Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

What happens to children over the summer?

384 replies

Randomfires · 08/07/2020 16:28

Have I missed something because I’m sure the government said that there were to be childcare schemes set up but I can’t find anything further on this since early June.

Husband and I are keyworkers and the local holiday summer schemes are all closed. Some of the schools are doing a play scheme but not ours. Really confused as to what we’re meant to do when schools shut in 3 weeks.

OP posts:
Mumratheevergiving · 08/07/2020 20:31

Randomfires -"We're going to get all schools back in September if we possibly can .. but it's going to be a big summer of catch up."We're going to keep making sure that kids get the remedial help that they need for the stuff that they've missed for months and months to come so that they genuinely make up for lost time."

This Government have massively shafted working parents over the last few months! Gavlar did not announce extra summer help, despite a massive gap in the time some children have been away from school. Their guidance to out of school providers came late in the day & there is so much red tape over the schemes that many aren't opening and others have to be fixed groups of much smaller numbers. We're all busy finding ad-hoc solutions. What's most frustrating is that a month later children are all supposed to be back to normal for school re-opening. This doesn't bode well for that does it!? All feels a bit like the 'all children will be back in primary for the last month of summer term' that failed to materialise...

We should stop getting cross at each other and start demanding the Government delivers it's promises to provide education for our children and actually help working parents....

bananaskinsnomnom · 08/07/2020 20:31

For the person who suggested approaching TAs/term time nursery staff - not a bad idea, many would, I certainly would. However I would charge minimum wage at the very least so it might not be a cheap option - and it would depend on the child family! There’s some school families I wouldn’t go near for multiple reasons.....

MyGhastIsFlabbered · 08/07/2020 20:34

@seasonfinale. In past years my mum has come over from France to stay for the summer holidays and looked after my children so I can work. For a number of reasons that isn't happening this year (or any other year ever again). The school have a holiday club for the end of July only. My ex is useless and does the bare minimum. I don't earn very much so childminders/nannies aren't feasible. I don't know what I'm going to do. Kids are 10 and 7 so far too young to be left.

didireallysaythat · 08/07/2020 20:38

Holiday clubs here have announced they aren't running. Extra PPE, hand santiser, cleaning etc means the first one won't break even (and hasn't made any money since March, their insurance won't pay out). The second one can't have the school hall as it's been used for key either children.

RickJames · 08/07/2020 20:44

I'm a uni tutor and I have a quite a few students i wouldn't think twice about leaving my son with. I have a couple i wouldn't leave a house plant with.
How is the OP supposed to know which are which?
It's really important that we dont get so desperate that we accept substandard care.

Phineyj · 08/07/2020 20:50

I would also like to recommend Sitters. We have had a lot of different babysitters from them (day and evening) and they have all been great, except one who was just okay, but to be fair, she was a last minute replacement. The best one is a secondary teacher and she loves playing with small DC.

PicsInRed · 08/07/2020 20:55

Sitters are brilliant, but there aren't too many single working parents who could afford them full time at approx £2000 a month (at their lower demand rates) particularly when so many won't be offering services due to health and the remainder will be rushed off their feet.

It won't be a workable full time option for single parents without holidays and family to lean on.

Phineyj · 08/07/2020 20:59

Very reasonable point, but the OP isn't a single parent. Unfortunately childcare costs minimum wage unless there is group care or a subsidy; I don't think that's news to anyone.

JassyRadlett · 08/07/2020 20:59

I’m now on my fourth holiday camp booking for this summer as one by one our usual camps have been withdrawn / didn’t have guidance in time to plan / other reasons. At the same time I have an eight year old desperate to go to holiday camp having been stuck at home since March, and I’m petrified the two camps we’ve managed to book will disappear as well.

The fools saying ‘just do what you do every summer’ live in a very charmed world. Reality is quite different.

Phineyj · 08/07/2020 21:00

Actually forget 'unfortunately' which makes it sound like I don't think child carers deserve minimum wage...

Davincitoad · 08/07/2020 21:01

Look after your own children yourself.

PablosHoney · 08/07/2020 21:03

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

trilbydoll · 08/07/2020 21:09

If he's only 4 will a nursery take him? Admittedly that's going to be a £££ option. Or a holiday club a bit further afield? Can you see what other school parents / colleagues are doing without looking like you're asking for favours?!

maddening · 08/07/2020 21:13

We are. Lucky as we divide our annual leave (have one week off together in the year and 2 days together at Christmas) that covers 10-11 weeks and my parents help with the other 2.

If there is no playscheme then possibly look to split with another family so if you use annual leave and take their kids and yours and then vice versa so they cover you? You could cover a week per parent and that would cover 4 weeks, if your parents cover a week and then you take a week of together then that would take you to 6 weeks.

Shopkinsdoll · 08/07/2020 21:14

We are in Scotland, so our school holidays have already started. I have had to take three weeks annual leave, then my partner will do the same. We won’t get a holiday altogether this year. There is a childcare hub set up for key worker children In our area. But Iv heard that there are a lot of people taking the piss out of it when there is another adult at home.

Hallloumi · 08/07/2020 21:17

I wrote to my MP about this a few weeks ago.
We have had nothing from our school regarding options but there are a few local holiday clubs who are announced they will be open in the past week.
It is really difficult especially if you are a key worker on a low wage and I think we should be making a fuss that things are not more organised.

CheesecakeAddict · 08/07/2020 21:58

Certainly approach the school (or even the local secondary school). There'll be quite a few teachers and TAs who are DBS cleared and rely on the extra money from tutoring, holiday support classes or exam marking that hasn't happened. I know it's a lot more than you hoped to spend, but would AL be an option for a few weeks as well?

ineedaholidaynow · 08/07/2020 23:58

Some private schools have holiday schemes running, usually run by a company but using the school grounds. Are there any local to you?

Jullyria · 09/07/2020 03:16

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Pixxie7 · 09/07/2020 05:53

Childcare came up in PM questions yesterday, watch this space something may be sorted. They have promised to update this week.

Mumratheevergiving · 09/07/2020 07:17

Pixxie7 - Childcare came up in PM questions yesterday, watch this space something may be sorted. They have promised to update this week

REALLY...they are leaving it very late in the day. My children’s school breaks up next week, sitting and waiting isn’t an option at this point! I have had to be proactive to sort the holidays (just like i’ve had to sort out what to do with my Yr3 for the last 3minths!). The Govt have issued advice on out of school clubs - which has resulted in a limited number opening over summer,, I wouldn’t hold your breath that they have secretly rustled up summer camps with lots of places that no-one knows about!

nancypineapple · 09/07/2020 07:19

So I run an art holiday camp which has over 100 families using it throughout the yr.I built this up over 4 years of hard work. I run to school hours and half an hour either side which I don't charge for. I am not running this Summer-I can't afford to run with just bubbles, a couple of my staff are shielding.My regular hall has 4 big spaces but there would be crossovers using the toilets etc. If I book another local school venue with great outdoor space than the rent is nearly tripled and from what I can see outdoors must be no more than groups of 6. It just wouldn't work-I can't sterilise art equipment inbetween sessions properly. So instead I have been booked for the next 7 weeks to run garden camps- groups of 5/6 kids in a parents garden. Parents are really desperate -the government have given very little guidance especially to smaller camps like mine.

Minikievs · 09/07/2020 07:42

This thread has made me realise how lucky I am mans I don't usually think that.
I am a single parent with two primary aged DC.
Normally the kids would go to my parents during holidays and I'd have a couple of weeks annual leave to give them a break.
I live in Leicester so we are still in lockdown. All schools, nurseries, play schemes etc are shut til God knows when and my parents aren't in the lockdown zone so technically the kids can't go them. We can't go on holiday as we are locked down still.
I am able to WFH. I say work in the loosest sense of the word, I get NOTHING done, the kids are bored shitless with me, with each other. The arguing is non stop.
The only answer for me is to continue to WFH (yay Hmm) and use more leave which leaves me short for half terms etc.
There is no way I'd get a random student to look after my kids all day. Babysitting for an evening is an entirely different thing.
No answers for you OP but I feel your pain and I hope you get something sorted soon (fuck knows what though)

LaurieMarlow · 09/07/2020 07:52

Look after your own children yourself.

She’s a key worker. Did you miss that bit?

gigchuckedout56 · 09/07/2020 08:10

I mentioned unpaid parental leave up thread and you have said your employer doesn't allow it to be taken in school holidays normally, is this a formal HR policy or just what managers have said before? Have you put the request formally in writing and had their reply in writing (as per the statutory requirement). Has your DH done the same with his employer and also had it rejected?

They may back down when they have to justify it formally.