Summer hoidays-in a pickle

[Rockingrobin69]

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

Where do you live? Poolside Manor sports camp in Finchley, N London, take from 3.5 years old, £130 for 10-4 full week and will take from 9 for a bit more money. Very good, swimming every day, my daughter loves them.

third vote for trainee child worker, you would be a real reference for them and to be honest for 4 weeks in the summer it doesn't matter if all they get is a big brother or sister style care.

If you do opt for a sports type club or even something like Koosa kids, then see if you can get individual days and maybe have him at home on the Wednesday to break up the week rather than send him off for a week solid. If your DS is only 5, don't make the mistake I did in my naïve inexperienced way at the end of Reception year I booked a whole week of sports club for one week of the holidays so I could work: my poor DS loved day 1, day 2 came home and was fine but exhausted, day 3 was a real struggle and he came home in tears and I had to pull him out after that as it just wasn't fair on him. So do bear in mind that he is quite young for being sent off for a whole week of clubs. Some clubs are more geared up for younger ones than others.

Agree you could check local council. Ours run holiday clubs linked to various schools and they are only about £15 per day. And I'm in a reasonably expensive part of London.

How would your ex react if you informed him that half the holidays were his responsibility? It seems crazy that you're having to worry so much when he's about!

Round us holiday clubs from age 4 are 20 to 30 pounds a day - sports, theatre etc

I'm also amazed that there aren't any childminders looking to fill ad hoc spaces in the holidays - most (me included) have more children during term time so spaces available and whilst I wouldn't want a full house every day, having a couple of families who want holiday only care works really well for me.

I have 3 children that just book in for odd days that parents/family can't cover or one comes just 1 day a week as a break from kids club which is cheaper but quite full-on all week. I take payment in advance & it's non refundable but there's no retainer or commitment on either party until they complete a booking form & pay. Works brilliantly for them & me.

Sports days and forest school, plus cm for days when neither of above is avalible.
Forest school is DS's favourite, 9- 3.30 or 4.30, 5 minute drive from workwork. Costs me £37 a day, about the same as his cm.