Christmas childcare!

Someone I know off just turned around and told her employer she couldn't work for 6 weeks as she had no childcare due to a family emergency on her husband's side. The employer could do SFA.

The husband was the one who had planned to take a month off to look after their children but one of his parents got very ill abroad, so he flew out. The parent then died.

You could discretely ask the nursery employees if they are interested in looking after the children at your house, for a handsome remuneration. A few of my friends with no family childcare options often have the nursery staff babysit, and are extremely grateful to them.

Perhaps a Nanny would be a better all year round solution. If you have room for them to be a live in position you can recruit from outside your local area if you don't have many local nannies available.

Using a Nanny all year round would probably work better than just trying to find someone for times like Christmas.

Alternatively organisations like Sitters.com could be a way to source emergency childcare.

Good luck.

It is a nightmare, SIL nurse, hubby in army. I have the boring 9-5 ish so run an open door policy for their brats and cats.

Given it's October would there be an opportunity to ask your colleagues, local childminders etc if they have any availability or contacts.

I know we managed to get a childcare worker who wasn't travelling home one year when we had a medical emergency.

Some people have no grandparents as they are dead, decrepit or not interested.

I know it's shocking!

If OP goes off sick she will loose all respect from her colleagues.

See, the tone of this just makes you come across as an arse. You have sprogs and can’t find a solution so everyone else has to pick up the slack, but whatever, you’re ok!
Others have said what they do, if there are no options in your area maybe you need to move.

Could you ask other parent friends what their arrangements are? Just in case you've missed a holiday club that is open?

Try any local private schools? They often run holiday clubs as their holidays are so long!!

Your employment contract requires you to work over Christmas.

You have children and have apparently exhausted all childcare options. This is not your employers problem to solve.

You have two options, find childcare or find another job that fits with your life choices 🤷‍♀️

Unilaterally deciding you are taking a holiday because you have no childcare is not an appropriate option and something that you might/should be appropriately disciplined for, potentially leading to termination of your contract.

As pp said, you can also get a list of childminders from the local council website and just email them all. But I'd try nannies first if I was you - think easier for your kids to be at home for a week than to adjust to an entirely new setting for a v short time

It's a while since mine were in nursery, but they were never closed for 2 weeks; it was usually the week covering Xmas, Boxing Day, the bank holidays and the odd one or two days to make it a full week off.

Do the children not have any grandparents? OK they might not live with you but could you invite them to stay with you.

I was about to mention Norland Nanny Trainees, I know they always welcome short term placements. What about asking the nursery staff? Some of them might be willing to work to supplement their income.

You are definitely not being unreasonable. It's an insane situation. Like you say, the cover just isn't there.

But a lot of people who don't have kids really don't care. So here you are.

I'd be tempted, once I'd exhausted all options like flexi, unpaid leave, camps, wfh opinions, to go off sick. I await my flaming for that, but what else can you do?

i never had a nursery who was open during the Xmas/new year time. Summer yes but Xmas. It's pretty standard for them to close.

Nanny or childminder.

Have you spoken to every childminder in your area? Your council can give you a list.

Try Bubble and Sitters as well as local nanny agencies.

Ahh ok then. I'd still try ringing round some nanny agencies and seeing if they'll do short term care - or messaging a few nannies on childcare.co.uk who are currently not with a family.

In my experience there's a lot larger supply of nannies than childminders/nurseries - so I reckon you'll find someone (if you don't care about cost)

What do you do? Are you able to do different hours for those weeks? (E.g. DH starts work at 6 and finishes at at 3, you start at 3 and finish at 11?). What will your employer do if you just say you have absolutely no options?

Actually OP if you have a 3 kids including baby plus a spare room you might be able to get a Norland trainee. A lady I know vaguely from nursery had one for a bit.

I think YABU because

A) you chose the jobs/careers you have presumably? and therefore would have known those industries didn't close over Christmas.

B) you chose to have 3 children under 6 while in those jobs. Presumably looking into childcare was part of your decision was it not?

C) your childcare situation is not an employers problem. If there are no suitable childcare options then one of you needs to look at an alternative job/employer with more favourable Christmas holiday arrangements.

Might be best staggering days with DH instead of a week in one go