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

@TheObstinateHeadstrongGirl well why don't you try another holiday club? Your kids will be bored from 7am or whatever time they wake up till 5pm. It's not fair and I think you know that really within yourself. 5 days a week? Please update us and let us know how you got on.

I think you have your answer as you said the other day they played well together and you hardly saw them. Sometimes setting them up with an activity at the beginning of the day can help get them started on a project so they are less likely to run out of steam. You might need to have rules about when they can ask you something and what constitutes an emergency. It's meant to help creativity for children to be left to do as they like

This would work if you can work outside your contracted hours. My boss is pretty flexible provided we attend schedule meetings and all of our projects are completed on time. If anything it'll be harder for you because you won't be able to work as effectively but that's how I manage the holidays x

This may be because they know that they can approach you any time during the day.

I agree with others saying you are unfair to your employer and colleagues that have arranged childcare or do not have children.

100%

Agree holiday clubs are defo pricey there are NO holiday clubs for £25 a day here most are £40 odd pound per day!! I'm Yorkshire too.

I think its unreasonable though to expect your kids to entertain themselves. What do you plan to do in the big summer hols?

I pay for childcare as I'm a single parent and cannot WFH but I wouldn't be doing what you are suggesting either.

By walking to the park or the library, playing games, interacting with them, etc.

Not by keeping them indoors with nothing to do and no one to play with because you don't have childcare.

When they're over 10 I think it's fine to WFH without childcare. A 6 year old - no way. They can't spend several days glued to the telly with a packed lunch.

Do you have other WFH friends? If you combine your hours into 4 days rather than 5, could you take their kids in return for them having yours on one of your working days?

mine are 11 and 14 and I used to do this with a little holiday club thrown in for the younger one. It was fine at first but the 11 year old now hates it, sits there with puppy dog eyes wondering when I’m going to be finished. Your kids are way way too young.

My kids are slightly older and I put them
in holiday clubs even though WFH. They’re distracting if I’m concentrating on something or in a meeting, and it’s also not fair on them. There are benefits to WFH in that you don’t need the full 8am to 6pm childcare so sports clubs that run 9-15:00 are options now when they didn’t used to be for me, but overall I organise childcare. The sports clubs we use are either council run or local tennis club etc and much cheaper than school holiday clubs we used to have to use. Odd exceptions like them being off school sick or the strike days I’ve managed to work from home with them here but that’s all really.

I home educate my DS and WFH. I am freelance though. I wouldn't do a standard 9-5 job and try to look after him at the same time, other than the odd occasion in an emergency.

I think you need childcare. I don't think that's fair on your children or your employer

Christ how do you think families who can’t afford to do things outside the home cope?
The difference is the parent would be able to bring them to the park or library or a playground (unless that poster is actually saying how miserable if they can’t do camp etc, if so sorry!!!!)

Two colleagues are currently doing this and it’s impacting their performance. Their kids are younger but 6 is still young to expect them to completely self entertain.

They're fine at home, playing and doing their own thing, but they still need supervision. At those ages it'll be ok for a few days, it's not as if you've left the house.
A toddler?.nope.

Holiday clubs are expensive, but it’s only for a few weeks of the year, and that’s a sacrifice you have to make. Secondary school aged kids, fine to wfh. Junior school aged kids, no. Unfair on them, and unfair on your employer.

What I find is that with older children, I can sign them up for short per activity days. Like gymnastics or drama classes which go from 10 to 3. They get something to do and I have flexible working to pick up and drop off.

I have two children (a bit younger than yours) and me and my partner work from home, without any issues (from 3pm we have them both at home as there's no after school club and we have no family).

It's maybe not perfect, but they play together just fine and barely need us. I still deliver on all my tasks, meet my deadlines with ease, and consistently get great feedback from colleagues. If there's an important meeting, I keep the door closed, and the kids know not to disturb me.

We have worked from home since the onset of the pandemic, and the kids were still very young then, and at home since nurseries were closed, so they have learned that we are not always available for them, and instead to play together with their toys, in the garden, or watch a movie. For what it's worth, they are happy, healthy, loved, do well in school, and best friends with very few fights.

During the bank holidays I plan fun activities, and the remainder of the holidays they are in holiday club 2 days (which only runs 10-1). For summer holidays I still need to find a holiday club, and I will take 2 weeks off and so will my partner - so 1 week together as a family, 2 weeks with just one parent, and holiday clubs for the other 3 weeks. There will be occasional days where they are 'on their own', and perfectly happy.

I have 9 and 12 year olds and I can work from home with them at home. I don’t think I can do it if they are under 8. They just don’t have enough sense to not bother me or entertain themselves. I still don’t leave them without childcare for days in a row. Only a day in a week. They get bored and it’s not fair for them.

6 I'd say no. Mine are 8 and 10 and for the odd day here and there when school was shut it's ok.

If I was your manager I wouldn't be impressed.

Also, it's not exactly fair on the kids either.