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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:
PhoebeMcPeePee · 09/03/2015 23:01

Our leisure centres have clubs 9-3pm for around £18-20. A day and they're fantastic

crispycookie · 09/03/2015 23:03

rockingbird I'm I'm SE London and football/gymnastics clubs run from 9am-3pm for £20-£25/day. I found a kids' camp based in a local primary school for £18/day from 8am-6.00pm! Thought kids would hate it but they were fine... Have also done the expensive £40/day ones...

Original poster
Rockingrobin69 · 09/03/2015 23:04

where are all you living to get such cheap childcare! My local church holiday club is £149 for a week at only four hours a day not including lunch!

OP posts:
Original poster
Rockingrobin69 · 09/03/2015 23:06

Inspired by the sports camps and Gymnastics, I'm just looking into my council now....Thanks for all the advice its all great

One set of grand parents is def an option for a week,the other not so.

OP posts:
crispycookie · 09/03/2015 23:22

I'm in Hither Green/Lewisham area so not a cheap part of London. The local primary school holiday club is based in Blackheath! V expensive part of London... But it took me a few years to 'discover' it...

MillionToOneChances · 09/03/2015 23:26

Word of mouth is key as the very best clubs don't need to advertise. I'm a childminder who doesn't like to work school holidays, so I keep an ear out for cool, cheap clubs to recommend. They're much cheaper than me, and offer different experiences for the children.

TheFullGammon · 10/03/2015 00:28

It's very early yet to be finding summer holiday clubs. I bet you'll find much cheaper options open up later. Eg I could book Supercamps tomorrow at £42 per day and it would be fine, but a local franchise (which DC prefer) or nursery (which has suited my YR children well) will be £17-22 per day, they just aren't booking yet. And as Million says they barely advertise and I won't start booking anything until after May half term hol.

I know you want to get it sorted but leave it until after Easter anyway. We only got the flyer for our school's Easter hol clubs this week

OrinocoTheWomble · 10/03/2015 06:41

Have a look at these - I've always found them to be reasonably priced holiday clubs.

www.koosakids.co.uk

antumbra · 10/03/2015 06:49

I too am self employed- I tend to ramp down my working hours during school holidays.
During term time I sometimes work a 50-60 hour week, save the extra cash, then during holidays cut down my working hours to 10 or 15 a week.
I don't know if that is something your bisiness will allow.

Eastpoint · 10/03/2015 07:02

Local councils run good courses, Merton has lots of choice. You could also ask the teaching assistants at school as they might be interested in some holiday work.

Preciousbane · 10/03/2015 08:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

VodkaJelly · 10/03/2015 09:29

Another vote here for a student, I know it is of no help to you but my DS is 16 and will be leaving school when his exams finish, he would bite your hand off at £5 an hour.

I know he is male but he is a cadet so is fully first aid trained, sensible, polite but we also have a 2 year old so he can change nappies, play with and entertain her, he is used to young children. He would be in heaven getting paid to entertain a 5 year old.

Put the word out amongst your friends (saying how much you will pay), they will know some one who has an older child/neice/nephew/friend/cousion who could use the money.

Charley50 · 10/03/2015 09:30

Haven't read the whole thread so someone might have mentioned it but would you be eligible for tax credits to cover the childcare costs? Maybe check an online calculator.

addicted2cake · 10/03/2015 09:35

Could you offer to look after a friends child on the day you don't work or on a weekend day in exchange for them having your child? I have a group of mummy friends and this is how we manage our childcare over the 6 weeks summer holiday. Really works well.
Good luck!

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 10/03/2015 09:35

My DSs have gone past this age now, but when they were at primary school we would always get a leaflet/booklet handed out at some point (possibly around May half-term?), with details of the local Council's summer holiday playschemes.

Some were sports based, some weren't. There were suitable courses for all school aged children, and we could choose for DCs to attend for 1, 2, 3, 4 or all 5 days per week.

There was a cost involved, but more like £50 per week than the £200-£300 you have been quoted.

Maybe check with your local Council to see whether they have anything similar?

NotEnoughTime · 10/03/2015 12:44

It's a nightmare isn't it?

I end up paying £100 per day for my two and I earn @ £60 per day, I also have to pay petrol and parking (another £10-12 per day) so by the end of the summer holidays I have worked for a massive loss Sad

I do take a week off though for our annual summer holiday though which is lovely.

BarbarianMum · 10/03/2015 12:55

Get your Ex to take a week off. Would you be happy with your ds spending a week with family? My neighbours do this - children have a weeks holiday in Wales each summer and Easter (where his parents live).

myron · 10/03/2015 13:04

This is where grandparents are a massive help even those who live 100+ miles away. My DC have one week during the summer holidays at their grandparents (150 miles away) every year and have been doing it since reaching school age. I take them there and drop them off and then pick them up again a week later. They get lots of attention for the week so they do actually look forward to it.

Flipchart · 10/03/2015 13:13

We used to try and take our holiday same time as the child minder.

Also once one reached 7 I tried him on a PGL camp. Big mistake! My nerves where shattered, I was judged by other parents and DS loved it and wanted to go again and again!He carried on going until he was 12. Cost a bloody fortune(mind you he is now 18 and still talks about it!)

Other parents helped out and we repaid by having their kids at weekends and when they needed help.

Get in touch with your Young People's Service and see what plans they have for summer although a lot of authorities have reduced their provision in recent years due to cuts.

Radiatorvalves · 10/03/2015 13:25

SE London. School holiday club is £35 a day, but council football is £12, albeit from 10-3. Velodrome is the same.

Scholes34 · 10/03/2015 13:29

If you're self-employed, can you adjust your hours to do a longer day to make the most of "cheaper" rates for a longer day in a playscheme? Our local university has one, which the public can use too, and it runs from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm for £26 a day. You might have something similar close by.

OllyBJolly · 10/03/2015 13:31

I paid a childminder - no other options. My commuting time didn't allow me to take them to summer clubs etc - they still went, but it was the childminder who took them so I was paying both.

My parents lived 200 miles away so they would go there for a week and I'd take my childminders' holidays off. (She had school age kids of her own). Ex didn't like taking holidays during the summer as "it was madness when he could take his holidays off peak" Grr!

It's not easy!

addictedtosugar · 10/03/2015 13:37

Could you work 3 5 day weeks (15 days) instead of 44day weeks (16 days?)
That would give you 3 weeks off. Add in a week with Dad, and a week with the grandparents, and your nearly there.

Hoppinggreen · 10/03/2015 14:00

How about asking around preschools etc that only provide term time care. One of the staff might fancy earning a bit over the holidays.
You could also try and local HE places that do childcare as a qualification - the students will be DBS checked for their placements.

PatriciaHolm · 10/03/2015 14:01

Do any local schools run holiday clubs? We have several that do here, both state and private, and anyone can attend.

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