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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think total lack of childcare just before xmas day is ridiculous?

63 replies

littlestmummystop · 01/12/2008 17:05

My dd's school shuts on Dec 19.
I work till Xmas eve.
Most of her usual play schemes are shut from Dec 19 and I am having to ring around begging and calling in favours to find someone to look after her.

AIBU to think there are loads of parents who work up till xmas eve ???

OP posts:
Anna8888 · 01/12/2008 18:14

Clayre - I know what you mean. I never work during the holidays (and only very part-time the rest of the time) and make myself available for DD and my two DSSs. A couple of friends of DP's have picked up on this and ring asking whether their children could spend a day with the DSSs. Of course I am the one doing the entertaining. I wouldn't mind - but the parents in question don't even ring to thank... Grrrrrrrr.

jempurd · 01/12/2008 18:42

I can provide you with a different perspective, as I am a childminder! I have trained hard and sacrificed my sales career so that I can be at home for my children. I always have the holiday period off (from xmas eve to new years day inc) and none of my parents have ever had a problem with it. The whole reason that I have made these huge changes in my life is so that at these special times I get to be there for my family, and we get our quality time together.
Yes, I can see that if you are in a job where you can't get time out you are stuck... so see if you can also flip the view and see it from OUR point of view. We are just regular people who want to be with our family at christmas.
And as a final point, you must be working for incredibly unreasonable people if you are left in such a bad childcare situation. Any employer worth their salt values their staff and should certainly be doing their best to find a resolution that can suit you all

chloemegjess · 01/12/2008 18:48

Can you not see if there are any childminders near you willing to work it? I will be "open" over christmas except christmas day and boxing day (I am a CM). Although think my main mindee will be off anyway but I would have her if they wanted me too.

pramspotter · 01/12/2008 18:56

Jempurd what if all nurses and doctors demanded to be able to spend time with their families over christmas and your child became critically ill over christmas?

piscesmoon · 01/12/2008 18:56

That was exactly what I meant about play schemes jempurd, people tend to do these jobs, and earn less money, so that it fits in with their DCs and so they want to be free at important times.

StewieGriffinsMom · 01/12/2008 19:21

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rubyslippersisappearinginpanto · 01/12/2008 19:23

my DS's nursery shuts from Xmas eve until 2 January but both me and DH are working

we have juggled our diaries and managed to cover the days between us

DH is not allowed to take AL during December so that option is out for us

southeastastra · 01/12/2008 19:26

we run playschemes, i've never really understood why they don't run over christmas, it may have something to do with hiring of school halls maybe? lots have essential work done over the winter holidays.

i also know we have alot of student staff that are available to work. maybe there just isn't a high demand for it in this area. will investigate though.

Knakard · 01/12/2008 19:30

Fair enough to say take anual leave over xmas but for example i manage a restauant which mean i certainly cant take time off at xmas - its our busiest time and the company rule is no management holiday in December.

WhileShosheWatchedHerFlocks · 01/12/2008 19:31

I close (CM) from the 19th Dec till the 5th January.

I took a week off in August, apart from Bank Holidays that is the only time off I have had this year, most CM's I know only have that time off.

We need the break as much as anyone else.

jempurd · 01/12/2008 19:37

Pramspotter, I consider myself to be a reasonable person and a very good childminder. If I had a parent who absolutely had NO other option at Christmas time, then of course I would help them. I'm not a complete arse, and I can understand that for some people that's just how it is. It's the sort of thng that would be discussed before you even started looking after their child, so you would make all the arrangements at the begining of the placement and therefore be prepared for it.
And there are of course many childminders who only take off christmas eve and boxing day... I know of a few myself. So basically I guess I am trying to say that it's the childcarers right to choose what hours/days they want to work, and the parents responsibility to find a carer that can meet their needs.

Hulababy · 01/12/2008 19:40

Sorry YABU.

School is not childcare.

Teachers and nursery staff and childminders are entitled to holiday time too. Presumably you know these holidays when siging up for them?

Hulababy · 01/12/2008 19:42

And don't forgot - for the majority, parents choose to have a child. They know that child will need looking after when they make that choice and when they make their employment choices after the child is born.

Sidge · 01/12/2008 19:43

Luckily I now have a term time only nursing job, but in my last couple of jobs we weren't allowed annual leave for the 2 weeks over Christmas. It's all very well saying "book leave" but if you work in an area that has one of the busiest times of it's year over the festive period then booking leave isn't an option.

I don't expect CMs and nurseries to be open Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year's Day but to shut up shop for 2 weeks puts a lot of pressure on working parents.

piscesmoon · 01/12/2008 19:44

If I was a CM I would finish on 23rd and start on 2nd of Jan-the whole point of doing the job would be to suit me and my family life.

BouncingTurtle · 01/12/2008 19:48

This is why I'm glad ds is in a nursery rather than a childminder - his nursery is only closed on bank holidays which neither dh or i work, though the is the chance I might get called in on a bank holiday.
Good job as we have no family/friends near by to help out.

StewieGriffinsMom · 01/12/2008 19:51

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WhileShosheWatchedHerFlocks · 01/12/2008 20:06

So when do you think Childminders should take holiday, or would you rather we worked 52 weeks a year, because anytime we take holiday will inconvenience somebody!

StewieGriffinsMom · 01/12/2008 20:15

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nzshar · 01/12/2008 20:20

I see both sides of this but....
I do think that your children then it is your responsibility to organise childcare etc during holidays. Everyone has their own circumstances be it CM, nursery or NHS worker but taking care of your own childcare is your problem. As is said on many many threads your child, your choice and in this case your problem if I may be so blunt. Don't condemn CM's, nursery workers or the like to put their situation first at this time of the year.

TigerFeet · 01/12/2008 21:16

My current CM doesn't work any holidays or half terms. The school holidays are for her and her kids. Good for her say I. The added bonus is that I don't have to pay any kind of retainer for school holidays, she only charges during term time.

DH, myself and dd's grandparents cover the holidays between us, alongside play schemes and the like. It only becomes a problem at Christmas as dh and I both work in an industry that is particularly busy at Christmas. We have learned to work round it. We are fortunate in that my Mum works term time only and dh's parents are just about to retire which makes coming to stay with us far easier. If it were critical that we needed professional childcare over Christmas, I would have chosen a CM that was prepared to provide it. It is definitely something that has to be taken into consideration when choosing appropriate care for your dcs and your own circumstances.

As things stand, most CM's and day nurseries are self employed or privately run and are under no obligation to provide care 365 days a year. Let's face it, I think most of us would take two weeks off if we could.

Desiderata · 01/12/2008 21:23

So are you honestly saying that everyone should work until Christmas Eve just to accommodate your children?

You've had all year to sort it out.

chloemegjess · 01/12/2008 21:24

But why can't you use find a CM or something who will do it on a temp basis?

peacelily · 01/12/2008 22:05

"And don't forgot - for the majority, parents choose to have a child. They know that child will need looking after when they make that choice and when they make their employment choices after the child is born"

if like us you pay for childcar for 12 months a year that's 52 weeks outside of BHs i expect them to provide care in the Christmas and new Year period! If they re-impursed the money I wouldn't pbject so much.

Ok hulababy after dd was born myself and dh mortgage et al should just make "a choice" re employment because hey it's so easy to change your careers for what we earn for something more "family friendly"

what a simplistic and narrow minded thing to say Christ "choice" FFS! The bills need paying!!!!!!!!!!

Hulababy · 01/12/2008 22:20

But peacelily - everyone has to make a choice. I had to go part time as it was impossible for DD to be cared for fully otherwise. I then chose a nursery that I knew would be open 51 weeks a year as at the time I needed that avaialable to me. And since having DD I have also changed my job twice in 6 years to be able to have more family friendly term and conditions.

So, no I am not narrow minded. Just realistic about what I as a parent have to do.

It is more the whole school thing that winds me up. School is not child care.

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