Help! No childcare...

[Nochildcare]

First time posting!

I really need some suggestions with what people do for childcare over the school holidays.

Half my childcare plans for the school holidays has fell through. There's no after school service and I work 8-6 three days a week.

I'm at a loss I don't know what to do for childcare. My dm will take my dc half the school holidays. My holidays only cover 3 weeks and I've already used them for school holidays.

I can't go term time in work or work from home. Holiday clubs are £££ a week! And pay childcare for younger dc so I can't afford it.

Anyone have suggestions?

Tia x

Take 1 week unpaid parental leave

Swap childcare with other parents who work different days to you

Take different holidays to DP

Search for holiday clubs that cover longer hours

Stagger work start and finish times with DP to cover pick up and drop offs

Find other parents willing to do share pick ups

Pay student to do some club pick ups

Swap working days/DP Swap working days or hours to do extra at weekend or evenings when other parent is with kids

I no, I didn’t suggest using both

Don’t they just skip reception though and go into Year 1?

4.5 staring school makes him on the older side. It’s the just turned 4 children that tend to defer.

Four and a half is a normal age to start school, Nochildcare.

My DD turned 4 2 weeks before starting reception, and there are 3 children younger than her in her year of 15 children! 3 of the 4 are the highest achieving in the class (now yr2).
I don’t understand why you would defer unless there were significant reason to do so.
and as for your original question, we spread our leave out, work the odd day from home with the kids, and use holiday clubs - the same as every other parent. You should use this time to get a second job to pay for it. It sounds like working part time or self employed are luxuries you cannot afford

I get the impression your husband is unwilling to help or change anything to facilitate this dire need so all you can do op is cut back and save money to pay for the childcare you'll also need to find.
I can't see another way tbh unless you can ship the children off to family far away.

So? Why does it matter my child may or may not be ready for school. I work in childcare and see it so many times children getting sent off into school and they're not ready and really struggle. Starting school too early can also cause issues when starting puberty and if they're ready for exams or not. Choosing when your child starts school is a really big decision and shouldn't be taken lightly.

You can't always rely on grandparents. You're lucky you have a partner. Something has got to give so you may have to find a new job working weekends, evenings or 2 nights a week or something.

Unfortunately you have to make sacrifices that are utterly shit, like the rest of us working families. Either financial or time together as a complete family.

And i am saying that with kindness. These are really hard years that nobody really prepares you for, and it does all come as a bit of a shock, especially when you think you have it all worked out.

There is no other option I am afraid. Time, or money on many of the suggestions that have already been given.

Good luck.

So you work 3 days/week and have childcare for one day/ week.

That leaves 2 days/ week without childcare. DH needs to be more flexible or try and find a childminder or see if local council, spots club or church run children's activities during holidays.

Some may only be 1/2 day, but with DH being flexible it could work.

As for the £££ I get it, but that's the downside of working when having small DC.

Thanks to everyone who gave good suggestions, I will definitely be looking hard for some cheaper options. Dh doesn't earn much more than min wage for self employment but he enjoys it.

Great ideas - bumping them to the top @Nochildcare .
i have used all of these idea as a single mum, no father and no family nearby. Just mix and match and plan early and use a spreadsheet to plan as far ahead as possible

So ... what do you expect people to suggest?

Sometimes it's just not possible to go on holiday if one doesn't have the money or the annual leave available. It seems to me that your family doesn't have enough for both the holiday AND the childcare.

But sending your perfectly normal aged child to school would save you a lot in nursery fees? You said yourself you only get 15% back. If in school you'd only need wraparound care or look at changing your hours to work 5 days shorter hours so school hours. The whole point is you're struggling for money, and not paying nursery fees would save money for holiday clubs.

He can do that when his children are older can't he, he needs to step up or things like this will keep happening and it's not fair on you or the children.

I just asked about term dates, I didn’t give a comment on deferring. Why are you derailing your own thread rather than discussing potential fixes for your problem?

Come on OP. You have their dad and your mum.

I'm sure you can deal with the holidays between 3 adults. Some people manage it alone.

Not to derail the thread but it's different in Scotland. I deferred my Feb born child as well as Feb born are the youngest in the year and we have the option to defer. Some kids are nearly 6 when they start school up here. 4.5 is considered young to start school.

The 16.4 days works out as over 5 weeks as you only work 3, so your holiday is pro rata. The upcoming bank hols fall on Mondays and Fridays so you don't need to use your holiday for them (if your place of work is shut on bank hols). Could you bank some time and work extra hours on a Monday or Friday?
Like previous posters said you have to budget all year round, and non booked holiday cover (from friends family etc) should always be classed as a slight risk. I was due to have a colleagues child after a holiday club finished at 3:30pm over the Xmas holidays, but I was extremely ill with flu and could hardly look after myself let alone mine and another child. Luckily I could pick them up and the child stayed with colleague at work for an hour or so as it was an emergency situation. But if I'd promised a whole day she would of been really stuck.
I get 85% back from UC which is a massive help have you queried why you only get 15%? I know there is a cap bit it has been increased. Also appreciate you have to pay upfront and its paid in arrears.
I take parental leave when I'm desperate, unpaid but very helpful.

Thanks these all seem great ideas and spreadsheet also sounds like a fab idea, staring at the calander is hurting my head

Why can't the grandparents come here, and provide childcare while you and your partner work? Win-win.

If your partner "enjoys" working a low-paid job, perhaps he should get another one on weekends or evenings in order to fund his share of household expenses.

That is stressful.

Depends where you are but for us (central scotland) hols run Thu to Wed this year.

So week 1 - ask to work Mon and Tues and Wed so no AL
Week 2, 3 and 4 your mum
Week 5 you
Week 6 dh
Week 7 - ask to work Wed - Fri so no AL needed.

Hopefully unpaid leave or holiday club might be an option. Did you say dh is self employed? Could he work Fri - Mon for a week or 2 then you could cover childcare between you?

What? I never got that in my previous jobs - packages started at 20 / 22 days. You could accrue more after years of service.
I remember my first job where I got 24 days and thought it was amazing. This was over a decade ago though.

With you only working 3 days can you swap with some friends so they have yours on some of your working day and you have theirs on your days off?