i have every friday off for a month!!)

alternatively for a bit of extra money stack shelves in tesco of an evening

[springerspaniel]

It is really really really hard.

[Enid]

i work 4 days a week until 2.30. Pick dd2 up from nursery, then drive home, leave car and walk to pick dd1 up from school (3pm).

I have a childminder for dd2 on a Friday and she does full time for me in the holidays (for both dds). She is really flexible and tbh if it wasnt for her I couldnt work at all.

dd1 was sick today (but well enough to get up) so I took her to work with me for 2 hours this am then brought some work home with me. Sometimes the CM will have her or sometimes my MIL.

[Katemum]

I have no family here to help out but am lucky enough to be able to work part-time/part-year. I get some paid annual leave and also 12 weeks unpaid in a year so have the school holidays as unpaid and use the annual leave for when the kids are sick. My wage slip looks a bit sorry for itself though!

[Enid]

yes agree with custy I do a lot of evening events in my job and get the days off in lieu

[hellywobs]

I work full-time and so does my ds. If my ds is ill my husband and I take days off and share. I can work from home and my dh can take up to 5 days paid leave a year for childcare (well actually any care eg elderly parent) duties - he has an enlightened employer. My ds is usually ill 4-5 days a year at most(he's nearly 3.5) so it works out fine.

School holidays are another issue however but I've got another 18 months before he starts school so I'll worry about those when we get there.

[ma2cra]

By using Flexitime mainly and working round hubby's shifts.

I work 25 hours per week, usually five hours a day, but my boss is excellent - providing he is kept informed I can work more or less what hours suit if one of the boys (or hubby come to that) is ill. Holidays we manage as best we can and make up time when I can, doing long days or some hours over the weekend if necessary.

Have little alternative backup - FIL can do a couple of hours here and there for hols but not when the boys are sick.

[jac34]

I work 3 days and DH used to work 4,between us this ment that our DS's were only in day nursery for 2 days a week (8am till about 5:30pm),when they were ill, either DH or I took leave(we have no family living near by).
When they went to school I stayed the same but DH now works his hours over 5 days,so he finishes at 2:30pm three days a week,to pick up from school on the days I work.I drop off in the mornings on my working days and get into work for 9:30am, but then work later to make it up.
Both DH and myself work for the public sector, pay may be cr*p but they are very good on work life balance.In school holidays we take leave if we can,if not there is an excellent council run play scheme that they go to locally(8am to 6pm), we only pay £13.50 per day for each of them, this is a reduced rate as DH works for the council,but I would also get a reduced rate as I work for the NHS.
I'm thinking of increasing my hours, but I may just do "school hours" on my current days off so that it wouldn't effect our ability to do the school run.

[ThePrisoner]

Some childminders (like me!) are happy to take on children during school holidays only; there may also be various activity clubs in your area - our local sports centre runs a holiday club, for instance, for children aged 5 - 13 years.

[philippat]

my DH is self-employed and arranges his work around holidays (when he works at weekends) - is that not possible with you jenkel?
I can understand that with you being a sahm he's used to you being the one on call, but it would make sense to switch roles a bit.