How do/did you manage childcare during the school holidays when your dc started secondary?

[Halfcharged]

DS starts in September and I’m not sure how to manage childcare. He’s an only child, I work 9-4 2 days per week and 9-12 one day. We’ve always done a mix of using annual leave, grandparents and school friends (I then return the favour on my days off).

When are they old enough to look after themselves? I’m thinking it’ll happen gradually. Maybe gp’s can pop in and check on him mid day and we’ll still use our annual leave to have time off with him. I don’t think we’ll be able to do the child-swop if he makes new friends though.

How have you managed?

Round here there’s no holiday clubs for secondary school age children
It’s a mix of a/l. Friends and grandparents
Or leaving them on their own

It’s tricky as it’s not really good to leave them on their own yet
Depending on the child and your work situation probably year 9 is the earliest they could be left totally alone

Do they have any serious hobbies? Usually some sports training camps can break up the day...

Mine are year 7 and year 8 and we leave them on their own. We try and make sure it’s not everyday and we have a younger child so we still take time off /ship them off to grandparents. Younger one goes to holiday club or friends.
I only work 5 min drive away so know I can get back really quickly if needed.

A combination of going on childcare.co.uk and to find a temporary nanny / university student and PGL holidays . Worked very well . Also have a relatively generous holiday entitlement from work .

With great difficulty! DGS is yr 7 (not 12 until summer hols) and my DD is single mum who works full time in a pressured job that involves staying late sometimes. She takes annual leave where she can, I have him probably a third of the time and he gets booked into holiday sports clubs for the rest (they usually finish about 4pm so I collect him). We haven't left him at home for more than an hr on his own yet - he's not the most sensible boy on the planet. Summer holidays, no idea except probably the same sort of thing. They don't live in an area where he can safely roam the streets tbh and when he was meant to be at a friend's they both went to the park - he could hardly say no without looking like a wuss! It's a worry.

Eldest is in year 7 so have this issue for the first time this year. A holiday club at the school takes 12 year olds so I can use this for the odd day. DS hates these clubs though. Rest is AL between me and their dad and leaving him at home.

Given childcare seems to end at Year 6, parents don't have a lot of choice but to leave them younger when they would ideally like to.

Taking annual leave opposite DH,
Grandparents occasionally,
Working half days only over more days and leaving them home alone,
Football holiday clubs,

Mine start staying home alone from year 7. I only work till 2pm though so by the time they have had a lie in got up showered and had breakfast I am usually not long to coming home.

I take at least one day per week of holidays off though so we can do something fun.

Sporty holiday clubs and unpaid parental leave.

When are they old enough to look after themselves?

I think that very much depends on the child. I was definitely old enough to be left on my own in Yr7 (and was, would have been mortified if I’d been sent to childcare), but that doesn’t really mean much. Has he expressed an opinion?

Both ex-H and I run our own businesses so fortunately we can be flexible.

We tend to work longer hours on the day the other parent has her, then have the days she’s with us as family time

He’s very sensible, I think he’d be fine, certainly for the morning. I think the juggle will continue for the first year at least, build him up to all day gradually.