Wfh during summer hols with young children

No way I’d have been able to do my job properly when mine were under 8. It wouldn’t be fair to the kids or my employer, or my colleagues

I think it depends on the child, how independently they play and how they feel about being ignored for hours each day and each week.

I started doing it when DS was about 11.

It wasn't every day either, it was 2 days a week. Instead of booking off 2 weeks in a row I booked 2 days off every week, so I only worked 3 days a week for the duration of summer holidays. 1 day I would go into the office and he'd go to a holiday club, and 2 days I would wfh.

My child is older now but that's the approach I would have taken if WFH with primary or younger age kids.

DS is 10 in year 6 and I will only have him at home with me an occasional day during the holidays. If we've had a really busy weekend then a lazy Monday at home while I work isn't so bad as he will just play on PS4 and chill.

Other than that he goes to sport holiday clubs which he enjoys. He gets to be active, spend time with people and then come home and chill. It's better for him and better for me.

I get good annual leave and no restrictions on when I take it so I always get a decent amount of the holidays off with him

We did try letting him have an occasional day at home while I was working when he was 9 but he didn't enjoy it as he felt lonely.

Similar here. I’ve tried to arrange holiday/sports clubs up until end of Year 8, or they just spend most of the day on a screen. Some people are ok with that but for me it’s a last resort.

It’s fine for after holiday camp ends at 3pm.

My 7yo is disabled and waiting for a school place - we recently moved LAs. We have developed a very strict routine for the day, which helps him feel less anxious and helps me juggle my workload. I am lucky in that I work for a company based in North America, so my entire team doesn't come online until 2pm my time. This gives me a lot more flexibility than I would have otherwise. I complete my projects on time and to a high standard, there isn't any question about my value to the company. But I take that flexibility seriously and will work into the evening or have an early start during breakfast in order to complete projects. We have a big garden that he can run about in, which I'm grateful for. That in itself has made a huge difference to my ability to function - his anxiety levels are so high at the moment he can't really cope with any activities outside the home, so he's happy and occupied most of the time. I genuinely wouldn't be able to function in a smaller house/garden space - I know, because he's been out of school before in our old house.

I wish I didn't have to juggle childcare and WFH, my days wouldn't feel nearly as taxing if he was in school, but it is what it is. And hopefully only temporary, although at this rate he won't be in school until Sept or later. :(

On here, a lot of posters claim to have children who are remarkably able to do improving activities all day with minimal supervision.

I think in reality most children are just on screens

I'm part time anyway and I've used AL to reduce my hours even more during the holidays and the kids are in camps for at least 4 hours every working day...

Mine are reception and Y4 age and are fine to work "around" after an active camp as they will crash in front of the TV for a bit...

Wouldn't work without at least a part day camp. Maybe when they're secondary but even then I'd want some kind of physical/organised activity for a holiday period.

Odd days when ill much easier to work with them around as they're quiet and don't need much more than sleeping, TV, audio books and reading with maybe some drawing if nearly back to school...

A whole day is too long in my experience for much more than the odd day.

I might let mine (10 and 6) have the first day of holidays at home next week while I'm working. They are well used to it from lockdown and day one they'll love a pyjama day and the novelty of a full day with their toys.
Having an older child helps as he can get drinks and snacks etc if I'm on calls (they understand what they are allowed and when).

But after that it's too much. I'm lucky that grandparents help out. They aren't used to full days anymore either as it's usually before and after school so will probably ask them to collect later say 10.30 and they can return mid afternoon.

An hour here and there makes no difference to my work and they will happily amuse themselves but I don't think full days is appropriate for kids or employer until they are 10 plus and at the stage they go out with friends etc for some of day.

I've been WFH for a remote employer since long before Covid.

Dc cared for out of the house or in the hoise my relatives not me 100% of holidays up to age 8/9. Age 9/10 started having max 1 day per week of "Left to their own devices" so was booking in a less intensive activity plan. Expanded to up to 2 days a week age 11. Then covid struck and all good intentions went out of the window.

Now in older teen years but I still book up some holiday activities where available because its not good for any child to be left to their own devices for weeks at a time if you don't live in an enid-blyton-style utopia of explorable countryside.

Isn't that one of the perks of wfh, free childcare? People are used to hearing kids, dogs, partners in the background.

Not nearly as accepted now as it was in lockdown when we had no choice.

I'm interested what people mean when they say their dc amuse themselves. Mine is 10 and left to his own devices he'd be on his games console for the entire day. I tried wfh with him one day during the easter holidays and he literally gamed from 8-5 with a short break to eat lunch. I wouldn't do it again.

It isn't fair to the child/children to leave them alone all day.
I would not stand for this as an employer either, I am paying you to work not parent your young children. I would start disciplinary proceedings if I found out an employee was doing this with very young children.

Age 10 is around the age I feel my children would be self sufficient, and not constantly interrupt or argue. They are old enough to make themselves lunch and drinks and take care of themselves properly.

Isn't that one of the perks of wfh, free childcare? People are used to hearing kids, dogs, partners in the background.

If by free childcare you mean no need to pay for any childcare, sure. But WFH while in charge of a young child isn't providing childcare, either your work suffers or your child suffers.

As for hearing dogs, partners and kids, people tolerated it during Covid, but that was 4 years ago. I wouldn't expect lots of background noise now. Sure there will be the occasional dog bark, but a child or partner interrupting work shouldn't be happening on a regular basis.

Being paid whist neglecting a child isn’t a ‘perk’.

Fine for whom? Certainly not for the 4 year old who’s parent is totally neglecting them!

Isn't that one of the perks of wfh, free childcare? People are used to hearing kids, dogs, partners in the background.
Maybe arrange for your child to go on playmates at their friends' houses and repay the favour when you're off.

I feel very sorry for kids who just amuse themselves all day long every while their parents wfh full time, that's bordering on neglect.

Are you allowed to do childcare while wfh? Some contracts don’t allow it.

My 8 and 5 year olds are going to camp. I’d rather they were stimulated, had some attention and peers to play with than having no attention from me while working. The odd day is fine- a tv day etc isn’t going to do them any harm once in a while but I don’t think it’s fair to do it continuously.

My 8yo is on the cusp where actually she’d be fine with minimal supervision. When she’s ill she’s happy to lie on the sofa while I’m working and you can barely tell she’s there but normally she’s very high energy and on the go so I think she’d go mad pottering at home all week so even though she probably could, I don’t think it would be good for her. There is zero chance I could work for a full day with mg 5yo at home and it not have an impact on work or her.

Ideally I would arrange stuff for any DC under 10. 5+ they won’t hurt themselves or trash the house or anything whilst you’re on calls but that’s a pretty low bar and will inevitably involve a lot of TV/ipad. So I’d personally try to avoid. But something like a lie in, breakfast, potter with toys, holiday club 10-3, then snack in front of the TV until you finish work is a good compromise.

Mine are 9 and 12. The 12 year old will happily amuse herself and go out in the village with friends. The 9 year old not so much. Grandma is staying with us for a week and their dad notionally has them for 2 weeks but he is notoriously unreliable so they will inevitably end up with me WFH for a few days but I wouldn’t plan more than a couple of days deliberately. If their dad definitely couldn’t have them for the full week I would either have booked leave or a holiday club…

I did it from age 8, she had a 12yr old sister to help her with anything. DH is a shift worker and is home quite a bit. My employers are extremely family friendly, the boss looks after his little ones whilst wfh.
My role isn't full on and I don't have a lot of phone calls, the downtime helps a lot.

I wfh most days (and DH on the days I'm in the office) and my 7 and 9 year old are in holidays clubs all summer if we're not on leave. There are 2 days this summer I don't have care organised but will work something out by then. I'm ok with 9 (nearly 10) year old kicking around but not both. Let's face it, at that age, amusing themselves means staring at a screen all day. I have a friend with a 10 year old who will pretty much spend the next 7 weeks on Fortnite as they have no plans for him.