To think I can WFH 9-5 in the holidays with my kids at home

Maybe make home more boring then 😆 I'm not entirely joking. Clubs can be hard to find as the good ones don't need to advertise much but don't write off the whole concept because of one bad experience. We threw money at it, DC went to an outward bound place where they did quad biking, abseiling & stuff, and suddenly they were happy to go again. The deal was always that we minimised holiday club and we bent over backwards to find one they wanted to go to, but ultimately they did have to go.

How come your husband is expected to take time off with your kids but you don't? My work explicitly forbade WFH with kids. I know COVID blew that out of the water a bit, but still plenty of people have managed to juggle school hols without foregoing childcare for a 6 year old.

No, that would be really crappy.

I can get family childcare for a couple of days and DH can take a couple of days off

If you’ve got 2 days Bank Hol, family childcare for 2, DH can do 2, that’s over a week sorted. Why can’t you do 2 and then 2 days in a holiday club?

WFH can't be used in place of childcare in most workplaces (and in my option, rightly so!)

Good for you, OPs kids don’t like clubs.

My kids didn’t spend 8 hours a day on screens, they had loads of stuff to do at home.

also at my last company the rule is that wfh is not a substitute for childcare. And if it was found out that people were using it for that it would be revoked.

Same with my employer (public sector)

All My friends who wfh with kids in holidays are totally frazzled and their kids play on screens for 8 hours a day. Day after day.
Not what I want for my kids I'm afraid
Mine are 11 and 6 they go to clubs

My dd would’ve been fine at 6yrs old while I wfh. She would’ve watched tv/played games then went outside to play or to a friends house. The only issue I see is when they need you . My coworker picks her kid up from school so hes there for a couple of hours before closing. He’s always wanting something , trying to ask her things,etc whenever we have a phone conversation. My dd wouldn’t have done that so I guess it depends on the kid.

also at my last company the rule is that wfh is not a substitute for childcare. And if it was found out that people were using it for that it would be revoked. My current company doesn’t care but they also don’t want to hear crying/loud kids when we have meetings etc

My kids hated holiday clubs too, they loved being at home with all their toys, consoles, our animals, playing outside and they liked to have a longer sleep in in the mornings. We’d go out for lunch or to the park for an hour or so. And with the family help you have on some days, they’ll be fine. And you can do more stuff with them on the weekends.

Theoretically yes, but in reality no.
I would only WFH during the hols if I had literally no other option, not just because 'childcare is expensive'. Having a child/children, or very often their friends too (because other parents WFH but kick their kids out) in the house is extremely distracting. The noise, because you can't expect them to stay quiet, the 'Mum please can I have something to eat/go to the park/go and see if X wants to play', or even just telling me there's someone at the door with a parcel for next door (I'd ignore the doorbell if I were too busy working). It's impossible to properly concentrate for the full time I'm working, which just makes it stressful. Besides, no one's employer is paying them to look after their kids, unless of course you're self employed.

Sort childcare, or holiday clubs, take annual leave or parental leave (both of you), or maybe do a swap with other parents so you have their kids when you're off, and they have yours when they're off.
It sucks but that's life as a working parent.

I think for the odd day split up by holiday clubs / grandparents / dad etc it would be fine. The days we would have movie / chill out days I wouldn’t really want to waste a days holiday for but equally I wouldn’t want my children’s whole holidays to be movie days.

Teenagers yes, 6&9 yr olds, absolutely not.

I've wfh for over 10 years and my kids are now teens so I don't always take time off during school holidays, when they were little they either went to clubs, childminders or I had a nanny whilst I worked, or I took time off. Unfortunately, imo, if you have kids, then work holidays are for dc

If you can work genuinely flexible hours I'd talk to your manager and propose doing condensed hours that week or something. You won't be able to do a day's work with 2 youngish children unless you usually do the bare minimum at work- then no one would probably notice. It'll also be less stressful for you if you get something agreed.

You're not being totally unreasonable if it's just for a few days in my minority opinion, but ideally for under 8 they are going to need childcare cover.

When you took the job what did you think would happen during school holidays?

also for £60 you can probably also get a local teenager to watch them but bear in mind that you can pay holiday clubs with taxfree childcare accounts.

I do it for the odd day here and there. So for example in February half term they were off for a week plus one inset day. They had two days at home which were spread out and then two days at camp and two days off with us. It's just about do able but I do have to remind them we're working and can't entertain them. I would never do it for a long stretch of time but I think it's fine to intersperse the odd day and mix it up with annual leave/clubs or play dates.

I wish my children would play together, too big of an age gap

@ThreeB

its like you've never worked in an office!
much easier to concentrate with 6 & 9 year olds that the office!

@TheObstinateHeadstrongGirl

you'll be fine. If they start arguing or interrupting you or whatever, tell them
itll be kids club next week/next holidays!!

I'd have MUCH rather been able to stay at home, with my stuff than be made to go to 'childcare' or random kids clubs.

have a look for anything they'd really enjoy for one week maybe?

id also try to organise some play dates etc & go for a walk/bike ride after work.

(tell them
to write down any questions they have for your lunch break! & only to interrupt you if there's a fire or a serious ambulance needed accident!)

Personally I wouldn’t attempt it, especially not with a 6 year old. If it doesn’t work, you’ll find it is very stressful.

You can’t find a holiday club they like? Where I live there is everything - theatre clubs, football, gym, multi sports with swimming, coding, tennis, horse-riding, paddleboarding, climbing, wilderness skills, and regular clubs at school which do a bit of everything from team games to talent shows. Something for every budget. Some of them do half days so maybe that would be ok for you (pick up at lunch then you can park them in front of a film for a few hours). Get a WhatsApp with parents of friends and coordinate - holiday clubs with mates are the best!

There are tons of holiday clubs out there that cater for different interests. Going for a few days they will survive and I probably have more fun than being stuck at home all day. I think YABVU to wfh with two kids, it’s not fair on them either. One or two days maybe but not 2 weeks.

How flexible is your work? Could you perhaps just over the holidays work 4 longer days?

Or different hours, say an evening shift/ early morning shift while children are in bed? And work just for the teams meetings?

hope you find a solution

In emergencies / at very short notice / as an occasional solution to childcare issues it's fine.

To plan week/s of this is not fine.

It doesn't matter what other people do.

I have 3 DC, fully WFH and other than the occasional sickness they go to after school clubs, grandparents and I take AL to cover school holidays.