Interview today - am now worried if Im offered the job what I'll do with teh children

[jampot]

I have an interview today. I havent worked properly for 2 years and before that I worked for 3 years from home and before that I was freelance so could pick and choose my work around school, so school holidays have never been a problem. Plus dh had many of the school hols off (ie. easter, whitsun, couple of weeks in the summer, xmas etc) and he worked shifts so we've always got round it.

Now though he works 9-5 Mon-Fri and only has 4 weeks holiday per year.

What can I do (if offered the job) with my 10 and 13 year old during all the holidays?

Im dreading it

[AMAZINWOMAN]

phone your local council for a list of all childcare providers and see what is available.

although after 11 or 12 it is rubbish in my area

[ThePrisoner]

Sports centres often run day camps, as do some schools (not necessarily your own school).

As a childminder, I often have 10 year olds during the holidays. Most 13 years olds think they're too grown-up for a childminder, but I do have some older ones that do occasional days if we are going out somewhere for the whole day (parents ask in advance which days we will be out and book me accordingly!)

Check out your local childcarelink for out-of-school/holiday scheme information.

[MrsMuddle]

I'm in the same boat. I've just started a "proper" job, and have 2 DS - 10 & 11. I thought long and hard before I took it. I'm working 3 days a week, and at the interview I asked if I could work extra some weeks during term time to build up time off during the hols. So, next week, for example, instead of only working my three full days, I'm also going to do 9.30-2.30 on my two days off. This would only work for you if it's a part-time job. The other alternative is to take it, then, once you've proven yourself to be a valuable employee (as I'm sure you will!) you could ask for unpaid leave in the summer.

There seems to be no childcare for kids over 12, and although mine are sensible, I wouldn't leave them to their own devices for a whole day. I'm lucky as my parents live nearby and have offered to take them away for a week. They're also going to scout camp for a week. For the remaining days in the summer, I'm going to try and book them on a soccer/sports/art course run by the local council. They're old enough to get somewhere by 10 and go home at 4 and watch TV for an hour till DH or I get home.

On the remaining days, I'm going to have to rely on their classmates' parents, which means I'll have a lot of favours to repay. No-one will take money for this, so what I'll probably do is have a Saturday at the end of the holidays and take all the children whose parents have helped to the pictures and out for a meal, just to show my apprecaition.

This is a bit of a ramble - I guess what I'm trying to say is take the job. There will always be a solution to the holiday problem. Hope this helps.

[Lilymaid]

Sports/theatre/art etc courses. Encourage them to be in scouts/guides or similar. Be nice to grandparents. Negotiate swops with friends. It can get rather expensive but it is what so many parents with children of that age have to do.