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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Children and upcoming summer holidays !

33 replies

Singleparent92 · 30/05/2019 16:36

Hello! so as we all know the summer holidays are coming up this July and obviously the kids will be off from school ! What do working mums do ? I only do a few hours a week (part time) so paying for childcare isn’t an option for me as it’s more than what I actually earn! He is 8 yo.Biscuit

OP posts:
Crunchymum · 30/05/2019 16:38

Clubs, family help, friends with kids (you can return the favour), his dad?

Blue5238 · 30/05/2019 16:39

I do a mixture of:

  • unpaid parental leave
  • holiday clubs
  • couple of days with grandparents
  • reciprocal arrangements with friends where they have my kids for a day and I have theirs for a day
OwlinaTree · 30/05/2019 16:41

Swap days with a friend, so friends has son on your working days, and you have friends child on a non working day.

Do this with a few different friends. Take some annual leave.

Ellisandra · 30/05/2019 16:41

Sometimes working parents accept that on those days they are paying out more than they earn - but when they look at annual childcare cost vs annual salary it’s still better to be working.

Look at how your hours are split. If you do 2x 4 hours you may be able to negotiate 1x 8 hours. One day of childcare can be cheaper than 2 half days, or one full day family/friend favour easier to find that 2 short days.

SummerInSun · 30/05/2019 16:41

Holiday clubs. It's a cost of working, sadly. And of course take your own annual leave when they are on holiday.

clutterqu33n · 30/05/2019 16:43

childcare. and it is more than what I earn so summers are always tough - we cut down on a lot of basics during August. And I try to save for it throughout the year. My Sahm friends or those with helping family nearby save for a holiday, I save for the holiday club (no holiday for us). but that's life!

Karigan195 · 30/05/2019 16:44

Clubs. He usually goes on a little holiday with grandparents too. I try to take two weeks minimum. This year is going to be the first easy year as my maternity starts end of July

clutterqu33n · 30/05/2019 16:44

Sometimes working parents accept that on those days they are paying out more than they earn - but when they look at annual childcare cost vs annual salary it’s still better to be working.

^This!
That is the reason why I cannot afford to give up work.

NeedAUsernameGenerator · 30/05/2019 16:45

We pay for childcare about half the days I work during holidays and the other half we have some help from grandparents or DH takes holiday. It is more than I earn for a single day (2 kids) but obviously I work the rest of the year too and we don't pay for childcare during term time so it's still worth working overall. I can't take unpaid leave in my job role otherwise that would be my preference.

anothermansmother · 30/05/2019 16:47

Annual leave, holiday clubs and friends. I'm a teacher and I have lots of friends children for at least 2 of the weeks, but they help me out when it's training days and I can't take time off. If I'm really stuck my mum travels up (80 miles) and watches them for me using her annual leave. It does get easier my ds is now 12 so can be left for a couple of hours now.

Pythonesque · 30/05/2019 16:52

Sometimes you may be lucky and find holiday playschemes that you can send them to, the older they get the more options exist. Our church runs a free or cheap - might be £5 a day, haven't used it for several years! - holiday club for 4 days at the end of the summer every year, for example.

drsausage · 30/05/2019 16:57

For years I paid more than I earnt for summer holiday childcare - and I'm in a country where the summer holidays are 11 weeks long.

stucknoue · 30/05/2019 17:01

See if the leisure centre has a kids club, it's a fraction of the cost of the private ones £10 per day, but is pt hours often

yummumto3girls · 30/05/2019 17:09

A juggling act, split leave between husband and me, some holiday club, this year oldest DD can have youngest on a couple of days as she now drives. It can be done but you need to be organised.

Guadalquivir19 · 30/05/2019 17:23

I've booked mine into Sainsbury's active holiday club near mine. They charge £7.50 daily including lunch & you can pay with nectar points.

activekids.sainsburys.co.uk/

Mmmmdanone · 30/05/2019 17:43

I currently work term time but previously used a childcare facility. Kids hated it but needs must!

edwinbear · 30/05/2019 17:43

2 weeks family holiday
1 week grandparents
The rest in holiday clubs

It''s an expensive time of year.

nauseous5000 · 30/05/2019 20:56

I pay more on childcare than I earn during the school hols. It's worth it to keep my job the rest of the year

mummysherlock · 30/05/2019 21:08

We juggle AL, grandparents have the DC once a week, I condense some hours into a longer day so I get an extra day off and use holiday clubs 1-2 x per week.

Sexnotgender · 30/05/2019 21:11

When my daughter was younger I did.
2 weeks annual leave
One week with grandparents
3 weeks holiday club

redstapler · 30/05/2019 21:14

I've booked mine into Sainsbury's active holiday club near mine. They charge £7.50 daily including lunch & you can pay with nectar points

I would be slightly worried about the quality of staff/ratios/safety at that cost

Rtmhwales · 30/05/2019 21:19

Out of curiosity, if he's 8, what did you do until now?

Drogonssmile · 30/05/2019 21:24

We have a mix of grandparents, my annual leave, DH's annual leave, holiday clubs and swapping days with friends. It's been a military operation and cost £200 but as of today I have all of the 6.5 weeks covered.

drsausage · 30/05/2019 22:01

OMG I'm imagining the summer holidays only costing £200. Mine were typically several thousand dollars. Even this summer I've spent $1400 on sending the kids to stay with their grandparents for two weeks and I'll probably spend another $1000+ on camps that they really want to do. I did draw the line at a two-week camp DS asked for that was going to be $2000.

bakingcupcakes · 30/05/2019 22:09

I'm part time and doing a holiday club with grandparents doing pick up at 4pm and providing tea afterwards. I've booked the last week off as annual leave. It's cheaper doing it now he's older but all the 'offers' on childcare seem to be for full time workers so I pay almost the same amount whilst earning less.