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Christmas childcare!

428 replies

Christmaschildcare · 07/10/2024 13:17

Before I had children, I thought parents wanted Christmas off because of the ‘magic’ of Christmas with children. I’m sure some do but I now realise it’s mostly because THERE’S NO FLIPPING CHILDCARE OPTIONS AVAILABLE

I have three children under six. Their school is (naturally) closed, their nursery is closed. There are no holiday clubs in our area open whatsoever. We have no one to ask - everyone either works or is in same boat as us so cannot look after THREE CHILDREN for us.

We need to find cover for two weeks. My dh can take a week, and I can take a week, so we’re lucky that we can plan to share.

but even that has been an issue for both employees. We’ve both been told we ‘need to do our part’ and ‘can’t expect to be off just because you’ve got kids’ and ‘well it needs to be fair to everyone’ etc etc.

while I agree with this in theory - in practice, what on Earth am I supposed to do for childcare? If my employer says I can’t take the week off - well, unfortunately, I will be, as I can’t leave three children at home. I’m not being difficult, I genuinely have nowhere and no one to send them to. I wish I did.

is there some magical Christmas childcare solution I’m missing? Please enlighten me 😩

OP posts:
QforCucumber · 07/10/2024 13:21

What do you do?
I am thankful that DH office closes around the 20th December until the 2nd Jan every year, and I finish up on Xmas eve through until the new year too.

Granted, ours are now 8 and 4 but there are a couple of holiday clubs here on the run up, Xmas art and craft one which is £25 each for the day, and our wrap around childminder will cover a day or 2 in-between if we really need it.

Creditschmedit · 07/10/2024 13:20

YANBU and this is almost entirely the reason I work part time. The lack of affordable childcare in this country is ridiculous.

Pandasnacks · 07/10/2024 13:19

My job was like this after my first child so I changed jobs, my new job allows some time off and then I use a babysitter for anything I can't do. But if you've no help and are not allowed time off then changing jobs is the solution. What did you do for the last 5 years?

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