Christmas childcare - help! Need advice please.

[moonbells]

Hello there
I just found out to great shock that nobody near me (outer NW London) does any kind of holiday club at Christmas. Half terms, Easter, Summer, yes. Just not Christmas.

DS has almost a month off. I don't get that much leave in a year let alone a month! I'm panicking a bit...

Is it reasonable to ask CMs or Nannies to just cover Christmas, and if it's OK, how do I go about finding one? I'm being completely pathetic, but he was f/t nursery before this so never needed to ask!

Would you need help other holidays? Not all cm's will work Xmas, I don't unless a parent is desperate and would charge extra for bank hols. If an ongoing thing would you consider using the cm for the other hols? Maybe put an advert on childcare.co.uk and see if anyone replies?

A short term nanny may be the answer but not sure of costs.

DS is reception - the minefield of non-nursery childcare is a complete unknown. Was expecting to put him in holiday clubs like Camp Beaumont or a SuperCamp. But yes, a cm would work in the other holidays, probably better if I think about it!

By Christmas, I mean the week before, and the week between 2nd and 9th Jan. Not the actual Christmas week - that I have to take off anyway to do the rounds of family...

I've just emailed his old nursery to see if we can get in for the period, but that only works this year. After that, he's too old.

You quite often find people advertising on Gumtree coming up to holiday periods who are specifically looking for holiday work only e.g. TAs, international teachers who are not going home. Could you also consider a university student? Many of them are around during the periods you need.

Actually, are you sure that no-one is doing clubs? Most are summer time but our local leisure centre also ran their usual day camps right up to Christmas - and they were a lot cheaper than the private ones.

I would do it.

I actually finish on Friday 21st this year and back on the 2nd January.

Meant to add I'm a cm!

I'm a nanny in nw5 (am happy to travel )and I have just over 2 weeks off over Christmas, can pm you with a little more info if you wish

:o I'll change the Lego to marble if I'm ever feeling really mean :o

I used to work for a family in HA7 so travel isn't a huge deal if you get stuck (am an experienced nanny currently going the the ofsted process)

Fingers crossed!

There must be something, have you tried asking parents who work with year one boys? There's lots of that type of thing around me (beaconsfield), you just need to know where to look! Our local sports centre runs schemes.

It's worth asking childminders. I'm working Christmas and take adhoc mindees.

How is he getting a month off ? 2 weeks is the norm here (sounds a bit longer as they break up on Fri 21st and go back Mon 7th, but only 2 weeks off school, and 3 of those days are BHs.)

BackforGood - An ex mindee of mine went to a Montessori Nursery affiliated to a Private/Prep school, they had nearly 4 weeks at Xmas

I am a CM in the ub10 area, if you don't find anything I may be able to help .

Have you looked at the FIS list?...there will be lists of c/ms who do 'holiday care' only...I certainly do as I also do 'term time' only but I am not sure which area you are from?

I think I can breathe - have got email back saying this Christmas should be fine for him to go to the old nursery.

But it's certainly been a wake-up call. I am going to start looking for a cm along my route to work who can do holidays and where I don't just turn up once a year then vanish again. Thanks all for your offers and pointers as to where to look - will be very useful! I have a feeling I should start looking for Feb half term already...

Italiana what's a FIS list please?

Family Information Service.
Every Local Authority has one. You can just do an internet search. Amongst other things, they are able to tell you what childcare is available in your Local Authority.

As a childminder this is the first Christmas (btwn Christmas and NY) I am not actually working - usually I work throughout. Worth asking around.

Hooray!

Right, 99% sorted. Only have Christmas Eve to sort out (and I can't have the day off cos the other two folk in the team are off)

DH is on the spot for this one...

I am going to start looking, for sure. I think I've found my local online FIS already (and it was about as useful as a chocolate teapot). I think asking around other school mums might be next. Someone's got to know...

many thanks again!

Ask at school too, there maybe a nanny or childminder who picks up that could help - I do St Helen's and Habs holiday cover at the moment as all my other mindies are term time , so would be happy and have space for another child. I also drive quite a way to do the pick up too!