To wonder what working parents are meant to do in school holidays?

[StepAwayFromGoogle]

DD1 starts school in September. DP and I both work because we can't afford for either one of us to be off. I have applied for part time but my work have been spectacularly backward and refused point blank, which is a whole other thread. I am looking for another job but work in a very specific field in a very specific industry so it's not looking likely that I'll get something, much less part time.
DD1 school have a before and after school club which is over subscribed so she won't get in for the first year. We have scrabbled around and managed to cover the week with GPs and a childminder.
So on to the holidays. DD1 will have 13 weeks off school a year. Between us, me and DP will have just under 10 weeks holiday. AIBU to think that if the govt wants parents (particularly mothers) to work then there needs to be better holiday provision? I'm not blindingly sure what working parents are expected to do after 3pm every day and for the 13 weeks children are off in the year. At the moment all our holiday days will be spent covering time off school and we won't be able to have a holiday together as a family.

The governments quite busy at the moment...

@wigornian it's 800 for two kids it else that would be a great idea!

Holiday clubs and annual leave

I agree OP. I don’t think that it’s the government’s problem but it is really hard. We have done a combination of the things you’ve had suggested. Holiday camps often only have short days, so you might find you need grandparents to cover before / after but it’s often easier than them having dc all year. As dc got a bit older we’ve had a number of holiday nannys/ babysitters. Often university students home for the summer/ holidays. We’ve had 2 brilliant ones and even though they’ve long since graduated and don’t work for us still keep in touch with dc

Many of the Day nurseries around here run holiday clubs or there are providers like Barracudas which often operate out of private schools.

13 week's holiday is in line with most other countries. Be thankful that you don't live in the US with 3 month summer holidays and about 10 days annual leave per parent.

m not privileged, but I will say that school isn't childcare because it isn't. I took a massive downsize in career to cover it, as many do, so I can cover childcare over school holidays, etc.

@AWishForWingsThatWork so you are privileged in that you were able to do that.

I work school hours and do nannying in the holidays.
I’m on a few local babysitting/childcare Facebook pages and often see posts from others in the same position as you, it’s worth joining up to see what’s available nearby.

Train as a teacher? Lengthening the school day / reducing the school holidays isn’t the answer anyway. The poor kids are in school enough. Mine were absolutely exhausted by the end of term.

Career progression takes a nose dive when you have young children, IF you don't have any wrap around care.
If you are loaded then a nanny is the perfect solution.
For everyone else, it's an unfair system, because someone along the line is going to suffer financialy and emotionally.
I predict that in twenty years they will have automated houses with robot minders for kids...Just you wait!

But it’s not the governments responsibility, it’s yours. Has it really come as that much of a surprise that your children will need to be looked after?

Don’t buy into the ‘women can have it all’ myth. It’s a massive lie.

I do think more should be done to ensure good quality affordable childcare is available via after school clubs, etc.

I’ll ask again - who should be ensuring this? Who should fund this and which budget should be cut to pay for it?

I don’t know why your getting a hard time OP.

I think that workers should get longer statutory holiday time in line with school holidays (plus that means that those without kids benefit as well) or better childcare provisions.

Annual leave and holiday clubs .

Free wraparound care? Who would pay for that? Which budget would be cut to pay for it?

Childcare in most European countries is heavily subsidised. They pay more tax for it. Personally I would happily pay more tax for better public services but it would require a cultural shift in thinking and that's another thread entirely.

Would you be able to do compressed hours during the school holidays? It won't cover a full week, but could reduce the cost if it means you could both take a day off each week and only pay for 3 days childcare instead of 5.

I think it's a great shame that term-time working never really caught on. I've worked for 2 employers that offered this for all jobs where it was feasible, and it really helped with staff retention and recruitment.

Free wraparound care? Who would pay for that?

Our taxes, like in many, many other countries? The UK is the least family friendly society in the Western world, bar the US.

Having children isn't some eccentric hobby that a marginal number of people engage in. It's what the majority of the population do and should be considered in economic policy.

It never fails to amaze me the ease with which people will turn on their own. Of course it's not the government's responsibility however the government massively overspend in many things that are a complete waste of money in real terms. Why on earth do we stand by and let that happen when the money could be plowed in to helping its citizens and its economy.

Madness.

OP, you are coming across as a bit entitled.

Families have been struggling, and managing, to juggle work & child-care for decades. Why should it be the government's responsibility? Or the mother's for that matter?

My DC are almost adults now, but when they were small we did the same as everyone else on this thread. Holiday clubs, shared care with friends, grandparents occasionally. One summer we had an au pair for 5 weeks.

Local authorities offer very low cost holiday clubs, and there are plenty of private options if your budget is a bit bigger.

One thing I have learned is that in the long run, for the wellbeing of the family's finances, it is almost always better for both parents to work. Worth considering that if you are seeing it as a straight cost thing.

Having children isn't some eccentric hobby that a marginal number of people engage in. It's what the majority of the population do and should be considered in economic policy.

Exactly.

Childcare in most European countries is heavily subsidised.

Yes, we know that. I’m asking what should happen here in the UK and what solutions anyone has.

If the OP just came for a rant, fair enough but all this “should, could” stuff is pointless unless someone is proposing a campaign people can get behind.

I'm lucky enough to have grandparents who can help, but unlucky in that I'm the last one to have children, so mine are DGC numbers 9 and 10. Their cousins have been looked after for 10-15 years now but they're too old to help often with our children now. It's fair enough of course but also a bit frustrating for us as my siblings have all had their careers facilitated in a way.

I plan ahead by using all of our holidays separately. We have v little family time.
Ds usually does around 6 days in summer club. I can work weekends so with my 2 weeks, dh taking two then I juggle my days off. We split all half terms etc between us. Christmas is the only holiday that causes problems as there is v little childcare open. It’s the busiest time of year in both of our jobs and we are unable to take holiday. I work every Christmas Eve and Boxing Day.
Ds occasionally goes to a friend for a day. In brutal honesty I would rather pay then feel indebted to another parent for childcare. I don’t particularly want to look after someone else’s kids, I work full time and I pretty much feel like a hamster in a wheel.
I think because we have always paid for childcare it doesn’t sting in the way others feel it does.
My sister would always be asking for favours etc in holiday childcare, which if I was off was ok. Her dd got older and it became harder to have a balance between their ages and interests. She could afford clubs, she just didn’t want to and never ever did! She paid for private school but no holiday care, just called in a lot of favours from sahms/friend/family. I did talk to her to say she needed to do what I did, pay. I said she was taking advantage of friends who were too polite to tell her she was a cf.
I have had this conversation with several mum friends who get pissed off that holiday clubs may take a chunk of their earnings. In my eyes, they facilitate you keeping a job all year round.
Some cms have term time placements for children who don’t need holiday cover. Get asking around now. Check your local lists for ofsted registered cm and look in local fb pages. It is tough but doable.

For us term time we have Afterschool care which is great. €4 per hour for 1 child/€6 for two children which I think is a great price!plus we only pay for the hours we actually use.
I’m lucky that I’m a teacher so obvs I have the same holidays. But my non teaching friends and relations use holiday clubs and family. Then then use their annual leave. I think clubs here are quite affordable. My local sports center camp is €75 for the week 10-3 and is amazing!! Most parents arrange flex time with work or get a childminder or family to drop off or collect.

I’ll ask again - who should be ensuring this? Who should fund this and which budget should be cut to pay for it?

The government.
The government.
MPs expenses, House of Lords expenses, Trident, chasing up rich tax evaders dodgers, the disgustingly overinflated defence budget...

Why are you so disgusted at the though of the government helping ordinary working people?

I'd rather My hard earned taxes went to actually helping real people. Also, surely if British people aren't spending all their money on childcare then that would boost business and the economy in the UK?