Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this is closer to the truth about school holidays than we like to admit...

122 replies

Ubik1 · 17/07/2015 17:25

The Daily Mash kids looking forward to a carefree summer being a massive burden

I work ft and already my three have spent a week at 'Mrs Hannigan's cut-price boot camp.'

I'm lucky to have some limited family help and dp
Is self employed so flexible- but Swallows and Amazons it ain't.

What do other people do for childcare for six weeks?

OP posts:
SoozeyHoozey · 17/07/2015 17:27

True! Ds is shuttled between friends/relatives/football club. Luckily he massively enjoys the latter!

Original poster
Ubik1 · 17/07/2015 17:29

Yes I try to find something they enjoy and then shove them into an activity fur a week Wink

Even so - it's a struggle. There's a couple of weeks where I'm not sure what they are going to do Confused

OP posts:
CMP69 · 17/07/2015 17:31

My parents come to stay for 2 weeks (they live in Spain). 2 weeks hols as a family and 2 weeks in holiday club interspersed with random days off so it's not 2 full weeks.
DS is 6 nearly 7 so can't be left for any time at all yet. Hopefully when he goes to middle school I might be able to leave him for the occasional morning. My Mum and Dad are getting on and won't be able to help out forever Sad
I hate going to work when he is at home too

UnspecialSnowflake · 17/07/2015 17:35

Watching daytime TV in a darkened room with my grandmother and being taken out for beans on toast at a local cafe for a weekly treat is excatly what my childhood summers consisted of. All while reading books about children in the 1930s having amazing adventures on boats and islands.

I'm currently a SAHM, and the holidays was one of the many deciding factors in that.

Stillwishihadabs · 17/07/2015 17:41

Oh dear, my dcs are being taken to the seaside by their GPs I thought they would be having a lovely time :(

UnspecialSnowflake · 17/07/2015 17:45

Stiiwish, I'm sure they will have a lovely time. My grandmother never took me anywhere other than her friend's houses, the co-op, the local cafe or to visit my grandfather at work. Not excatly a fun filled time for a child, but a trip to the seaside is entirely diffrent. I would have quite literally sold my soul, or at least my Famous Five books, for a trip to the seaside.

springlamb · 17/07/2015 17:50

And on the subject of the Famous Five, how old d'you think Anne was when they 'went down to Cornwall'?
[looks DD up and down]

YouTheCat · 17/07/2015 17:57

I don't remember really being looked after as such. My mum worked part time and my dad was away in the RAF a lot.

I think we got shoved out of the door and told to go to Gran's house, about half a mile away, if we needed anything. She didn't take us anywhere (ventured out to church with her a few times a year) as she was agoraphobic. I'd do a bit of shopping for her and she taught me to bake or we'd pop into her elderly neighbours.

But it was the 70s and I was used to being out all day in the holidays from being about 5.

TheHouseOnBellSt · 17/07/2015 18:01

It's never as it is in books. I work from home and money's tight...can't afford week long activity places...even the ones run by Miss Hannigan...so mine are thrown into the garden while I work.

britnay · 17/07/2015 18:03

I believe Anne is 10 in the first book

formerbabe · 17/07/2015 18:06

I'm currently a SAHM, and the holidays was one of the many deciding factors in that.

Ditto! No family who could help...finding and funding 6 weeks of childcare would be hellish.

whois · 17/07/2015 18:12

Ha ha love the daily mash :-)

Most people do a mix of one parent taking time off, a week or two all away on holiday together, a couple of weeks at a sports camp or play scheme or something, maybe do a week swapped childcare with a friend, some other kind of holiday camp like a science camp or film making camp, grand parents, other relations.

drinkscabinet · 17/07/2015 18:12

We stat the holidays this week. First year was easy, I was on maternity leave. It was very dull for me though. Second year DH and I both work PT, I work different days to a friend so we share the care and it wasn't too bad (although I did end up working a lot of weekends to make up for the fact that I was taking a day annual leave each week to spend with the kids. This year DH is working full time. We are covering the first week between us then the kids have 3 weeks in a sports camp (which they love but I am worried they won't love it so much after 3 weeks in a row), followed by a 2 week family holiday. That admittedly will be like a Scottish version of Swallows and Amazons, complete with boats. We have no family help in the summer holidays (Mum does cover 2 half terms).

We're lucky to have lots of annual leave but the length of the summer holiday is an issue, we just can't have nearly 7 weeks of not being fully at work. If the holidays were split up around the year a bit more it would make life a lot easier. Make half terms 2 weeks long so it's possible to either have a 'proper' holiday then or have a week of childcare and a week of looking after the kids would be much easier. I always think holidays need to include some down time and a week doesn't then give much time for anything else.

blibblibs · 17/07/2015 18:13

I do a week, DM comes to stay for 2 weeks then takes them away (to her house) for 2 weeks then DH does a week. I realise I'm very very lucky.

MrsGoslingWannabe · 17/07/2015 18:17

I'm not working but still dread the 6 week stretch. All 3 sets of grandparents are pretty useless (too old/too busy/not in contact). Not many friends and none of DD's cousins in the local area. Its not healthy for DD & I to spend so much time together. She gets bored and frustrated and then I just want someone to take her away. Feeling stressed about it already and holidays haven't even started. I'd really appreciate some good advice.

WipsGlitter · 17/07/2015 18:17

Time off me
Summer camp
Time off me and DP
Summer camp
Summer camp
Summer camp
Summer camp
Holiday
Time off DP

Nine weeks, £650 on the camps.
Next year I want us to each take three weeks off to cover one month. Plus we will need care for DS2 who has SN. Confused

Rivercam · 17/07/2015 18:22

When my were younger, they did a mixture of football courses, play scheme at leisure centre, grandparents, time off work etc.

bigkidsdidit · 17/07/2015 18:22

We're doing two weeks each, my mum a week and two weeks in holiday clubs or a camp

jamaisdeux · 17/07/2015 18:26

I have 12 weeks Shock, I am only 4 weeks in (Spain).

So far, DD (7) has had Chicken Pox, it has been miserable in the heat and I had joined the lovely pool opposite, but have been told to keep her out of the sun. Beach a total no go, with or without the pox. Packed and boiling.

At the moment it is playing endless games, drawing and teaching DD the piano and lots of Minecraft. Nightmare and feel like a terrible mother.

It is too hot to bake/eat even.

Next week I have one week of morning G&T science experiments booked, at least that is something.

No garden and no famous five here.

morelikeguidelines · 17/07/2015 18:28

My two are going to grandparents for most of first week (only older one strictly on hols though).

I have taken a month off (including two week hols with dh also) but still feel guilty I'm not doing the whole lot.

I am self employed so not limited by number of days but I earn nothing if not working so six weeks would be massive amount of time.

pointythings · 17/07/2015 18:31

Mine are now teenagers so no more holiday childcare needed, but we used to manage it by me hoarding my leave and having 3 weeks off over the 6 week summer holidays (longstanding NHS person with generous A/L allowance here). It was still expensive though.

When I was growing up, my mum was SAHM during the week, working 2 evenings a week, so it was easier for her.

Fizzielove · 17/07/2015 18:32

Try being in NI it's more like 8 or 9 weeks off!!

morethanpotatoprints · 17/07/2015 18:34

We don't use childcare as lucky to be small business owner and sahm so we are with dd all summer.
I love the long holidays and am going to make the most out of this time as dd starts secondary / boarding in September.
For us it's spending time together, chilling, days out, visiting f&f.

merrymouse · 17/07/2015 18:37

To be fair, my Dad was of the Swallows and Amazon generation and he told me that that was nothing like his childhood either, mainly because it was about middle class children with loads of money.

I think the Daily Mash article reflects elements of most children's holidays, but realistically children also have many opportunities that wouldn't have existed for the famous five (whose and uncle and aunt and parents were actually very odd).

ghostyslovesheep · 17/07/2015 18:45

tomorrow I drive them up to Liverpool (from Brum) where they will stay until Thursday with my mum

next week it's shite holiday club
same the next week

then they are away with their Dad

then shite holiday club

then away with me

them back to Liverpool

then another week off for me as they don't go back until the Wednesday

I do still love it though - so much more relaxed