AIBU for wondering why the government assumes 12 year olds don’t need childcare?

[HiddenPineapple]

Hi folks,
Looking at Tax Free Childcare and I see it stops when a child turns 12.
www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare
Can I ask what the heck working parents with 12 year olds are expected to do in the summer and why there is so little provision for that tricky bit where they’re pretty independent but you really don’t want them sitting around the house all day on their own?
DS is 12 and it looks like summer care will cost me £125 a week. Normally I’d apply accrued childcare vouchers, but the summer camps are not registered for childcare vouchers. The ones that are registered won’t take him because he’s 12.

Do you have anywhere nearby with age appropriate activities he could walk to?

He is not at a private school. We are in Northern Ireland.

I'm with you and hadn't realised this. The vouchers (salary sacrifice) could be claimed until far later (17?), So I guess that is then for providers to offer to take them. Whereas tax-free childcare seems to stop at 11/12.

When my eldest son was 12 I tried to do half days, I would go in early and be home around 12 ish, they had either not long been out of bed or were still in bed. Maybe worth a try?

Volunteering is a good idea to keep him busy.

I know how you feel though and worry about this myself. It's certainly putting me off committing to working full time, as my oldest just doesn't enjoy being alone and I well remember lonely long holidays with parents at work and only nearby friends not around.

Could you reduce the amount of time he's at clubs relative to the value of what the vouchers would have been? So e.g. If 20% off, book him in for 4 days and he has the fifth as a day at home? That would be a way to build up some independence without being a huge drop off, and would be cheaper. But I think overall I'd just take the budget as being the same with vouchers and look around to see what different courses etc there were to break up the time.

At age 12 I was alone in the day time for the 6 week holiday. I used to walk to the library, park and meet my friend. I don't understand why a 12 year old (without special needs) needs childcare?

The money issue isn't great, but actually my problem is my 12yo DD doesnt want to go to clubs anymore. She's not that sporty, and most local clubs are sport based, or are miles away at funny times.
I'm getting round it currently by taking 2 days off a week, my DH takes 1 day off, and DD stays home alone for 2 days slobbing about. Most of her friends don't live locally so it's not ideal.

Can you not use the accrued vouchers for the 10yo?

There really is no provision at all for summer childcare where I am. There are council run sports clubs for primary age children but they start at 10am and finish at 3pm so they can't be used as childcare. And that's it really. No holiday clubs or anything.

Yanbu.

@BertieBotts, I can use some of them for him, but will now end up dropping the kids off in two different locations and two different pick up times.

What is an ‘age appropriate activity’?

I will look into volunteering, that sounds useful!

I am assuming this is because term time childcare has to be registered with the appropriate body as a childminder, or after school club or whatever.

Holiday clubs are usually run by drama teachers, sports coaches or whatever and are therefore nor registered as "childcare" but as "sports club" or whatever. Sp the tax-free bit doesn't apply, any more than it would sending your child to football on a Saturday morning through the term.

By age appropriate activity I mean at 12 he probably won't want to go to a group for children so it's worth seeing if there is anything aimed at teenagers.

Sorry but I think YABU a 12 year old should be able to take care of himself. If I were you I would get him to go to 1 (only 1 to avoid some kind of Facebook party) friends house and maybe one friend comes round to your house or any number of other activities.

To answer your actual question. If you accept childcare vouchers then you have to register with Ofsted or the relevant body if you are elsewhere in the UK and I suspect as you aren’t required to register with older children then I suspect lots of clubs don’t bother.

‘any number of other activities‘
(Hits head off wall repeatedly)

I'm with you OP. Although my 12-yr old is fine neing left, I wouldn't want to leave him for such a long stretch. It would be isolating for an adult, let alone a child. My child's friends don't live round the corner either.

By me, there are sports clubs which divide by age and there is a secondary age group. It won't solve the cost/vouchers, but it's an option.

www.aspire-sports.co.uk/secondary

Is there any way you can afford to take unpaid leave - a couple of days a week?

I was left home alone from 8 for all day everyday during the holidays. Dont answer the phone dont answer the door. It was boring and shit.

However ime 12 year olds do sleep an awful lot, so as long as you aren't waking them up every morning before you leave they can quite happily sleep half the day away then mooch around on the playstation for a couple of hours till you get home.

It isn't ideal but if you and partner can split holiday up into an extra day each a week. Get a friend over one day a week and get him to a friends one day then it minimises mooching time.

I wouldn’t be happy with that either. Are there any childminders that take older children? I’m sure they’d still take vouchers.

Does he do activities during the school term? Perhaps what you need to do is cancel those extracurriculars in term time and book week long courses during the holidays?

My school run watch has begun, so it’s not that I don’t care that I’m not replying.
Thanks @Ionacat, that makes perfect sense! I guess that explains the gap!

Don;t want to piss on your chips either OP but I don't think volunteering is really an option at 12 either. I spent hours looking for voluntary opportunities for my teenager last summer and there is very little. He was 14 - the local charity shops take children aged 14 and over but he was doing that already. Most other opportunities were over 16 only.

It is tricky finding things to do for older kids over the summer holidays.

Op try King’s Camp if they have one in your area