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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be almost in tears to see my children's term dates for the next year?

126 replies

CatONineTails · 13/09/2017 21:55

Two children, at schools 3 miles apart but in different counties. Each child is at the closest school (by several miles) for their age range.

Every. Single. Fucking. Holiday. is different. Different weeks for October half term. A one week overlap at Christmas but one finishes and starts a week before the other. Different weeks in February. I don't dare check Easter yet Sad

I'm a self employed single parent FFS. How the fuck are working parents meant to manage this? Thats almost 2 months of one or other of the children being off school - it's going to put a serious dent in my income. (Yes I know holiday clubs exist but they're not suitable for my younger child who has Aspergers).

And how the fuck is anyone meant to go from September to fucking Easter with only one week of lie ins?

OP posts:
Original poster
CatONineTails · 13/09/2017 22:22

Hollow laugh at peak holiday pricing. We've never been on holiday other than the odd week camping in Wales on a portaloo and standpipe kind of campsite. If only that was my main concern !!

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converseandjeans · 13/09/2017 22:22

If one is at high school can they be left alone for a few hours here and there? Not suggesting a whole week, but they might manage a couple of days home while you work.

Original poster
CatONineTails · 13/09/2017 22:25

Yeah the older one can be left to their own devices to some degree, it's just shit for them :( I don't like leaving them to watch Netflix all day but we live rurally so unless I take the time off work to drive them places they can't do much else.

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Lovemusic33 · 13/09/2017 22:26

I better check my dc's, they go to school in different counties, haven't even thought about it 😑

Original poster
CatONineTails · 13/09/2017 22:27

Cheap holiday campaigners are thoughtless out of touch arseholes then Angry I'm more worried about paying the sodding rent than getting a few hundred quid off a several grand holiday!

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Want2bSupermum · 13/09/2017 22:29

This is why I love the way schools are managed in NJ usa. You go to the schools in your town and they all share a common schedule. If you go to a magnet school which is county based their days off overlap to a large extent. Holidays are bunched up over the summer with 10 weeks off. This does make it a lot easier in terms of using a daycare with a monthly wrap program.

Yes the schools have overlapping holidays but as a parent you are out by a couple of days not weeks.

Lovemusic33 · 13/09/2017 22:33

Just checked Sad , Christmas holidays are different, on breaks up on the 15th and the other on the 21st, same with Easter holidays. I usually leave dc1 to look after dc2 when I work, this messes everything up.

NotSuchASmugMarriedNow1 · 13/09/2017 22:34

Why do americans have such long summer holidays? 10 weeks!!!! What do working parents do

Ta1kinPeece · 13/09/2017 22:35

notsuch
Summer Camp

Original poster
CatONineTails · 13/09/2017 22:37

Oh no LoveMusic33 I totally feel your pain, nightmare isn't it Sad

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MulhuddartDrive · 13/09/2017 22:38

youwouldthink, unfortunately they are not. Three schools within a mile of me have different holiday dates.

MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic · 13/09/2017 22:40

We had this for five years until DD finally left Primary school and went to Secondary with her brothers (I cheered!) We live on the border of two boroughs which is why we ended up in that situation. How long have you got until your youngest changes schools?

Original poster
CatONineTails · 13/09/2017 22:42

4 years

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Original poster
CatONineTails · 13/09/2017 22:43

We live 100 yards from a county (in fact a countRy) border hence the situation!

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PixieChemist · 13/09/2017 22:43

Gosh thats awful! I thought they were set nationally! I guess we must just get lucky around where we live and all the schools are off at the same time barring teacher training days.

Hope you manage to find some way around it! Flowers Wine

PoorYorick · 13/09/2017 22:44

Could the oldest one stay over a couple of nights with a friend? Not the whole holiday of course, but just here and there?

MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic · 13/09/2017 22:45

I did find some years were better than others - so fingers crossed this is the worst it will get?

StealthPolarBear · 13/09/2017 22:47

Can your older one have friends round on some days and back to theirs on others?

Patchouli666 · 13/09/2017 22:47

My kids are in different schools according to age. The schools are part of the same 'learning collection' they all had different holidays last year. I set days different, oct half term was all in oct for two of them but last week out first Nov for the other.
This is the same county. Two miles from each other. Everything. It's a pita. Thankfully I only locum now. Couldn't do a full time job. Hard enough juggling in the holidays they do share but not when a two week holiday is actually three weeks and there are fifteen inset days instead of eight or nine.

SparklyUnicornPoo · 13/09/2017 22:49

I feel your pain, I have 2 in different schools and work in a school. All 3 of us have different half terms, fortunately I have DH to do childcare because I can't get time off in term time and he's self employed but that leaves us with working out is him taking time off cheaper than childcare? and me not getting any half term with the DC, it would be a lot easier if we all had the same dates.

Original poster
CatONineTails · 13/09/2017 22:51

Exactly Patchouli

In the 6 months between September and February I've got children at home for 7 weeks. 14th December til 9th January in total FFS! And the run up to Christmas is one of my busiest times

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Oldie2017 · 13/09/2017 23:18

We had 8 weeks summer holidays (that's private schools for you!) and I coudl take one week off full time work which left 7 weeks to cover. Not at all easy. had to pay for 2 weeks of summer camp, 2 weeks summer camp at school in addition, etc etc. Try advertisign in the local paper for someone - that is how we found one older lady but of course had to pay for it. We had similar issues because of children at 3 different secondary schools at once I remember sending one daughter on the train alone to Yorkshire to be met by grandparents who covered her weid october time 2 week half term or at least a week of it.

Sometimes a live in au pair is useful even if the children have to share a room with you to make it work but not ideal.

Andrewofgg · 13/09/2017 23:21

Aren't there other threads calling for holiday dates to be staggered to cut down on traffic bulges and the sudden inflation of the price of holidays?

MaisyPops · 14/09/2017 06:31

THe trouble is that the cheap holiday campaigners want multiple dates
and thus bugger it up for those with kids at different schools
This.
Thry're too busy thinking about saving a few quid on a holiday that they'd probably end up taking in term time anyway (because it would still be cheaper).

On another thread recently people were pissed off that teacher training days were 'in addition to the holidays" (they're not. It's why we work term time + 5 days. Training days are in the holiday).

If people spent a little less time moaning about minor inconveniences to them like school going back on a tuesday or the fact that the trainers they've bought aren't school shoes and started lobbying on the bigger issues (includinh this - which is the impact of the parental choice and markets agenda) then more would get sorted.

Original poster
CatONineTails · 14/09/2017 06:33

I think when there's a conflict of interest between some people's ability to earn a living and some people's desire for cheaper (but still expensive) holidays it's pretty obvious that one is a basic need and one is a desire for a frippery.

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