Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To expect pre-school to sort out childcare during holidays

341 replies

Springishere0 · 23/05/2017 13:39

My toddler will be eligible for 30 free hours' childcare from September. We have two options for pre-school: one at the primary school near us and one at the private nursery he goes to now. It's great that they offer this, but the only problem is that both do not have any childcare cover during holidays. My husband and I both work and do not get enough holidays to cover 13 weeks; plus, it would be nice if all of us could be off at the same time!

Holiday clubs etc. do not cater for three-year olds and we do not have any family that could look after our child for a whole day. My sister lives abroad and says their pre-school offers paid childcare all year round. AIBU to think that it's ridiculous that pre-schools are not sorting out cover during school holidays? What are we supposed to do?! Angry

OP posts:
LIZS · 23/05/2017 21:21

Given that your child will be 3 soon you are only looking at this issue for one year. Depending on your holiday year you and dp/h should be able to cover half terms (3 weeks), Christmas (2 weeks including bhs)and Easter(2 weeks including bhs) between you, then by next summer he may be old enough for a holiday club , you may have leave to use from the next year or you could look for a childminder who could then do school drop off and pick up once he starts school.

mumeeee · 23/05/2017 21:22

YABU it is not the pre schools responsibility to sort out childcare in the school holidays it is your responsibility.

HolidayArmidillo · 23/05/2017 21:35

If it's not about the money then don't move him and continue to pay for year round childcare. I wasn't even eligible for the 30 free hours so maybe you should be grateful for what you have got.

EllenMP · 24/05/2017 17:26

I'm sorry people are being mean to you about this. You need to look for a creche - they run year round because their purpose is childcare for working parents. The purpose of a nursery is education, so they follow a school schedule. I don't know if a creche can offer you the 30 free hours during the holidays, though. If not, a childminder might be a cheaper option.

jarhead123 · 24/05/2017 17:27

This is hilarious!

MooPointCowsOpinion · 24/05/2017 17:27

I'm guessing OP never came back.

Craigie · 24/05/2017 17:28

Oh dear, welcome to the realities of having kids and a job. Would you like my sisters, who both work in wraparound childcare to have no holidays ever just so you can have an easy life. HAHAHAHA. FFS.

clarkl2 · 24/05/2017 17:30

Take bloody holidays like the rest of the working parents you spoilt madam!

Maireadplastic · 24/05/2017 17:30

Ha!

gemma19846 · 24/05/2017 17:31

Hahahahahaha seriously!!!!!!! No its your responsibility!

Perola · 24/05/2017 17:32

Yes. YABU - but I think you knew that by now

plaintomatopasta · 24/05/2017 17:34

The 30hrs doesn't start till September and it only starts IF labour are elected as the other parties are not going ahead with the 30hrs just leaving it as 15. As to holidays even a private nursery can only give the 15/30hrs during term time so either way you are paying for childcare for 13 weeks of the year.

The nursery/school is not responsible to arrange your holidays and as an adult I'm sure it's within your capability to find daycare. You've kept a tiny human alive for three years so I'm sure speaking to a nursery and arranging holidays is fine. A day nursery will take the 15hrs provision as free childcare for you and charge you for the rest at a half day rate term time and full rate holiday time. Sorry to say this but you're going to pay either way! That's why I love my job really because I DO get 15 weeks a year paid holiday!

gemma19846 · 24/05/2017 17:35

You can also take the 30 hours over the whole year but you will only get 24 hours (for example) free a week and you pay the extra. This is what we will do when our dd goes to private nursery. She will get the 30hrs funding but only 24 a week and will be in over the school hols, we will be paying the top up costs

Sausagehead · 24/05/2017 17:35

youd be better of getting the to work out the cost of you paying for them to do same over all the holidays the just splitting over 12 minths. that what we've always done with our two. My daughter will receive 30 hours in sept but it doesnt include the holidays so we'll pay a monthly figure every month. Pre schools attached to schools are not practical for working parents full stop as they are inly 3 hour sessions and dont include lunch.

bogglespark1 · 24/05/2017 17:36

welcome to the world of working parents - I have two kids 9 and 4 - me and my husband have managed a week off plus a few days at xmas together each year for the last 9 years - the rest of our holiday is used separately to cover the school hols. For the days we cannot cover I pay a childminder friend, do swaps with mates or rope the grandparents in (who are getting on a bit so we do not like to ask for more than a few days per year)

All the favour asking means that we have no one to ask to babysit - so we have not been out much together for 9 years - maybe all the time apart is what keeps our marriage strong!! lol

gemma19846 · 24/05/2017 17:37

That isnt true the 30 hours ARE starting in september regardless of which government comes in

LoobysMummy14 · 24/05/2017 17:37

The 30 free hours covers TERM TIME ONLY so as a matter of fact no it's not the nurserys problem it's yours. And by the way it's not the preschools/nurserys who decide how the funding is sorted it's the government and they only cover 38 weeks of the year.

TrinityTaylor · 24/05/2017 17:38

Omg are you actually serious

Has this JUSTIS occured to you

Your child will be in full time school at 4, what will you do??!!

AliceTown · 24/05/2017 17:38

The 30hrs doesn't start till September and it only starts IF labour are elected as the other parties are not going ahead with the 30hrs just leaving it as 15.

It's a Tory policy isn't it? Are they withdrawing it then?

Morgysmum · 24/05/2017 17:38

Unfortunately no they don't. I wish they did as I don't have relatives near by either. All the politicians go on about free child care but it only covers the school term times.
They think it helps but I had to pay 225 so my child minder could hold my son's place. As i had managed to sort the holidays out. She could have had him at a rate of £9 an hour I am minimum wage!
Unfortunately no boss would give you a job were you could only work term time. Unless you are a teacher! Where your sister lives sounds great, you are probably best moving to there with our child care fees, it would be the cheaper option.

Hulababy · 24/05/2017 17:39

Rounds here pretty much all the private nurseries accepted childcare vouchers. They just deducted it from our bill in term time and we paid more in holidays. Even her private primary school took them which meant we got a discount in fees for the first two terms.

AndNowItIsSeven · 24/05/2017 17:39

No they aren't withdrawing it , it has been confirmed to start in September.

Alidoll · 24/05/2017 17:39

Paid for a private nursery then a childminder. Now pay for after school club. The joys of having a child and working I'm afraid. Parenthood isn't cheap that's for sure!

claireyjs · 24/05/2017 17:40

You are supposed to take parental responsibility...it was your decision not to have kids after all. That is what parental leave is for!!!!

bogglespark1 · 24/05/2017 17:41

PS - until my son was at school we paid for private nursery and they just knocked the 15 hours a week off the bill. When he started school we then had to pay for FT childcare for the youngest - so in the summer holidays I had to take holiday to cover him, but she was still in nursery as they would (understandably) not do 'term time only'. This meant either not taking her and paying, or sending her and being off with just him - we did a bit of both. A lot of 'wasted' money - but that's life I am afraid - later I moved her to a term time only child-minder - but that has its issues as she (again understandably) takes 4 weeks hol a year during term time - so I have to cover my daughter when my son is at school!!

No easy way round it - but eventually your kid/s will be at school FT and you will have to cover the holidays one way or another..