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

[Cherrymentos19]

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?!

I pay a local teenager to come and be in the house with them.

20 percent that should read. And yes, why do people never get that single parents only have 1 holiday allowance available!

Oh yes - say No to any nonsense from the school re coming in for appointments during working hours, book look day etc etc. Save your annual leave.

Annual leave and holiday clubs. I had a reduced salary for an extra week of annual leave.

I also had flexible hours when ds was small so I was able to work longer hours over 4 days and have one day off each week in the school holidays.

I used holiday clubs or unpaid parental leave.

Can you negotiate a term time only contract?

You’re brave OP! Admitting your children go to private school on Mumsnet and asking fir advice is bound to get lots of snidely responses.

If the school doesn’t provide holiday club, then other schools might. Schools around us run holiday clubs that are open to all, so that might be worth looking into? Our local leisure centre runs sports clubs in the summer, although obviously that’s on hold at the moment.

I take two separate weeks holiday to spread it out. Do one week in an expensive drama school as a treat. Last year I got her on a one week confidence building scheme which was free and run through a charity (that was lucky though), and normally she does two weeks at a general all activity club (they vary, some are more fun than others - Supercamps and Barracudas are good). I don’t have the extra weeks to deal with however. That does sound hard.

How old are the dc?

Have you got a job already or could you look for one in the school.

@MsTSwift

Friends used to pay young people students connected with Brownies etc to be with kids in own home. Worked for older children who didn’t want to be in clubs the whole time but still too young to be left say 8 plus.

My mum used to do this too - after school & holidays we had a series of 6th formers look after us. I think she got them by advertising on the local 6th form noticeboard. Worked really well, although she only worked part time so wasn’t for weeks on end.

Lots of the private schools near us run holiday care and they don't limit it to pupils of the school. So, even if your school doesnt do holiday club, other local schools may well do them and have space.

My child minder used to take my daughter term time only (I was a teacher) and she filled her space in the holiday with holiday only children. This might be worth looking into. Most areas have a childmining network which can help you.

Holiday clubs are likely to be your cheapest option though.

@Dentistlakes

You’re brave OP! Admitting your children go to private school on Mumsnet and asking fir advice is bound to get lots of snidely responses.

If the school doesn’t provide holiday club, then other schools might. Schools around us run holiday clubs that are open to all, so that might be worth looking into? Our local leisure centre runs sports clubs in the summer, although obviously that’s on hold at the moment.

To be fair the most obvious response to someone complaining about the length of holidays at a private school is that perhaps it should have factored into the decision making when deciding to send them there. And full bursaries are very rare for most families so its reasonable to assume the OP isn't skint.

Although some schools don't have holiday clubs, its worth looking around. One of my grandchildren goes to a HC near her mum's work for some of the holidays (not her own school), and a more outdoors club, which she loves, for a few days to mix it up. Mum also uses some holidays, and I help out a little.

OP, whilst you say children's father is no help, did you also mean in terms of helping pay for holiday care?

Things may be trickier this year for clubs operating out of schools. I know round here we have a provider running holiday clubs in a number of primary schools but this year only the children who attend that school can go to holiday club there. It's due to covid bubbles.

@Jessicabrassica

Things may be trickier this year for clubs operating out of schools. I know round here we have a provider running holiday clubs in a number of primary schools but this year only the children who attend that school can go to holiday club there. It's due to covid bubbles.

I was just coming on to say similar. Currently our school can't accept children who don't attend, even if they are siblings of current children. It's very fustrating.

I’ve got family close but they don’t provide childcare. You have to put them up in holiday clubs etc

following

Single working parent here. I use holiday clubs some of the time and do have some family help for the rest of the time. I also take all of my annual leave in the school holidays.

The club I use is not a holiday club attached to the school, it's a local provider that operates at leisure centres.

The nursery DS goes to has holiday club for primary age children. It's very popular and booked up well in advance.

I'm assuming the op wasn't a single parent when she got pregnant so 'thinking about it before you get pregnant' comments are unhelpful. It's also the case that private schools like the one I work in run 8-6 with wraparound included in the fees so it offsets the longer holidays that have to be covered by not having to pay extra for that.
Ignore the 'why didn't you have this all mapped out' op. I think people forget this is meant to be supportive, even in AIBU. As others have said it's a patch work. Will your ex help financially if not physically? Will he do ANY hoiidays, even one or two weeks through the year would help. Depending on finances, you might find a CM like my old one who has teachers kids in term time and others in holiday time, or if you live in a Uni town, you could advertise for students, especially mature ones.

Private holiday clubs? That's what I do. Just started 1 month Easter hols. Dc 7 booked in for an Easter club running at another club.

I used to do a combination of clubs and sometimes I would fly the kids to my parents in Sweden, leave them there for a week whilst I went back to work in the UK and fly back to either join them or bring them back to the UK. Or sometimes my mum would fly over and stay with them whilst I was working.

Another school *

Get a TTO job or a job in a company which allows you to buy extra holiday. Get a job which allows you to work from home.
After a year, you're allowed parental leave which can give you up to an extra 4 weeks.
Holiday clubs - like ultimate activity camps allow you to use childcare vouchers (or the new equivalent) if you can get those from your company.
There are no au pairs at the moment, but when it picks up you could consider one, try out a summer au pair to cover summer holidays only to see if you like the set up.

Some holiday
A lot , a lot of screen time

Also some clubs are running

Keep an eye out , check local Facebook page