to think I can get by without childcare in August because work is quiet?

Oh get a grip, she’s spending loads of time with her kids - she’s with them all day. She can do what she likes with her leave and maybe she needs a break.

It seems rotten you've saved your leave to use just to benefit you in September rather than spend some quality time with your kids whilst they're off. How is it not a break with your own children?

Not everyone has your job though. Some people genuinely have jobs where there is little to do at times. Not everyone has the equivalent job of working in a call centre where you have to be working the whole time. As long as I complete my tasks nobody gives a shit what I do all day.

What is your work?

I get it, OP. Some jobs have "tasks" rather than working hours. As long as you can complete the work on time, what does it matter if you do it around childcare? I can see there might be a problem if your children got the lurgy and you missed a deadline, but that would be the same in term-time.

\Leaving aside the children, I've done something similar during snow and train strikes ... and also to be able to get on with stuff and avoid interruption by bloody clients wittering at me on the phone! This was pre-internet and mobile phones, though, so probably easier!

This will be my third year of doing this. Similar age kids. Here’s my tips

1. trips out - pan early/ late in the day or at lunch, for 1-2 hours eg park, nice walk, shops. If your phone rings - DONT ANSWER!! Just message back to say “hey I’m starting a little later/ finishing a little earlier/ late lunch today - will give u a buzz back later.
2. Block time out in your calendar (if it’s open, name the appointments eg “work on proposal”, “edit strategy” etc. limits the amount of time people can add you to meetings.
3. childcare swaps. Having 4 kids (one friend for each) is oddly easier than having 2
4. have “new stuff” ready to go for if you need to concentrate for a few hours - eg magazine, snacks or even a list of Amazon prime films you can buy as a treat.
5. stack emails in your outbox - draft the replies in the evening and send them in the morning

I have a great life thanks 😀

Absolutely love AL on my own too. But I do actually do the job I'm paid to do and don't take the piss

Is it any wonder employers don't want to employ women with young children who want to 'work from home' when they really know they won't be actually working properly but looking after their primary school age kids.

Ha. Your manager and her manager are both off for the whole of August?

It’s probably also not in anyone’s contract that they shouldn’t go on a spa day while working, or go for an all-day drinking session. Luckily most people wouldn’t need to be told that they can’t do those things while working 😂

Seriously get a life 😩

Just try it and see how it goes? If it becomes difficult, then get childcare if it’s not too late.

I’m not in the least bit surprised, MN is full of jobsworths who loathe that others have a lot of flexibility and TRUST from their employers.

8 and 10? Absolutely. Kids that age don't need to be entertained and supervised every moment of the day. My two are a similar age, and they do chores like hanging out laundry, washing dishes, and meal prep (veg and so on) as well as their normal kid stuff if I'm working at home.

Let's not dress it up any other way. You sound like a shit employee and a shit parent.

But you crack on and book your AL for September to get a break from your busy August 'work' and time with your children.

Also, I‘ve worked in jobs where you have set hours- but you’re expected to work more in busy times, and less when it’s quiet. I didn’t think that was so unusual!

I‘m surprised at the replies on here. I don’t see the big deal.

If it’s not in your contract that you can’t WFH whilst caring for children, then I don’t think it is a problem. Your DC will have a better summer with you working 2 hours a day than they would in childcare.

I‘m a teacher and will need to do prep work over the summer, an hour or two a day. We have no family nearby, and I’m not going to put my DC in childcare- they can play or watch a movie if needs must. They even come to school with me and help set up my classroom.

I agree and to be honest the OPs employer has been extremely reasonable with medical appointments etc. All take and no give here.

Looks like you are looking for your cake and eating it. So, you are getting paid to work. You will not do what others do and take annual leave when it is quiet, you will wait until the kids go back to school and presumably your work is busier and then you will take leave. I bet your colleagues love you. Sounds like you are taking the piss massively.

Is all of your work really reactive and not proactive? Surely there are things you should be cracking on with?

It is one thing easing off the pedal during the quietest periods but to do very small percent of your working hours? Really?

I wfh full time (my kids are teens) but I wouldn’t dream of taking leave when they are back at school. I’m taking a week off and using the rest of my leave to have some long weekends over the school holidays. I won’t have any left to take days off when they are back at school.

I think if you were truly confident in "they always said it is fine as long as the work gets done." Line you keep parroting you wouldn't be on here asking and you would quite easily ask / inform them of your plans. But you know going on a day out while "checking in and answering emails" is massively taking the piss.

I used to have a role like this and had no problem approaching management to say I had emergency childcare that day and the response was always "no worries just do what you can" but I was sat at home and actively working (as much as possible) not pissing about at Thorpe Park or whatever you're planning.

It speaks volumes you've not used your annual leave for childcare too. You're avoiding deadlines by using it in September but couldn't use it now?? Lazy worker and Lazy Parent by the sounds of it.

And there may well be a clause that says OP must devote her full time and attention to her work duties during working hours. Pretty standard provision in employment contracts. Nothing expressly saying you can’t look after children, but looking after children means you are in breach of an “outside interests” clause.

Wow what is your job? I hope this isn't too personal a question but I really need to change my career and I'm interested

I have proper annual leave booked for September when they are back at school, so I will get a proper break then.

But why don't you just use the annual leave during the school holidays to have a proper guilt free break with your children now, instead of taking extra time off at your employers expense in september & juggling work in the school holidays? This attitude really annoys me.

I was going to say this. This is what I have done with my 8yo DS, we have a mix of us going away for a few days, I have some days off with him, there are a handful of days when I will have him when I wfh and a good chunk in holidays clubs. I have an only though so he’d be more prone to being bored without a playmate. Plus. The holiday club I send him to does loads of activities that he absolutely loves