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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be very worried how I’m going to work in the school holidays?

359 replies

Cherrymentos19 · 26/03/2021 05:56

Single parent
Returning to work
My children are at private schools - so great during term time as wonderful before and after school activities

However the holidays are outrageously long!

Easter break... 3.5 weeks

Summer holidays... 9 weeks!

Half terms are generally 2 weeks.

I have no support locally. The children’s father will not be on hand in any meaningful way, and absolutely no point pursuing that point - because zero chance of change. Zero.

So what do people do?!

OP posts:
Squashiesaremyfav · 26/03/2021 13:44

This is a waste of time this thread. Iv read from the start and your just drip feeding, replying with one or two word answers. No wonder people are jumping to conclusions.

UntamedWisteria · 26/03/2021 13:44

Sick of posts on here referring to private school choice being a 'first-world problem'.

Every single Mumsnetter lives in the first world, regardless of whether you choose state or private school.

Put yourselves in the shoes of the Uyghur mums in Xinjiang before throwing rocks at people just because they've made different choices in education to you.

Firenight · 26/03/2021 13:45

Pre covid, a mix of WFH, childminder and annual leave. No childcare now but WFH and annual leave. My youngest is booked for one day at a 9-3 holiday club one day but that's all. They will be online a lot.

Dixiechickonhols · 26/03/2021 14:09

dotdash we found same. My DC is a teen now but private primary was £500 a month cheaper than her nursery. Longer day so no wrap around needed. 2 weeks extra hols which meant we took our main hol in October saving a lot. 11 plus prep included. Other perks like her school being the only one staying open when every other school in town shut due to snow meaning I didn’t need time off unpaid.
Private school is not always £££ - I’ve been told I’m wrong on here and quoting term price no it was under £6000 a year. Deprived Northern town pricing. Just checked and current price is £6800 a year.

dotdashdashdash · 26/03/2021 14:23

Dixiechickonhols

Could be the same place!

But yes, people imagine Harrow, Eton and such like, they don't imagine Chadderton Prep School (not my kids school).

ZigZagIntoTheBlue · 26/03/2021 14:32

Childminder or a reciprocal arrangement with another family from school with the same holiday dates

PregnantGotCovid · 26/03/2021 14:38

When I was a teen, I used to get paid to look after younger kids in the holidays. I loved the opportunity to earn money, and I was a cheap option to parents.

Squashiesaremyfav · 26/03/2021 14:45

It’s very difficult and can be stressful looking for childcare during school holidays. My partner is the main earner, fair enough he pays all the bills. I work 22 hours per week 9am - 3 pm, min wage, to fit in with the school day. We try and share the holidays just now as grandparents can watch the children at the moment. Or I will take unpaid leave for a week or two. It works out cheaper than going to a holiday club.

MrsHookey · 26/03/2021 14:53

Also a single parent. Holiday clubs (£300 a week for my two); if you're on universal credit, it might as cheap to look after them yourself and take unpaid leave; Tax free childcare (disabled children get 40% support and non disabled get 20% of costs from government.

It's tricky I know! Could you even have a grandparent come and stay with you for a few weeks?

MrsHookey · 26/03/2021 14:56

@AuditAngel I think the childcare voucher schemes are closed to new entrants.

dotdashdashdash · 26/03/2021 15:07

[quote MrsHookey]@AuditAngel I think the childcare voucher schemes are closed to new entrants. [/quote]
It is.

But you can access tax free child care accounts instead and most childminders, wrap around care and holiday care providers take them.

Phineyj · 26/03/2021 15:18

It can be worth joining a David Lloyd type place as they have after school activities, holiday clubs, weekend clubs and (although I haven't tried this) are full of keen young coaches one might possibly be able to approach for 1-1. Also this year many A-level students will be at a bit of a loose end after the exam marks go in on 18th June. Does the DC's school have a Senior School?

Frazzled2207 · 26/03/2021 15:22

Holiday clubs and annual leave. Fairly staggered that you didn’t factor this in when choosing to pay for private school though.

ThatPoster · 26/03/2021 17:19

Well I used to use a combination of an au pair, holiday clubs, holiday entitlement. It's hard, and it's expensive.

My ex never took time off. I had a live in au pair for many years and always paid them extra over the school holidays to do more hours.

TheOrigRights · 26/03/2021 19:11

@Frazzled2207

Holiday clubs and annual leave. Fairly staggered that you didn’t factor this in when choosing to pay for private school though.
RTFT!
pluckafeather · 26/03/2021 19:42

Why no to private holiday clubs? I do combination of clubs throughout the year, Christmas I always take annual leave and pretty much demand it if bosses say no (in retail and is difficult )
And unpaid leave if you can't afford clubs and work finances out accordingly.
I have no family at all. It's tricky but possible. I drive 40 mins each way for the holiday club and pay extra to drop dc off early and pick up late.

Frazzled2207 · 26/03/2021 19:50

@TheOrigRights
Fair point.

Hesma · 26/03/2021 20:33

Options:

  1. Pay for childcare... private education so I guess you can afford it
  2. Move to state school and use saving in fees to pay for childcare
  3. Take unpaid parental leave
  4. Great a job at a school with same term dates
carolinesbaby · 26/03/2021 20:35

Same as everyone else does?

Pay for childcare.
Take annual leave.

JesusInTheCabbageVan · 26/03/2021 20:41

1. Pay for childcare... private education so I guess you can afford it
2. Move to state school and use saving in fees to pay for childcare

THE DC ARE ON BURSARIES
RTFT.
THE DC ARE ON BURSARIES
RTFT
THE DC ARE ON BURSARIES
RTFT
THE DC ARE ON BURSARIES
RTFT
THE DC ARE ON BURSARIES
RTFT
THE DC ARE ON BURSARIES
RTFT
THE DC ARE ON BURSARIES
RTFT
THE DC ARE ON BURSARIES
RTFT
THE DC ARE ON BURSARIES
RTFT
THE DC ARE ON BURSARIES
RTFT

....HTH

MintyMabel · 26/03/2021 21:23

How have we not figured out a solution that means kids are happy and parents are able to work?

We have. There are plenty of school holiday clubs, available. Way more than there were when I was young. We had so many a couple of years ago we struggled to find time for DD to go and spend time with relatives.

OP, make sure you sign up for the tax free childcare scheme. This can be used for holiday clubs too. You can also use unpaid parental leave to cover holidays.

MintyMabel · 26/03/2021 21:26

Holiday clubs and annual leave. Fairly staggered that you didn’t factor this in when choosing to pay for private school though.
RTFT!

100% bursaries are vanishingly rare, especially for more than one child. Then there are all the additional costs. We can, I’d say, assume OP isn’t working a minimum wage job.

In any event, regardless of fees, it is fair to say the OP should have considered how holidays would be covered when moving them to private school. And if it is unmanageable then returning them to state school seems like the only solution.

Hankunamatata · 26/03/2021 21:28

Most daycares take up to 12 years but wont be cheap

Ggeemerc · 26/03/2021 21:32

We used a childminder. Some have vacancies in holidays because others are on holiday. Churches sometimes have free sessions.

DarkMatterA2Z · 26/03/2021 21:32

Well actually both the OP and her ex should have figured out between them how they would cover the school holidays when they were both working. But not unusually he's buggered off and made it entirely her problem, despite these also being his kids.

Really she should bill him for 50% of holiday club costs/a nanny.