Is 20 days annual leave enough for you?

[Rainydays55]

For those if you who have 20 days annual leave plus bank hols - is that enough for you or do you find yourself needing more?

@woodenreindeer - this will probably blow your mind but the wraparound offer at my son's perfectly normal state primary is 7:30-6:30. Don't know how many people use the full time.

Don't think anyone said 13 year olds home alone all summer. Most of my friends will do a mix of annual leave, WFH and some days with teenagers on their own

I imagine its very different if you can wfh! As I said the person who I know who manages summer can wfh.

Of course it doesn't "blow my mind" that schools in other areas do things differently. I've lived in a variety of areas and in London commutes are very different to here!

But yes in our local the schools run breakfast clubs and afterschool club for a smaller number of children. There is no provision for those kind of hours, you'd need a childminder/nanny. I don't know any child who doesn't see a parent 7.30-6.30 5 days a week. I'd imagine they'd use private school provision for that kind of wraparound.

But what is the problem with a 13 year old spending some of the holidays on their own?

As a teenager, I loved being given time on my own, it really wasn't a huge hardship.

My reply was in relation to the thread. Both parents on 20 days holiday and not able to work from home would find holiday clubs or yes stuggle with 13 year olds being home for days on end. Hence many many women (and yes it usually is women) working part-time. This is quite well documented!

A few days or "some of the holiday." Is very different to say 4 weeks (perhaps 7.30 - 6 as suggested above!).

Those who are flexi/work from home/have lots of holiday do can take a day here and there to break up the week/have grandparents are in quite a different position and perhaps aren't aware how difficult it is for others.

@WoodenReindeer

My reply was in relation to the thread. Both parents on 20 days holiday and not able to work from home would find holiday clubs or yes stuggle with 13 year olds being home for days on end. Hence many many women (and yes it usually is women) working part-time. This is quite well documented!

It's a bit of an exaggeration - 20 days each is 10 weeks covered. So 3 weeks of teenager on their own which could be spread out, e.g. a day a week of every school holiday. Not really that awful

20 days would absolutely not be enough for me - I currently get 25 days plus some extra discretionary days at Christmas and the option to buy an extra week (I do) and it’s still not enough, and my DC are a bit older.

I definitely struggled on just 25 days when they were younger with the endless INSET days and concerts, sports days, general school stuff.

@WoodenReindeer

My reply was in relation to the thread. Both parents on 20 days holiday and not able to work from home would find holiday clubs or yes stuggle with 13 year olds being home for days on end. Hence many many women (and yes it usually is women) working part-time. This is quite well documented!

It certainly is. It absolutely contributes to more women working part time. Especially when children are young.

Not enough and i have turned down jobs for that amount.

Because of the length of time i have worked at my current employer i get 5 weeks plus bank holidays, i also purchase an additional 2 weeks and still don't think i have enough for a healthy work life basis!

Its not great. You wouldnt be long using up 20 with kids..

I get 35 plus bank hols. I have struggled to take it since covid started as we had so much leave cancelled and keep carrying it forward. Also now my children are 13+ I just don't need to take it in the school hols.

Once we can start going on holiday again it'll just disappear very quickly though.

DH gets 20 days and struggles to use it all as his job is so flexible he only needs to take it when he is away for the whole day.

I remember my first office job in the USA, we had zero leave the first year we were there (but 5 'sick days' we could take), and after working that first year you could take 5 days holiday. After 5 years working there you could have 10 days off. And, if I recall correctly, you couldn't take the 10 days off consecutively