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’m loving the idea of a local student

Childcare swaps could also work - even if all the other parents are well off/have a SAHP (and I doubt this, there will be others in your position) it might suit them for other reasons - mine is an only so I like him being able to see friends in the holidays, plus he can actually be easier to look after/entertain when his friends there than when its just him). So I would definately ask around other parents to find out if any are interested.

I have a similar issue, although not at private schools. Single parent, 2 sball children, too young for most holiday clubs, the one I've found is £30 a day each. Not expensive, but I don't have a spare £60 a day.

@AdriannaP

Seriously OP 🤦🏻‍♀️ What do you think other working parents do? We pay for nannies, babysitters, holiday clubs and take time off. If you can afford a private school, you can afford childcare or holiday clubs.

But I asked for single parents

It is different. I hate that it is. But it presents its own challenges that only single parents experience

Any scope for WFH @Cherrymentos19

I realise you actually have to work but without the pressure of homeschooling you could potentially manage the kids at home? Depending on your role and responsibilities of course. Wouldn't be a full time or long term option but if you could do clubs for X weeks, WFH for X weeks (or X days per week) and use annual leave - you could just make it work.

I appreciate that you are just returning to work but surely you've always known about the holidays this would have been factored into your plans?

How old are the children OP? It would help with suggestions and ideas. Options for a 5 year old are very different to a child aged 9-10

Hi Op, hope you have found some useful replies on her amongst the sniping.

I used a mixture of holiday clubs, reciprocal arrangements with other parents and a nanny share (I didn't employ a nanny, my friend did and we shared costs).

Where I live there are some amazing holiday clubs run by the council, my dd did water sports 3 years in a row and learnt to row and kayak. There were also some rotten clubs out there as well, council and privately run.

It was a really difficult balancing act. But other parents were in the same boat so we did all help each other out.

Good luck!

@Froggie456

OP ignore ridiculous comments about getting a term time job (cause those are just lying round).

So you need to be organised. Each holiday you are planning for 2 holidays ahead (so Christmas holidays plan for Easter).

So your options are:

• holiday clubs at school when run
• your own annual leave
• holiday clubs other schools/schemes (at the moment you might not see many because they haven’t been running but guarantee this summer they will be back)
• ask at school if there are any TAs who do nannying over the summer
• family friends with a responsible sixth former who wants to make some money over holidays

I personally am always wary of using friends. It can work really well if friends are reliable, but all you need is their kid sick/they decide to go on an improntu holiday and suddenly it’s all gone pear shaped

Op you can do this. There will be times when it all feels like it comes crashing down (one of the kids gets sick and it’s the day of a meeting), but you figure it out and you’ll be glad you held onto your career.

@Froggie456

So appreciate this
Thank you

Is your work flexible with working hours? So maybe do a 5 day week in 4 days, leaving a day free that you dint have to cover? If wfh, can you do hours at the evening / weekend instead of a day in the week? Obviously depends on your job and if wfh or not.

Must get on now
But thank you for the supportive and helpful posts, of which there were many.

Thank you

If you’re going for a student ask at the local college who’s doing childcare as a coarse - it will add to their experience.

Plus they’ll be part qualified

Maybe share it out 2/3 days a week so it’s no full on for them and they get a holiday as well

You are a single parent but can the children's father help? Or is he completely absent?

I would say what makes your situation most unusual & difficult isn't simply being a single parent, its having zero family whatsoever.

www.gov.uk/parental-leave

When I was in your situation, I used this to add an extra four weeks unpaid holiday throughout the year.

My line manager had never heard of it before but sent off the info to HR and then it was approved.

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

You are a single parent but can the children's father help? Or is he completely absent?

I would say what makes your situation most unusual & difficult isn't simply being a single parent, its having zero family whatsoever.

Sadly not unusual at all for single parents to have no family support

Obviously no in-laws
Parents deceased
Siblings far from local and busy with own families and working

@Basilthehamster

www.gov.uk/parental-leave

When I was in your situation, I used this to add an extra four weeks unpaid holiday throughout the year.

My line manager had never heard of it before but sent off the info to HR and then it was approved.

Unfortunately only kicks in after a year of service

I work from home anyway and state schools so just six weeks at the most in the summer and my oldest is old enough that this isn't an issue.

What has worked well for us is, say, in the summer you have a week of them doing an activity, eg water sports, then two weeks holiday, then the rest of the time swapping childcare with other families.

So you'd take all the kids you can handle one day a week and then they would go elsewhere for as many days as you can manage. One or two friends per child of yours is almost as good as having childcare anyway, so you might be able to work a little bit if you are working from home, and then do lots of working on the days when they are elsewhere.

I haven't RTFT so apologies if some of this has been suggested before:

• University / College children are often looking for Summer jobs
• TAs are often looking to earn extra money during the summer
• Swap with siblings for two weeks each (or one, each help each other out with the kids)
• Check out Childcare add ons at work (some employers give them through EAP)
• Look at reducing hours or WFH or flexitime
• Apps like bubble are good for sitters, and are often cheaper
• Look into local children's community centre

Get a term time only job.

Unfortunately only kicks in after a year of service

That's the legal entitlement but it's still worth asking/checking your company benefits scheme. My company offers parental leave from Day 1 of employment - I'm sure it can't be the only one.

If it's really a huge problem OP you know you can just send your children to their local state school. They are entitled to a place at a state school.

Get an au pair.

Use
Your holidays and pay for childcare like everybody else

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

If it's really a huge problem OP you know you can just send your children to their local state school. They are entitled to a place at a state school.

But there will still be holidays to cover.

I find it quite weird this attitude of "if you can afford private school, you can afford holiday clubs". That's not always the case - OP has already stated several times her DC are on bursaries, and I generally assume if you have kids at private school you're crippled with fees and can afford very little else - particularly as a single parent.

OP I wish you luck, however long the holidays are, it's always a pain in the arse to sort out.

I generally assume if you have kids at private school you're crippled with fees and can afford very little else - particularly as a single parent

If you are so crippled with fees that you can’t afford childcare for the extra long summer holidays that private school brings, then the obvious option would be to make the move to state school and spend the money on childcare for those instead which are probably more manageable.

The OP hasn’t said if she’s struggling for money though or just struggling with getting enough time off? Apologies if they have and I’ve missed it.

Its a constant juggle. Only one leave allowance here too. I tend to use my leave for all the shorter holidays (state school) but it won't cover all of the Summer holidays too.

So it is a case of cobbling together whatever you can find really - holiday clubs, swaps with other families (COVID restrictions allowing), working from home if that's an option, time in lieu/flexi if any built up. And unpaid leave potentially to plug any gaps. The ideas for college students/TA's are really good. Good luck OP, hope you get it sorted