Inset days

Do you not think the head will realise they’re always sick on INSET days? Are we saying it’s okay teachers with children never do the training with other staff?
It’s a problem for the parents to sort, not the Head.

Memory unlocked! Yes my mum used to take me in for Baker days in the 80s. Sorry this doesn’t help you OP but don’t know any childminders through local contacts who would be happy to do an odd day? I know some parents at my DCs school have done this

If your contract says the days you work are variable then it is legal. If it doesn’t, then it’s very dodgy. I know, I’ve worked PT for 6 years and can only work certain days due to other commitments. What your Head tells you and what the actual employment laws say could be two very different things!
You have many years of trying to make arrangements regarding childcare for clashing holidays, and you’ve had lots of valid suggestions here.

Babysitter- I used to work between Christmas and new year and had to get babysitter for 10 hour days. Yup costly but you’ll have to take the hit. Bubble app is quite good for those days

We've used the Bubble app to find childcare for occasions like this. Lots of people available during the day (in our area anyway!) and lots of the people on there are vetted nannies/childcare professionals

https://www.sitters.co.uk/daytime-childcare.aspx?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=921387588&gbraid=0AAAAAD_hhYf5V4mkXy2QONJI93E3j8VZu

@Perfect28my experience is that people make it work by using all the ideas that have been suggested to you on this thread.
genuinely interested in what you feel a suitable solution would be. I appreciate it’s challenging to make friends but perhaps you could use some of the strategies that enable you to stand in front of a class of children to help build relationships with the parents of your child’s friends. Having a small group of parents that you can call upon in times of need is worth its weight in gold.

Your school should allow you the day off unpaid if you ask? They would surely allow you to stay home if your child was sick.

It could also be worth approaching the primary school and explaining the situation. My daughter’s primary school out-of-hours provider now covers Inset days too as I think people were really struggling to cover the odd day here and there.

You could try the website Sitters for vetted babysitters.

Although I understand it’s difficult, you’re really going to need a support network. Start building your village.

What would you do then? If you can't rely on like minded parents as part of your village then who can you rely on?

In these circumstances you offer to help first and they repay the favour when you need them.

There are numerous private nanny services - surely you can contact one for ad hoc childcare?

I’d be interested to know when (as in decade) the people saying they took their young children into school are talking about. Because while I remember going into my Dad’s school in the 1980s and I would sit in the staff room with books and colouring etc there is no way it would be appropriate now.

My school doesn’t even have a staff room so where would my five year old be proposed to sit? Come in my lessons with me? That wouldn’t be disruptive at all

Out of curiosity why isn’t it the same?

Lots of our wrap around clubs close for the last two weeks of the summer holidays and don’t take 4 year olds at all (only 5 and above). And there isn’t any wrap around for inset days which we have to juggle on top of the school holidays.

There isn’t lots of childcare options for parents in our area so we are forced to juggle and swap kids to help each other out.

Im not saying we have it worse or better but it’s interesting that you don’t think it’s remotely similar.

I always took my DC to school with me, they loved it

Fair enough if they are all happy with that arrangement. But I would think that a lot to ask of another parent, especially if I didn’t know them very well.

Really, my daughter, who works full time, often swaps in the summer holidays for full days with her children’s friend’s parents.

Honestly, I wouldn’t be leaving my child with another parent for a whole day. I think that’s a lot to ask both them and their child - most play dates are a couple of hours. It puts the other parent in a potentially awkward situation of not wanting to say yes but wanting to keep relationships congenial so not quite knowing what to say!

Babysitting is work. Of course there are people who will do it for 8 hours.

Good idea to try out a few for a shorter period.

OP, you have said that your mother can’t keep coming down, but could you take your child up the night before? A lot of these inset days fall next to holidays or the weekend so that would help.

I was feeling sympathetic until you posted about non teaching parents not having this problem. You’ve clearly got no idea of the struggles non teaching working parents have.

I nearly raised objection when my children were at school as did some other parents. My children had a maths lesson with the teacher bringing in a very young child who wasn’t quiet. Fortunately it didn’t happen again.