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Original poster

If you work FT what do you do with kids in summer hols?

141 replies

Soundbathfan · 30/06/2023 09:31

Hi all
My husband and I are due our first in Dec and I am thinking ahead in terms of childcare. We intend to carry on working ideally FT but have no family particularly close :(. What on earth do people do for childcare during school years in summer hols?!

OP posts:
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 01/07/2023 08:49

We went with a childminder from 8mo who also did the school runs for the primary school closest to us.

So full time with CM from 8mo to 3yo then little one went to school nursery, then school, 9-3, and childminder did 8-9am drop at school, 3pm collect til 5.30.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 01/07/2023 08:49

Oh and then holidays did 8-5.30 daily

Throwncrumbs · 01/07/2023 08:51

I worked nights and my husband days, never had paid for childcare ever!

OneMoreCookieMonster · 01/07/2023 08:54

Childminder and annual leave spread between both of us to cover the summer and the childminders hols when dc were little. Then at 3 dc was at nursery which didn't close during the school holidays except for bank hols and 2 wks at Xmas. Again, used annual leave where we needed to. The years between 3 and starting school were the easiest to cover. Once school started we did holiday clubs and used annual leave where needed. Dc started reception before lockdown 1 so childcare became a fucking nightmare for 2 yrs. All sorted and settled now.

It does mean that as family, we have a wk hols together in August and one wk at Xmas because otherwise we can't cover the school hols and inset days not mention any sick days.

Grumpyfroghats · 01/07/2023 09:02

Throwncrumbs · 01/07/2023 08:51

I worked nights and my husband days, never had paid for childcare ever!

When did you sleep?

keel34 · 01/07/2023 09:05

Usually something like:

Me x 1 week
DH X 2 weeks (I will then book an extra couple flex days so we can do day trips together)
Grandparents x 3 weeks (100+ miles away for 2 weeks, 1 week more locally)

We tend to go on holiday in the half terms. Have used holiday clubs sporadically in the first couple of years but thankfully with flexible and home working haven't had to use them in years.

GoogleMeNot · 01/07/2023 09:05

You're also entitled to unpaid parental leave by the way.

www.gov.uk/parental-leave/entitlement

IsGoodIsDon · 01/07/2023 09:06

I quit my job when they got to school aged and got a zero hours contract job so I would be able to have school holidays off. The school holiday clubs didn’t work for our jobs as the hours are shorter than normal school days and OH earns a lot more than me so it was me that gave up my job.
no family around us to help out.

BabyTa · 01/07/2023 09:12

Wow that is far ahead 😂 I have two under three but I'm the same no local family so we pay for nursery which is ridiculously expensive but have no choice and in long run will work out. We haven't even thought about summer holidays as nursery is year round

Fandabedodgy · 01/07/2023 09:20

When they were younger we did a mix of

Clubs
Annual leave
Visiting aunties and GPS

Now 10 and 14 it's a mix of going out with their friends and Scout camps.

turkeyboots · 01/07/2023 09:22

Nursery, then schools holiday club and now they are teens they fend for themselves.

whodawhodaeho · 01/07/2023 09:22

Take time off - together or separately, use holiday camps, swap with friends, etc

cadburyegg · 01/07/2023 10:13

A mixture of holiday clubs, grandparents helping, annual leave and stbxh's annual leave

Nepmarthiturn · 01/07/2023 10:22

Lone parent, useless family and kids who can't cope with clubs so I have to hire nannies for what can't be covered by annual leave.

Winecrispschocolatecats · 01/07/2023 10:30

School children get a total of 14 (15?) weeks of holiday throughout the year, so it's a complete juggling act, not just in summer. Plus school days start and finish at times that aren't compatible with FT working, so a childminder or wraparound care is needed then as well.

Year 1 - parental leave
Years 2-4 we chose a nursery that was open all year round, not just term time like many are. That was an enormous help, but very costly.
Years 5-10 a godawful juggling act of DH annual leave, my annual leave (one week together so we could all go away) holiday camps and, as a last resort, unpaid parental leave. Unpaid parental is a statutory right and is now available until the child is 18.

Covid hit for years 11-13 and now one of us works from home full-time and our DC are pretty self sufficient anyway.

It was a tough few years though, especially the early school years.

StayAnonn · 01/07/2023 10:30

Two weeks of annual leave.

We both work compressed so there are only 3 days a week that one or both of us aren't off.

So it's about 12 days over the summer we have to find care for for the 4 weeks of work- thats mainly the local holiday club with a day or two possibily covered by family.

OhhhhhhhhBiscuits · 01/07/2023 10:32

Separate annual leave all bar one week when we holiday together. The rest is holiday clubs.

Stompythedinosaur · 01/07/2023 10:45

We did a mixture of childminder, taking seperate annual leave, compressing our work hours, grandparents, swaps with other parents and at least one week of a holiday club (when our cm was on holiday).

It was an actual nightmare to sort.

DixonD · 01/07/2023 10:57

School holidays are the reason I still only work 14 hours a week. I doubt I’ll work more hours until she’s at at secondary.

You have a while before you have to seriously worry about this, and you may have reduced your own working hours by then.

When I am at work, my daughter is cared for by my mother and has been since a baby. She’s never been to nursery (went to preschool), a childminder or holiday clubs. I don’t know what I’d do without her.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 01/07/2023 11:09

Throwncrumbs · 01/07/2023 08:51

I worked nights and my husband days, never had paid for childcare ever!

When did u sleep?

BelindaBears · 01/07/2023 11:17

My child’s school wraparound that she goes to in termtime also run a holiday club. £24 a day, £20 after the tax free childcare so not horrendous. We use that and annual leave.

VictoriaVictoire · 01/07/2023 11:32

I was lucky enough to move to a term-time contract when all of mine were in Primary. Took a hit career wise though. Back to full-time normal contract now with just the youngest in Primary. Taking a few days each week off over the summer for days out with them. DH doing the same on on other days. Older siblings watching out for the youngest. Lunches in fridge and I am 10 minutes down the road if needed. SIL coming down for a week to help entertain them.

thatsn0tmyname · 01/07/2023 11:35

Teach!

5foot5 · 01/07/2023 11:52

You are right to be looking ahead to the school years since this IMO is the hardest period for sorting childcare, much more so than the pre-school years.

If you can afford full time day nursery and you work fairly normal hours then that sorts out care for the early years. Well mostly. You will still have to cope with the days when DC is unwell and one of you has to stay at home with them.

However when they start school you have to sort out before and after care and, as you realise, many weeks holiday. I know at least one professional woman who worked FT until her DC started school then had to give up for a few years as it was too difficult.

We used an after school club from day one in reception and the same people also organised holiday clubs. We would also try to break up the use of clubs by taking leave, cooperating with other parents in our position and sometimes DD went to stay at GPs for a few days. Neither GP lived close but liked to have her to stay for short breaks.

Every year I would have a chart that covered the whole summer holiday and started planning for each day weeks in advance.

angela99999 · 01/07/2023 12:00

My DD uses a summer sports camp, her DS is 4 at the moment and about to start school but have agreed to take him for the first time. Previously he was at full-time nursery and the sports camp is half the price (though she is not paying to extend the day from 3.45-5). Her DD has gone to summer clubs for two years, she's been to a few different ones as they are not all open all the time and they have varied activities.
The day isn't as long as the wrap-around at primary school as they don't do breakfast or long days, but I'm guessing that some clubs do longer days.

However I live nearby and can deliver and collect so this keeps the cost down.
If she pays through the government website she gets a discount for all childcare.

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