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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Better to have time together or no holiday clubs?

45 replies

JellyFlooding · 13/01/2025 15:23

Oldest DC (twins) have started school this year so the first time we've had to juggle school holidays. We have three DC, DTs who are five and DD who is 2.

I'm just in the process of planning out the rest of the year's annual leave to cover the school holiday. DH and I both work part time, he's 4 days and I'm 3, so we only have Mondays and Tuesdays to cover where we both work.

This means we can cover all the holidays by taking alternate days off work. So currently it looks like:

Feb half term- no time off together
Easter - no time off together except for bank holidays
May half term - self catering week booked together
Summer holidays - first and final weeks together, rest no time off together

We can either stick with this, or have another week (Feb/middle of summer as Easter difficult because of work commitments) together, but this would mean putting DTs in holiday club for three or four days on other weeks.

What would you do? Do you think it's nicer for them to have no childcare and always be with a parent, or have some holiday club time but more time with five of us (probably more relaxed than when it's one parent!).

If relevant, DD nursery is year round so a few of the weeks she'll do nursery and it'd just be the parent and DTs.

YABU - no holiday club, stick with what you've got
YANBU - use holiday club to have more whole family time

OP posts:
Catza · 13/01/2025 15:26

I was always cared for by a combination of parents and grandparents taking turns and I was dying for activities. It was really shitty coming back to school and hearing about others' adventures in after school clubs and summer camps. I am still a bit sad that I never got to experience it even though I cherish memories with my family over the holidays.
What do your kids want to do? Have you asked them?

redskyatnight · 13/01/2025 15:28

We opted for 1 family week together and limited holiday club when the DC were the younger end of primary school. By the time they were at the upper end they were more wanting to do clubs (and there are more options available - at starting school age, you're really just looking at basic childcare). It also worked out well financially :)

It enabled both of us to have time with the DC which I think we all valued, and still have family time together in a family summer holiday, and at weekends.

BendingSpoons · 13/01/2025 15:28

Mine hate holiday camps and want to be at home with us. I would definitely do as you have planned - some family holidays but then 1 parent off at a time the rest of the time. But yours might feels differently, especially in the long summer holidays.

Randomsabreur · 13/01/2025 15:31

When are the twins 5? There are very limited 'full day' holiday clubs for reception kids who aren't yet 5... So you might have no choice this year...

Original poster
JellyFlooding · 13/01/2025 15:33

Randomsabreur · 13/01/2025 15:31

When are the twins 5? There are very limited 'full day' holiday clubs for reception kids who aren't yet 5... So you might have no choice this year...

They're already five.

OP posts:
PlanetJungle · 13/01/2025 15:34

Depends on the kids and what they would prefer

Original poster
JellyFlooding · 13/01/2025 15:35

Catza · 13/01/2025 15:26

I was always cared for by a combination of parents and grandparents taking turns and I was dying for activities. It was really shitty coming back to school and hearing about others' adventures in after school clubs and summer camps. I am still a bit sad that I never got to experience it even though I cherish memories with my family over the holidays.
What do your kids want to do? Have you asked them?

That's really interesting. I will ask them but it's hard for them to judge really as they've never been. I'm not sure how exciting the ones I've seen would be although there does seem to be some sports ones.

It'll just be me and DH as we don't have any family who could do childcare.

OP posts:
Didimum · 13/01/2025 15:40

My brain boggles at anyone this organised.

MassiveSalad22 · 13/01/2025 15:41

We’d do no holiday club and have a day of 1:2 time with 1 parent with the twins. Always nice to do something more grown up while little sibling is in nursery. You have weekends for family time just like in term time and lots of lovely holidays booked by the sounds of it! Holiday clubs are bleak and expensive IME especially for that age - they seem to get more interesting in later primary.

Emilianoo · 13/01/2025 15:44

PlanetJungle · 13/01/2025 15:34

Depends on the kids and what they would prefer

It doesn't really, you don't ask 5 and 2 year olds what they'd prefer when you're making decisions about holidays and childcare.

Original poster
JellyFlooding · 13/01/2025 15:44

Didimum · 13/01/2025 15:40

My brain boggles at anyone this organised.

We have absolutely no childcare back up and need to ensure we have budget for holiday clubs if needed/wanted so no choice really! Especially as neither of us can have time off at short notice (unless it's an actual emergency).

OP posts:
GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 13/01/2025 15:44

Such a matter of personal choice! It’s entirely up to you.

As a single but not lone pare (divorce as it happens) I’ve always thought it was handy that exh and I had half the holidays each to cover separately. Obviously people in couples can choose to do this too as you have set out!

Nothing wrong with having some time off together and using holiday clubs though.

Emilianoo · 13/01/2025 15:45

Didimum · 13/01/2025 15:40

My brain boggles at anyone this organised.

Plenty of workplaces have people fighting for annual leave so in cases like that you have to be organised with little ones.

elrider · 13/01/2025 15:45

I'd suggest factoring in a trial day or two at the holiday club(s) you intend to use in the summer during half term or Easter if they're open then, so you can see if they love or hate it, then plan the rest of the year accordingly after that if possible.

If you need to book annual leave now, then maybe book based on having some family time and them going to holiday clubs, but change it around after the trial if they really don't like it.

redskyatnight · 13/01/2025 15:46

Didimum · 13/01/2025 15:40

My brain boggles at anyone this organised.

It's pretty standard for families where both parents work I would think?

Unless you can book annual leave at work at a drop of a hat and holiday childcare is very plentiful.

Livelaughlurgy · 13/01/2025 15:47

I'm SAHM but my guys do 2 weeks in summer camp, we've 8 weeks of summer, 2 in camps. 2 on holidays with dh and the rest with me. But it's for them to have some structure and fun as opposed to childcare.

kiraric · 13/01/2025 15:47

Depends on your children, I guess, but we have always used around 12 days of holiday clubs a year and our children enjoy it.

Createausername1970 · 13/01/2025 15:50

Depends on the kids.

You could also consider putting them in separately sometimes so you manage a bit of 1-1 time with both the older ones separately.

I was a SAHM but I used kids clubs for a couple of days etc during the summer holidays, as a way to keep DS in contact with school friends, and also as a day for me to blitz the house work - and get into town on my own to replenish school stuff towards the end of August

Disasterclass · 13/01/2025 15:51

Some kids love holiday clubs, others can't stand them. As they get older they might also want to go to the same club with friends. In my experience there are 2 types of clubs, those that are basic childcare - holiday Playscheme's that are fine and usually and cover the hours you work. The. 'hobby' type clubs that are slightly shorter days but often more fun. We have fairly flexible jobs so often used to use the hobby ones and worked whilst they were there, and in the evening. That way they weren't out for too many hours, but we still got work done. Maybe give some a go and see if they like them?

kiraric · 13/01/2025 16:01

@Disasterclass
Agree that it's worth trying out a few - we personally have found our kids actually prefer the "childcare" style ones to the "hobby" ones but this will be very child dependent.

I think in our case it's because neither of ours are super into any particular hobby so they prefer to have a range of options

Didimum · 13/01/2025 16:04

Emilianoo · 13/01/2025 15:45

Plenty of workplaces have people fighting for annual leave so in cases like that you have to be organised with little ones.

Show quote history

It's just lighthearted, calm down. I also have twins and work full time.

Didimum · 13/01/2025 16:05

redskyatnight · 13/01/2025 15:46

It's pretty standard for families where both parents work I would think?

Unless you can book annual leave at work at a drop of a hat and holiday childcare is very plentiful.

Show quote history

See above.

AliMonkey · 13/01/2025 16:05

Mine didn't really enjoy holiday clubs but we still used them a little bit (eg one day at Easter, three days in separate weeks in summer) so we could have a couple of weeks away as a family. I'd try a day at holiday club at eg half term and then decide. But assuming your jobs are Mon-Fri you still have weekends to have together.

KevinAndTracy · 13/01/2025 16:08

I think it depends on the DTs and whether they are likely to enjoy holiday clubs

My DC were never keen but some kids love them!

KevinAndTracy · 13/01/2025 16:12

@Didimum what an odd response!?

Its kind of essential to organise childcare for kids in the holidays unless you are a SAHP or have local family members who are readily available to provide childcare at short notice