Wfh during summer hols with young children

Whst @allthemiddlechildrenoftheworld said about wfh.

11 probably. My older two are 8 and 5 and I can do bits and pieces with them around, but (1) screens, which I hate, are the only way to reliably keep them quiet, and (2) my work involves quite a bit of concentration, so being interrupted for snacks / drinks / to referee fights is annoying. It’s fine when they’ve been to a club that finishes at 3, as I use the club time to get the most important work done and finish up admin stuff when they’re home - a couple of hours’ TV for them after five hours of sport is fine.

I can see having the occasional “chill” screen time day for them while you wfh but that can’t be a solution for primary aged kids for most of the holidays.

Obviously during Covid we all had to do what we could without any childcare so that was different I don't think we can compare that now as all the options are back

I do think it depends on the child.

I used a mix of camps and clubs and leave to 11 with the odd day with them at home. I can wfh with them but only if they sit and watch tv or go on tablets all day basically which I don't feel is fair to them for the whole holidays so I try to only have a few "chill" days like these over the break

Sometimes there are free or very cheap clubs & things they can go to for just a come of hours to get them out of the house/

Also depends on your job, mine needs a lot of concentration and focus or if you can get away with dipping in and out.

I think it's totally child dependent.
We have DS6 and DD3. Couldn't wfh with DD unless absolutely an emergency.
DS however is extremely independent and able to amuse himself. I think during the entire 6.5wks we have 4 days where me/DH will wfh while he's home, he'll watch movies, play on his Switch, build Lego, play with his toys, read books, colour. I can sit on the sofa with my laptop and easily work while he does this. I also know though he's quite unusual to be able to do this.
I think 4 days lazing about with the other 35 out and about doing lots of fun activities is reasonable.

In Covid I worked out of the house one day a week and my husband was suddenly WFH with a 4 and 6 year old on the day I wasn’t there. He’d have 2 hour meetings and they’d just get on and play, I used to leave snacks out and activities. I know how hard they found it on the days I wasn’t there and dad was busy most of the day. I think wfh with children can only work for short bursts of an hour or so.

Excellent post.

Obviously it depends on a combination of the individual child, and what your job entails. There will be a few children at 10 who would be fine, there will be others at 11 or 12 who still need more supervision.

If it is a 'one off' one day, that is very different from 5 days a week x 6 weeks.

Not sure impressed is the right word poor kids.

I imagine he wanted to be at home with a parent who can give him attention though, not at home with a parent who has to ignore him for most of the day because they are working.

The first summer we had dd home she was 10yo and it was because of Covid. It was not good. We muddled through because like everyone else, we had no other options.

we started using holiday camps again at age 12, though at that point it wasn’t so much child care as just to have her not be bored. We mostly did every other week. we did that for ages 12 and 13

young children need to be in child care. Your work deserves your full focus and your children deserve attention as well.

the sexism that women can manage to work and care for children simultaneously is appalling. It is sexism because it is almost always women put in this position.

Not necessarily true. Depends on the child. When my youngest was 4 he wanted to be at home. He hated nursery.

At my company, anyone found to not have childcare for children primary aged and younger would face consequences. It's company policy.

My youngest is 9 and this is the first summer I've felt like I could fully WFH with her there. I won't though because it's not fair on her - will share care with DH, grandparents and me.
In the past I have done a lighter day 2 days a week then made up the time the other 3 days while she's with grandparents

you are free to meet non-white women you know?

As a £130k fully remote job is more than enough to afford childcare, that's a non-issue for you, so what are you whinging about?

Depending on the child I’d say somewhere around 9 or 10. DD8 still interrupts and moans about being bored which is very distracting. DS5 there is no chance - holiday club finishes at 4 so the last hour I spend on admin only with no meetings but even that is hard!

No one is suggesting you become a housewife or indeed that you reduce your hours at all

What's with the casual racism there?

I don't think people are suggesting becoming a housewife but putting him in childcare while you work?

I earn £130k for a full time, fully remote job, that gives me 3 days a week off and is fairly family friendly. So we have a lot of quality time. I’m not about to switch to part time or become a housewife to meet other (mainly white women’) views of what mothers should be like.

Really depends on the job you are doing and the child. If it is a job that can be done at any point in the day with no need for specific meetings and time specific things you could probably do this with an 9 year old. If you are having to work strictly to a traditional 9 to 5 time frame then I think 11 or 12. Even then is a bit rubbish for the child if it is everyday.

Most people also have to use their annual leave to cover school holidays. If there are two parents this is usually at least 50 days between them

DH and I get 60 days between us. 13 weeks of school holidays a year + 5 teacher training days = 70 days. So that's a minimum of 10 more days to find, if we didn't spend any of our annual leave together for the whole year. Then there's teacher strikes, child illness, snow closures, early finish at the end of term and whatever else on top.

As pp have said, holiday clubs are great but the hours are often short, spaces are limited and they will take your money but then won't take your DC if they are unwell/have SEN/hate it there.

Yes it's really not good to wfh with children around but it's not hard to see why poeple end up doing it.

The football one does 9 to 3 but most are a range of unhelpful times and not everyday mon-friday. Depends on your annual leave but even 50 days isn't covering all the school holidays plus anything extra life throws up appointments/broken bones/lllness. Its all such a stressful struggle I'm baffled why its still like this it seems so outdated.

I don't think you can work from home effectively in the 13 weeks of school holidays with children under secondary age.
I know childcare is expensive but it's needed.
I had to wfh with my 2 during covid and quite frankly it was a bloody nightmare for me that I've still never caught up with.

I think siblings increase rather than decrease the need for supervision as they're a major source of injury and arguments.

It's not fair to keep young children cooped up all day. I definitely wouldn't do a full time job wfh and look after children, at all.