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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Summer hoidays-in a pickle

59 replies

Rockingrobin69 · 09/03/2015 22:18

childminders charge £10 an hour and adhoc is very hard to aquire, plus they charge for absent weeks i.e when I actually go on holiday with DS

Holiday clubs are £200-£300 a week with little options for less than a full time week

I am self employed and need childcare for four days a week from 9-3 for 4 weeks of the summer and really struggling to see how I can manage it...

what do people do?, how do you manage childcare over the summer?

FYI I have no family in over 100 miles and do not have a any childcare help from DS dad

OP posts:
Backtobedlam · 09/03/2015 22:20

How old is ds? I've found sports activities are a lot cheaper than actual 'holiday clubs' but obviously depends on age.

SolomanDaisy · 09/03/2015 22:22

Have you got space to have a summer au pair?

watchingthedetectives · 09/03/2015 22:22

How old are your kids? You might be able to get a student who is off in the summer and just wants to work for a month.

Spatial · 09/03/2015 22:23

Yes, sports clubs work well here, although they tend to be 10-3 not 9-3. Tennis is about £70, multi sports £40, cricket £60, football £60 etc

Ionacat · 09/03/2015 22:25

Does your school haven holiday club linked to it? Our school's after school club runs a holiday club which you can book into for the days you need and is very reasonably priced, much less that's you've quoted above. Or have you got any Mum friends where you can look after each other's DC? I'm helping a friend out this summer as I have a term time job and she doesn't, so she's offered me some babysitting in exchange, also it means that DD has someone to play with.

revealall · 09/03/2015 22:27

Stick an ad in the paper? Sure you would find someone like a student who wanted easy part time hours. Especially if it's only 4 weeks.

ghostyslovesheep · 09/03/2015 22:27

I take 1/2 weeks off

Ex takes 1 week off and then either a second week or pays for holiday cover

They go and stay with my mum for 2 separate weeks

I pay for holiday club for the rest - for the older 2 it's £80 a week - about £90 for my youngest

Original poster
Rockingrobin69 · 09/03/2015 22:27

Thanks for your replies....

I have a DS who is 5.....do sports clubs start at 5? They sound very reasonable prices...

Spatial are you based in London for those prices?

OP posts:
CalicoBlue · 09/03/2015 22:28

As watching said, do any of their friends have older brothers or sisters that would like some pocket money in the summer? I have done that a few times.

Holiday clubs are expensive, though some will do the odd day. I used to send DD for two days to holiday club and get one of the babysitters for the other couple of days.

Do you have any family that would want to come and stay with you? Do a rota. I also used to get my mother to come for a week or send the kids to her for a week.

It is much easier now mine are teens, I just leave them to sleep whilst I go to work.

Original poster
Rockingrobin69 · 09/03/2015 22:29

I think I need to get my EX to take some responsibility and take some time off, or at least financially contribute!

OP posts:
BackforGood · 09/03/2015 22:30

Like the others - check out what your local council are offering.
I've not needed them for a couple of years, but they are much nearer to the £60 - £70 mark than the figures you were quoting.

BackforGood · 09/03/2015 22:31

Also agree that 6th formers / students would do some short term work like that for around a fiver an hour.

CalicoBlue · 09/03/2015 22:31

My ex is responsible (or used to be when they were younger) for half the school holidays. So two or three weeks of the summer were his and he had to sort them out. As well as every other half term.....

Original poster
Rockingrobin69 · 09/03/2015 22:31

I don't know any teenage kids locally only 12 year olds! Also all of my mum friends work and have complex arrangements too, I would like to be able to take more time off but unfortunately being self employed I lose money

OP posts:
Original poster
Rockingrobin69 · 09/03/2015 22:33

Calico that is an excellent arrangement, my ex does nothing at all, I asked him earlier what his plans were for the summer with our DS and he said he might take a long weekend!!!!!! How does that help childcare arrangements!

OP posts:
Backtobedlam · 09/03/2015 22:41

www.summerfun4kids.co.uk/summer-camps_Multi-Activity___Non-Residential_8_11.aspx

This has a few of the sports types clubs in different areas. I'm not in London so can't recommend any personally I'm afraid.

IreneA78 · 09/03/2015 22:43

Do any local colleges do childcare qualifications? Might be able to get a student

BackforGood · 09/03/2015 22:46

Contact your local Family Information Service and they will have the information for you.

Original poster
Rockingrobin69 · 09/03/2015 22:46

Unqualified teenage babysitters round here charge £8 an hour, I wish I could get one to work for a fiver for an hour!

Backtobed thanks for the link, just checking it out now!

OP posts:
CalicoBlue · 09/03/2015 22:46

When we divorced we went to mediation. It was excellent, the mediator made us think and sort out lots of things that we had not thought about, like schools holidays, how the kids would get us Birthday and Christmas presents, how we would manage Christmas, parents evenings, sharing information etc. 7 years on we still keep to most of the things we agreed with her, well worth the money.

Looks like you do need to agree with your ex how he will manage his share of the holidays.

MillionToOneChances · 09/03/2015 22:55

Those hours are perfect for the kind of standard (and cheapish!) school holiday sports and activity clubs that run in schools and sports centres during the holidays, all available from age 5. Fear not, you'll find something. Ask at your local Children's Centre, or a local parents' group on Facebook.

MillionToOneChances · 09/03/2015 22:57

I would also try a week with each set of grandparents, and allocate daddy 50% of his holiday allowance with his son. Aunties with kids might also be happy to have a bonus child for a week, or perhaps a trade...

BoozeyTuesday · 09/03/2015 22:59

Football clubs round here from 830 till 5, £50 a week.

rallytog1 · 09/03/2015 22:59

Some churches do holiday clubs - obviously that may not be your thing but they tend to be arts/crafts/games based, with just a little gentle evangelising along the lines of Jesus loves you so be nice to everybody. And super cheap.

Littlefluffyclouds81 · 09/03/2015 23:00

Do you earn too much to get the childcare component of working tax credit?