To think you only properly enjoy the school holidays if you don’t work or are part time?

Gotta love the stereotypes, assumptions, and barely hidden criticisms aimed at people who choose to be stay-at-home moms or teachers.

I fully support giving kids and teenagers six weeks of holidays during the school year. Once they start working, life often makes them miserable, bitter, and full of resentment like so many others. So, I believe in letting them enjoy being young while they can—at least for those fortunate enough not to face major struggles in their lives.

Childcare during holidays can be tough, so it's a good idea for parents to plan ahead by looking into local activities and budgeting for the expenses. That's exactly what I did.

Growing up in a rural area, my childhood and teenage holidays were filled with swimming in inflatable pools, playing and having fun with other kids in the village streets, doing informal work, and spending time on farms. My parents never had to worry about childcare.

I suspect it comes down to money at the end of the day. I work full time but have access to good holiday care and I also have the option to take annual leave in small increments so quite easy to manage a 10-5 camp which gives me options.

Of the 6 weeks:
2 weeks annual leave and holiday
1 week theatre camp
1 week grandparents
2 weeks multi activity camp

3 weeks of camp for two kids has cost around £1500. Good camp provision means there is very little disruption to work and I enjoy the time I have in the evenings with the children as no homework or activities. Instead of lobbying for shorter holidays, I think people should lobby for better camp provision and more subsidised places.

I work part time physical job and when I get home at lunch time it’s full on in the afternoon entertaining the children because they’ve been in all morning while dad works from home. I often wonder if the holidays would be easier if I worked full time and they went to holiday club.

I work full-time but quite enjoy the slower pace of the holidays. My car hasn't moved since last Friday and that was for a short trip. Next week I'll be back to driving 7 days pw ☹️.

IMO you enjoy it more when they get older.

This summer was a piece of piss tbh, 2 teenagers who largely looked after themselves and their own plans and a 9yr old who was welcomed by lots of friends for playdates as at that age you aren't having to really "babysit" and it actually makes your life easier for them to be occupied with a friend.

It was hard work when they were all younger and needed more provided entertainment - whether I was working or not as have done both when they were small.

On a personal level, I love it with wfh as I have been having a lie in too with no school runs to get up for! Just roll out of bed to the laptop for 9!

I’ve always worked full time, I loved the holidays. Sure it was harder when they were younger (especially as they have SEND and we have never had childcare or ‘a village’)but to be able to spend more time with them was just the best. I hated them having to go back.

I could never understand the people who celebrated the end of the holidays

It's been a while since this was a concern as my youngest is 20 but I can still remember the constant stress of juggling, finding childcare, remembering who is going where on which days. Holiday clubs not covering the whole working day, kids as they got older but not old enough to be left at home not always wanting to be shipped of to GPs. Working out how to maximise annual leave and still trying to get away as a family. And that was with a DH taking his fair share of the load, Grandparents close by who were happy to help out and a friend who was a childminder and allowed me to have a flexible arrangement in the holidays. I know we were extremely lucky so don't want to moan too much.

On balance I don't have regrets about us both working FT when the kids were young but this is one thing I would have gladly given up work for if it had been an option at the time.

that's not true, plenty of full-time working parents actually enjoy the holidays
and find it easier than school term

We are in England, they finish school at 3pm! That's a 5 days a week problem, added to everything else.

Summer holidays are a lot easier, more relax. Yes, you need to plan in advance, but that's not new is it. Most of us also managed to have at least a couple of weeks off ourselves, and if we are lucky a day or half a day here and there.

6 weeks is far too short, there's a lot more to life than school, they need time to explore other things than the curriculum, they need time to rest from school.

I agree that it’s down to how much money and help with childcare that you have.

The most difficult summers I’ve had have been where I was freelance or SAHM with little money for clubs or to do fun things, and no help with childcare. The days were very samey and relentless.

The nicer summers I’ve had have been when I’ve been employed full time with some flexibility over summer work hours. Money for days out, holiday clubs, and a family holiday - which helps massively in terms of making the time pass quicker and with less monotony.

We both work FT and it feels like I’m about to finish some endurance training of logistical juggling- I could recite the opening hours of every holiday club in the area! But roll on school and their 7.30-5.30 wraparound care so I can do my job in the day and not spend my evenings making up the hours.

I don't think the holidays are too long, I do think it would be beneficial if more families could have one parent at home/very part time.

My employer is flexible - I work from home, but it doesn’t stop me needing to work 40h p/w and my kids being bored out of their brains whilst I plug away at a laptop.

I love summer holidays but also live abroad so they are 10 weeks not 6. DC does day camp and is with grandparents and then second half we were on holiday or DC was with a nanny. I will say that I think a huge part of hating is probably financial. We are high earning and have family around so it isn’t really a struggle to cover the time and I love leaving early on a Friday to go to the pool/beach etc. We had a nanny for several weeks who let DC get to have a pretty unstructured summer playing out which is what suits them best. DC gets to be outside most of the time which they love and their behavior is so much calmer. We don’t do screen time at all so don’t have arguments about that.

I work full time (as does DH) and I LOVE the school summer holidays!
I'm absolutely gutted today is the last day 😢 I do have generous annual leave and flexi though, and also work compressed hours so during the 6 weeks I have every Monday off, we were away 1st week, and last 2 weeks. I had about 6 other days off across the other 3wks and grandparents helped out the other days.

I sympathise OP, however I don't agree that the holidays are too long - remember that school is primarily for education, not childcare.

It depends on what kind of work. I’m part time which in theory should make life easier, but I work nights and then have to look after 3 children on no sleep. We have no family nearby, no childcare and have no extra funds for expensive holiday clubs. So yes, I’m grateful I don’t have to juggle childcare being full time, but it’s no fun surviving on no sleep and trying to be a half decent parent!

I think it just depends on the person doesn't it. I have working mum friends and SAHM mum friends, some enjoy the holidays, some don't. I'm a SAHM and I love the holidays, I'm so sad they have to go back to school 😭

I'm a SAHM to teens, 17 and 15, and I think it would be better to spread the holidays out more during the year. We had a lovely holiday and they caught up with friends etc but they could have had a week less easily and had an extra week during the year. Some of the terms seem so long!

Imagine if you had 12 weeks! I think it’s hard for working parents no doubt about it but really important for the kids! Just society has not evolved in a conducive way to raise children.

Good question! I'm not sure.

I've really enjoyed the summer holidays as a sahm of a 7yo and 3yo. I've not had much of a break although the older one has done fun activity camps for certain weeks, but I've almost always had the younger one with me. We've had some fun days out, there are always lots of places to visit and activities happening, we have a decent budget for trips out, and the weather's been mostly good. We don't have wider family support but DH is an equal parent and shares the load when he's home. The house is absolute chaos though and I have a backlog of things that I haven't been able to get done with no childcare, so I'm looking forward to them being back at school/pre-school!

I find it hilarious that do many adults I know, all ages, say that 'Six weeks is too long' or 'there's too many school holidays' I'm damn sure none of them would have changed things when they were at school!

There's no way I'd advocate children having a measly 4 week holiday entitlement like UK working adults have. What sort of childhood would that be?
I juggle the school holidays the best I can, co-parenting (both work full time), I take more holidays in the six weeks than I do in the colder months, but I bloody enjoy the six week hols, loads of great days and memories, just gutted I go back to work tomorrow!

Is parenting any child easy? But yes a holiday would be amazing....off to buy a lottery ticket 😂
Hopefully the challenges you've faced this year with the long break will help you prepare for an easier time next summer. Plus your DC will be a year older so a years worth of growing independence and learning to do more things for themselves will maybe make it less of a challenge too? Or at least give you new challenges just to shake it up and keep you on your toes!
If its not quite over for you yet you must only have a day or so left so stay strong they are almost back at school 💪🏻 if they are already back then collapse on the sofa with a vodka and coke and congratulate yourself on surviving!

Who knows though if I'd been working maybe I'd have had the stress of not being with them instead of the stress of always being with them 🤷🏼‍♀️ I'm not exaggerating either when I frame it as keeping them alive especially the younger one 🥴😂🫣😂 at least its over now (for me anyway as they are now back at school) and its another year before we have to face a holiday as long again!