Childcare on INSET days

[LloydColeandtheCoconuts]

Hello,

I'm interested what parents with children do on INSET days? Especially teachers. We go back Sept 2nd and DS returns Sept 4th. I looked at possible childcare services and there was nothing! That I saw anyway. Time off wouldn't be an option especially after a 6 week holiday ! I think my lovely family will help out now. So a relief.
What do others do? For future reference just in case my family can't help.
Thanks in advance.

I’m a childminder, I have plenty of holiday only children.

Depends on their ages. Some come in and help staff or sit with a device, or kick a football around.
Some go on play dates that their parents have organised.
Some stay at home! Depends on their age of course.
And some get looked after by the other parent.

DH takes time off, in laws help, play dates. Could probably find a teenager to look after them if I tried.

My friend does ad hoc nannying with her children if they are home from school. In the summer they usually just collect from the person's home and spend the day at splash park, park, picnic lunch and only return to drop off a tired but happy child.

Either their other parent, relative or I take them in with me.

Lots of childminders around here offer term time only contracts.

Thanks for replies. I will look into the nannying and childminder options should it come to that

Other non-teaching parent; relative e.g. grandparents; playdate with a friend (offer to have theirs for the day earlier in the 6-week holiday or on a half-term). All the same stuff you'd do for sick days (apart from playdates!)?

Mine went to a holiday club which sometimes opened on inset days if there was enough demand. The first few days of the school year are usually inset days for most schools. Other than that, I'd cover with leave, GPs or working from home when they were a bit older.

Ah sorry, just realised you're a teacher so leave isn't an option.

There is a primary school in my road and I've Seen children playing in the playground on inset days. I assumed they would have been with the staff.

Family, when we had them. Then a childminder (not our regular one as she didn't do inservice days). A (commercial) afterschool club that opened longer on those days. A sports club that did the same.

Holiday/breakfast/afterschool club which is also a Nursery.

Redcrayons they won't have been teaching staff (as it's their training day, they can't do childcare!) but if the school normally runs an after school club they may have had an extended day - that's staffed by separate people.

We use sitters.co.uk

DH and I are both teachers and have no local family. We need about 6 days a year. We almost always manage to get the same carer who we now know well, but all the ones they've sent have been excellent. We've been using them for 5 years now and have never been let down.

I rely on family help for inset days. DS goes back on the 5th this year. They seem to be having more and more inset days every year, our school have added another one onto next February half term for the first time!

Both DP and I are teachers.
I've heard good things about sitters.co.uk so that's another option.
Thanks

After school clubs? We have an independent one next to the the school that does before / after and school holidays. So therefore inset days as well!

DD's afterschool club covers INSET days (usually). Otherwise one of us takes leave or family does it.

I know, it's a pain BitchQueen. My DS's school isn't actually that bad compared to mine. I work in a SEN school and there always seems to be INSET! I never really thought about their impact on working parents until I had my own kids.

DH and I are both teachers too. We have friends who we trade off holiday care with and they take the inset days off! I do a 2 days in the holiday for 1 inset day ratio (because I’m so grateful, not because they ask me to!)

I'm a childminder. It wouldn't be unusual for me to have children just for inset days or ad hoc holiday days.

That's a great idea Pottering. DS has just finished Reception so I am still getting to know the parents but it's something to consider for the future.

Do any of his friends parents work? Maybe you could offer to have their child a bit in the holidays in return for them covering one of the inset days. They would otherwise need to cover the inset days plus holiday days, so if you can cover some holiday days then they can cover inset days. I work at home and sometimes will cover inset days for a friend who teaches.

I work in an independent SEN school and we often have teachers’ children in on INSET days. They’re all old enough to entertain themselves during the day. Some of the older ones help out with displays, laminating etc.

MIL very kindly does our childcare. When she's away we use a childminder if one of us can't get the time off.