How many holidays do you have?

[ditzzy]

I get a fairly standard 4 weeks holidays (plus bank holidays) - and DH is complaining tonight that all our family friends seem to go away every half term.

I generally take two weeks at Christmas, a week in the summer when we visit my parents (they live in a holiday destination) and then use one day per week during other holidays (usually a day in each half term, two days across Easter, then whatever else I’ve managed to save up for a few days out in the summer - to cancel out the Christmas bank holidays).

DH didn’t take it well when I asked if I needed to work over Christmas so that we could have another week away somewhere…. (He’s a SAHD). I tried to explain that he’s just judging himself against social media highlights of other people’s lives, but he genuinely believes everyone else must be having more fun than him.

So how do other families balance limited time off work with school holidays and quality family time?

I definitely wouldn't take 2 weeks off over Christmas, I would make the bank holidays "work" for my family over that period of time - likewise with the August and May bank holidays - making sure I only need to take four days actual annual leave to get a 10 (9 really...) day break. Same at Easter.

Taking one week over the 6 week summer holidays is a bit sad. How old are the kids?

They’re 4 (reception year) and 8. I’d love to have more time to do things with them it’s just easier to do isolated days than commit in advance to a whole week.

Using the bank holidays to tag onto weeks does help me get the spare days in other weeks.

I can work at home a lot too, so join them for lunches and breaks etc but just can’t travel away.

I get 33 days plus bank holidays.

Usually take 2 in February, 2 at Easter, 20 in the summer, 2 in October, 7 days at Christmas.

Edited to add: sorry I realise I’m really lucky. My job lets me buy extra holiday, which I do.

Thanks @Itsthedress and @McKenzieFriend001 I guess I need to find a way to get more days off! I’m looking at moving into freelance work - I think that will give me more time but I’m not sure it will help with planning holidays in advance.

I get 34 days plus 5 we can carry over from the previous year which I did so this year I have 39, plus we get bank holidays and work also closes between Christmas and new year.
We have around 4 holidays a year, 2
abroad and 2 single weeks in the U.K. also Manage some city breaks (with friends mostly) during some of the bank holiday weekends.
My kids are pretty much grown up now (20,19 and 12) but when they were small I worked term time only to accommodate the lengthy amount of holidays.
I’m not taking any leave this week but Dh is taking a day and the older dc are around for doing stuff with the youngest when he’s not got plans with his friends.