Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Wrap around childcare v school holidays

42 replies

Aria20 · 06/04/2023 08:01

Sorry I am putting this in Aibu as I'm looking for opinions:
If you had the choice of your working pattern either mon-fri 9-3 but year around so you wouldn't need wrap around care but you would need school holiday care.
Or 8-4.30 mon-fri but 39 weeks a year so you'd need wrap around care every day and a week of holiday care.

The child is 5 and in reception. We haven't needed wrap around or holiday care before. Which would you think is better for the child?

The salary isn't too much difference to be honest and we aren't eligible for help with childcare costs due to DH salary. We have older children who won't need holiday care but aren't old enough to be responsible for a 5 year old!

OP posts:
Hesma · 06/04/2023 08:03

If there’s not much difference in salary and both options are good in terms of job satisfaction I I’d go for the 9-3 option and enjoy the summer holidays with my DC.

Seashor · 06/04/2023 08:03

I’d go for the easy school hours because I absolutely loved taking my child to school and collecting them. School holidays can be covered by clubs and leave.

Spendonsend · 06/04/2023 08:07

Id go 8.00-4.30 and have the holidays off.

DDivaStar · 06/04/2023 08:10

I'd jump at having a 4.30 finish and school holidays off.

Sugarfree23 · 06/04/2023 08:13

Oh I'd have the holidays off.
9.00-3.00 really means 9.30 - 2.30 to give you time to get them to school and then to work, unless the school is 2 seconds from work.

Noimaginationforaun · 06/04/2023 08:13

I’m a teacher so obviously don’t have the option but I absolutely love having the holidays off with my 4YO. He does have long nursery days with before and after school care but it really balances out when we get all the half terms and holidays together. We both love it and get some really lovely quality time in.

Skyeheather · 06/04/2023 08:16

I'd do the 39 weeks and have the holidays off, DS would hate to be stuck in holiday club while all his friends were off having a good time and you can't guarantee you'd get to have all your holidays during the school holidays if there are other employees with kids who would want the same.

You could always change in a few years when your child is at secondary school can get themselves to and from school.

Theelephantinthecastle · 06/04/2023 08:18

I would look into both the wraparound and holiday childcare provision in your area and be influenced by that.

If, for example, there isn't much enrichment in the after school club and to do any extra curriculars, you would need to take them, I would go for 9-3.

My son's school has really nice after school provision - kids can choose an activity club after school for an hour and then go on to have a hot meal and some chill out time. But if he couldn't do sports after school (his favourite), I would consider changing my hours so that I could take him.

skgnome · 06/04/2023 08:19

Wrap around care and holidays off
if anything, wrap around care you organise it once and you’re sorted
the logistics of holiday clubs can be a nightmare - especially when they start reaching the last years of primary school, they claim to be “too old” for holiday club (they are not), and they are too young to be left alone for the whole day…

Theelephantinthecastle · 06/04/2023 08:20

Depends also on yours and DH's annual leave entitlement - we both get 6 weeks a year so we only need about 3 weeks of holiday club which the kids enjoy. If it was more like 6-8 weeks in holiday club, it would give me more pause.

CheersForThatEh · 06/04/2023 08:21

9- 3 as you'll get annual leave and feel like you're missing less.

I miss my daughters after school activities every week and only get to see them do hem occasionally and it makes me sad.

BernadetteIsMySister · 06/04/2023 08:21

Hesma · 06/04/2023 08:03

If there’s not much difference in salary and both options are good in terms of job satisfaction I I’d go for the 9-3 option and enjoy the summer holidays with my DC.

That wasn't an option....

ChessieFL · 06/04/2023 08:23

Note that holiday clubs often operate to school hours so you might still then need some sort of wraparound care around the holiday clubs which could be really tricky to find. For that reason I would have school holidays off.

User0610139736 · 06/04/2023 08:24

Holidays off for now
you can go on mini breaks and camping adventures and your older ones will appreciate you being around in the holidays.
also you’d have to pay for a whole day of holiday club probably even if you’re only working a short day. I’d do the maths on the finances too.
at my dcs school there are school-run activity clubs until 4.30 which are things they’d like to do anyway like baking or football and are cheaper then the full after school club til 6

Original poster
Aria20 · 06/04/2023 08:26

@Sugarfree23 the 9-3 job would be remote working and the school is 10 min walk from home so I'd be able to pick up and drop off every day but school holidays would mean holiday clubs. The 8-4.30 is not from home and is in a school - not my daughters school and prob 20 min drive from her school.

I'm very torn as I have always been around for the children in school holidays! But also for a child who has never been in full day childcare 7.30-6 min-fri feels long - I appreciate many children do this from 6 months old and we have been fortunate so far not to!

OP posts:
User0610139736 · 06/04/2023 08:26

CheersForThatEh · 06/04/2023 08:21

9- 3 as you'll get annual leave and feel like you're missing less.

I miss my daughters after school activities every week and only get to see them do hem occasionally and it makes me sad.

But this is a good point especially if this child or your older ones have a lot of out-of-school activities they do after school. Would be nice to be around for those.

NoSquirrels · 06/04/2023 08:26

We have older children who won't need holiday care but aren't old enough to be responsible for a 5 year old!

In that case I’d certainly have the school holidays off.

MargiesSandwich · 06/04/2023 08:27

39 weeks and all the school holidays off. It will make it much easier to co-ordinate holidays with your Dh/Dp so that you actually spend some quality time together as a family especially over the summer holidays. As has been pointed out lots of holiday clubs are just school hours anyway. I used to listen to Mums co-ordinating swap days with other parents due to holiday club cost and logistics of it all.

Original poster
Aria20 · 06/04/2023 08:34

Interesting mix of replies which is probably why I am so torn. Obviously no guarantee I would get either job so I am considering applying for both and see what happens...

The older ones get buses to and from school and any activities so no worries about them but obviously is nice to see them in school holidays. The 5yo so far does one extra curricular activity which is not at her school so we'd have to give that up or go on wait list for a Saturday.

The only possible issue with the school job is that we'd be in 4 different schools so potentially some clashes on term dates ha!

OP posts:
Caterina99 · 06/04/2023 08:37

I basically work 9-3, which is very helpful as we don’t need any childcare in term time (which is good because there is none easily available)

However school holidays are a big juggling act between me, DH, my DP etc. Thankfully I’m v flexible and the kids can come with me, but I get a lot less done than when they’re at school and meetings etc are difficult. Essentially they don’t do much in the holidays and I don’t get much work done either. Hopefully there will be more holiday clubs available this year!

I think if I had a choice I’d pick longer hours and school holidays off

CatOnTheChair · 06/04/2023 08:37

Can DP do ad hoc days off for school plays, sports days etc? If so, take the school job. If a school job would leave noone for all of the in school events, I'd consider the 9-3 job.

Original poster
Aria20 · 06/04/2023 08:37

Oh and I guess as it's in a school I wouldn't be able to take time off for sports day or school plays etc. argh! Swings and roundabouts. DD's school has wraparound care onsite 7.30-6 for £17 a day but not school holiday club on site so would have to arrange that separately.

OP posts:
GoldenGorilla · 06/04/2023 08:40

I really like being able to drop off and pickup, it’s a good chance to catch up with the teacher/meet other parents etc. so I’d go for that option.

Equalitea · 06/04/2023 11:13

I’d take the school holidays off.

DandledASandle · 06/04/2023 11:26

I'd take the 9-3. The after school slot is quite a big part of their lives at primary age. Playdates, park trips, hobbies. For the holidays, by the time you use A/L and juggle childcare swaps it was a few days of holiday club at Easter and maybe a couple of weeks in the summer. A week or two of parental leave might also be an option.

Plus a lot of the hobby/skill/interest hol clubs run something like 9-3 anyway. It's massively easier to find fun hol clubs that they want to do 9-3 than 8-5. My kids would say holiday club was a pretty small part of their lives, whereas they got loads from not having to be in before and after school club every day.

Swipe left for the next trending thread