What do you do when no childcare over school holiday?

[BrieAndChilli]

Left it a bit late this time to sort. 3 kids 8,10 and 12.
DH can’t get any Tom off apart from possibly the Thursday
I can’t get any time off apart from possibly - you’ve guessed it - Thursday
MIL who works term time (but loves 2.5 hours away is on half term the week before so we can’t send them there or have her come to us.
My sister (who also lives 2.5 hours away is working that week as her kids are again on half term the week before)
FIL who loves close, doesn’t work and will have the kids on the odd day if we are stuck is in Vietnam
The after school club only does 2 weeks of summer and 1 week of winter
The council do sports clubs in the leisure centre but again only Easter and summer hols.
Usual couple of friends I would swop with are all working/also stuck for childcare.

We are in a small town so not a huge amount of choice like you would get in a city eg science clubs/Lego workshops etc etc

I’m drawing a bit of a blank!

Could you pay for a emergency nanny to come and look after them for the week?

What did you do last year?

Find a local babysitter that can do some of the time (intro the kids now). Work from home a bit if possible. Look at neighbouring councils, nearby sports clubs etc. Ask about unpaid parental leave.

Surely even the smallest town has more options for holiday childcare than one council run leisure centre scheme??

Have you checked with local childminders? Ours takes extra kids over school hols.

Are there any colleges locally where they do Health and Social Care or childcare related courses? If they share your half term maybe you could get a teenager from there to entertain them for a week. There's still enough time to get to know them over the weekends in the run up to half term.

Quite a lot of nurseries do holiday clubs for school aged children. Maybe check some of them?

We live in a medium sized town and there are no council options in Feb half term - only summer, half of Easter and October. (do try neighbouring councils though)

Try to find a nanny who has that week off and can cover as emergency childcare?

Yes teen on gap year a good idea, too. Even a sixth former, potentially.

Is it only this feb half term you need childcare or every holiday? You could register with childcare.co.uk and pay the £19 a month to access childcarers so that future hols are covered

Are you a lone parent?

We juggle and leave the kids alone for gaps of a couple of hours with various neighbors "on call" if needed. There are two of us but no grandparent childcare nor holiday clubs around here.
We're overseas though where people are less dramatic about kids being unsupervised. Kids are similar ages to yours (7, 11, 13) and this is normal here - no, social services (here) will not think it's a problem...

Had this with mine as never had any help.
Booked holiday clubs and payed extortionate prices , nearly £200 every bloody half term/holiday for ten years

Sorry second line, DH

Can one of you start really early and finish really early, and the other really late and finish late? That's what we do but we're lucky to have flexibility. I work shifts but have a lot of say in which shifts, and DH does an office job but can work 6am to 2pm or 11am 7pm or whatever he chooses within reason.

I work from home if I can't get childcare but this depends on age of children!

I'd get a sensible sixth form babysitter for children that age.

Surprised there aren't any privately run sports/holiday clubs.

Or send them all away on a pgl holiday?

@IlluminatiParty up until last xmas I worked from home for 2 years so on the days we were stuck I could work with them there (and before that when they were smaller I worked evenings so didn’t need childcare)
The past year since my new job either me or DH take the time off or they have gone to MILs or I’ve swooped care with friends. Unfortunately this Feb half term seems to be the perfect storm and all the normal arrangements aren’t working out!!

Neighbouring counties (and therefore the nearest big city) are all in England (we are wales) so they are on holiday the week before meaning any clubs/nurseries etc that offer holiday care won’t be running!!
DS age 12 will be ok at home alone. He comes home twice a week and is own his own until 6pm.
Can’t work from home unfortunately with this job and can’t work flexibly either. Might be able to take them into work on one of the days I do a short day.

@smoggle PGL? That will cost more than I make in a month!!!

I was going to say the 12 year old might be ok.

Will any of the other 2’s friends’ parents help out?

Play dates/gap year/sixth former or uni student in reading week?

@Thecrown3 is that £200 for 1 child a week? We pay £90 a day for 3 kids for the school summer holiday club!
As there’s not much competition round here the few clubs that run are extortionate!

I had no family support to help ever so took time off in lieu or sucked it up and paid for holiday clubs might be slightly further away than usual school but had no choice.

Looks like unpaid leave then as this seems the only option I’m afraid.

Second (or third!) the suggestions for a reliable teenage sitter - perhaps the older sibling of one of their school friends, or ask on your local FB group. My two are similar age and at that age all they really need is someone to check the house isn't burning down, they're more than capable of entertaining themselves on the Xbox etc or taking themselves to the park.

@Schmoobarb have a possible friend booked in for one day and I’m going to have hers on the inset day earlier in Feb.

Just having a minor panic really as normally one of our usual options works out! Just wondered what options I hadn’t considered like uni students etc but we aren’t near a uni so not sure many will be home with thier parents during that week.

On the plus side I’ve already sorted easter holidays out!!