Anyone else's kids in nursery over the 6 weeks?

[Liiiian8x]

my eldest starts school in reception and im currently in the middle of a leave year, so was going to review working pattern when my new leave year starts.

So both my kids 4 and 2 yo are in nursery usual days over summer holidays (im part time so they're off too) we have had a summer holiday got another little trip planned too

But I feel like im just seeing everyone saying kids not in nursery over summer etc!

I feel a bit bad but also im sure other parents are keeping their non school age kids in on their usual days? I can't really do anything now which sounds awful I made the final nursery payment and I dont have enough leave. DH is a contractor so the leave will fall on me during school holidays as he loses pay if he takes days off

But anyway reassure me that im not awful for switching to term time before my kids started school?? Im assuming it seems more as lots of people utilise the funding which is only term time (a friend of ours has a baby who is 1 and they do this so they pay minimal nursery costs but both are permanent contract workers so have annual leave between them both to balance school holidays)

Same here, my 2 and 4yo attend private nursery which runs all year round for my 3 working days a week. They have plenty of holidays as per our annual leave, but deliberately out of school holidays for the cost. 4yo will start school in September and will be attending until then as usual - because we have to work, and why would we take leave when we need it to cover autumn term holidays and it would've meant less time off for holidays earlier in the year.
I've been so surprised though over past 3 years how many other people have assumed my preschoolers are off 'for the holidays' or ask 'have they broken up yet' and been surprised when I say well no because they're not at school, why would anyone limit themselves to more expensive holidays unless they've got older children or work in schools themselves. Obviously term time nurseries exist but it's far from unusual to go all year round.

Are you working as usual over the 6 weeks holiday, in which case surely you need to put them in nursery. If you are part time then you will still have some days off to do things.

I left my oldest in nursery through all school holidays until he actually started at school. My youngest had more time off, because when the childcare for her brother was a parent / grandparent we’d often keep her home too (but not always - have enjoyed some solo days with just older one whilst younger went to nursery). I think people just assume it’s more of a school nursery pattern, but if you are paying for nursery and need to work then why wouldn’t you send them and take time off with them when it’s quieter / cheaper to do things.

People with older siblings are stuck having to take their holidays in the super expensive school holidays. It's completely normal for you to have taken your holiday (as your post suggested you had) when it's a fraction of the price, you only get a couple of years when you can do this. It's the strangest FOMO ever, tbh!! Don't worry, next year you'll be going the same time as everyone else.

I would save your annual leave and keep them in nursery. They’ll most likely be ill a lot when they start school as it they’ll encounter a whole new variety of viruses from their classmates and you’ll need annual leave to cover when they are ill.

Yeah im still working! Im part time so they're in 3 days and im off 2 days then weekends also!

We dont have family who can have them but I mean the people we know who's nursery kids arent in are like i say, juggling leave between them as they can or have a big family who all help eachother out (for example DH friends wife has cousins and aunties alongside her parents who do childcare and they all help eachother)

So I mean its the equivalent of having someone to have the kids some days during summer holidays or summer clubs etc isn't it? They're in an environment with friends socialising so its good

Obviously breaking my work pattern down to see what I can do going forward as having 2 days a week guaranteed off due to being part time helps a lot but of course my annual leave entitlement although its generous wont cover all holidays

Still sending mine 🙃 we have stretched hours here so they go 8-12:45 for 5 days and get in over the holidays. It helps keep my sanity in tact x

DD was in nursery over the summer until the end of August before starting school in September. We always had our main holiday outside school holidays.

At that time DH and I both didn't work from home and even then I was not allowed to have no childcare while working.

Until Y6 DD also went to a variety of holiday clubs/camps for 3 weeks at least, the rest was then covered by our annual leave.

Ours is a private nursery so we always kept him in over summer as we’d have to pay anyway or lose his place. I’ve never heard of anyone “taking them out for the summer” aside from the odd day or a family holiday.

Our son starts Reception in September and a lot of them do leave around now. But only those with older kids, where they’ve taken time off to cover the holidays anyway. Even those people always kept their kids in year-round in previous years to keep their place.

I’m a teacher & my child is in nursery over summer!
Only because our nursery only does all year round places, so I’d have to pay regardless. She loves going & I get a few hours to catch up on schoolwork and clean the house!
when she is in her last summer before school (2 years time) I will stop her place at the end of July & save the summer fees, can’t wait! But nurseries around here have cottoned onto the fact that places are gold dust so they charge all year round!

Yes, in nursery til about 2 days before starting school! Some of his friends are finishing but they're generally ones with older siblings who are off school anyway.