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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

Christmas week childcare - stuck for 2 days (NO childcare).

47 replies

CountryLovingGirl · 03/10/2015 21:52

Hi,

I am hoping for some ideas on what we can do for childcare during Christmas week. My regular childminder is taking the week off but, as usual, neither of us is allowed time off. We dread Christmas week every year as we know we struggle for childcare. Everyone else seems to get the week off but we don't :-(

Luckily, I work part time and have 2 of the days off anyway Mon/Weds). New Year's Day is the Friday and we will both be off that day. This leaves us with the Tuesday 29th and Thursday 31st. Hubby is on backshift so we only need childcare between 1pm and 6pm both days.

We have no family available to help and all the nurseries/holiday schemes around here are closed the whole week.

Any ideas on what we can do?

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Original poster

CountryLovingGirl · 03/10/2015 21:55

Children are 11 and 7 (oldest one wouldn't go to a nursery holiday scheme anyway).

OP posts:

HerRoyalNotness · 03/10/2015 21:56

Any Uni older high school students that might want to earn a few quid?

MicronesiaIsMyHome · 03/10/2015 21:59

Can your childminder recommend anyone for you?

Hire a babysitter for the afternoon. ?

Shesaysso · 03/10/2015 21:59

Haven't you got a couple of friends that would take them for you(a day each)?It's only 1-6 I'd happily do it for my friends - buy them a bottle of wine and offer to return the favour.

BrianButterfield · 03/10/2015 22:02

I agree with Shesaysso - 1-6 is easy for a friend to cover - especially in the holidays as it's just a long playdate. Kids happy showing off new pressies and watching DVDs! Especially at that age.

mandy214 · 03/10/2015 22:04

Why can't you have time off?

Even if you don't have family locally, could you drive to wherever family are and leave the children?

Can you arrange shifts so one of you does v early shift, one if you does very late shift and if there is an overlap of a couple of hours where you'll both be at work, use a sitter / neighbour / parent of DC's friend?

Paid sitter / friend's nanny (who is "off" as her normal family don't need cover over the hols)?

Holiday club?

Karoleann · 03/10/2015 22:07

Just use sitters.co.uk. Otherswis a gumtree ad should suffice they'll be plenty of nursery worker and teachers off work who could use the extra money.

cherrrycola · 03/10/2015 22:10

I have the same problem and use my holiday hours. If you can't can you take unpaid parental leave? Or ask if you can take the shifts off as TOIL and work extra before Christmas?

Original poster

CountryLovingGirl · 03/10/2015 22:19

Thanks for the ideas. I will take a look.

I work for the NHS so, no, can't have time off. Only so many are allowed off in our department (as, obviously, the NHS still needs to run whether it's Christmas or not). We can't ask for the week off either as we are 'allocated' the week off in a rota. I have worked for the NHS for 19 years and never had Christmas week off and, at the trust where I am now, I have been allocated 2022 for the week off (kids will be a lot older then and I won't need it)! Hubby is in a similar position. He has never had Christmas week off in the whole of his working life.

No to parental leave, no way would they grant that during Christmas week.

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Original poster

CountryLovingGirl · 03/10/2015 22:21

Sorry, the only time I did have Christmas week off was when I was on maternity leave. I forgot about that.

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Florriesma · 03/10/2015 22:25

Ah the 2 weeks of childcare shutdown over Xmas. Great isn't it.
We're usually in the same position every Xmas for the same reason (nhs) dn baby sits for us at the mo so that's sorted. But if she gets onto her bursing course next year we're fucked!
I have occasionally had to tell them I can't work it as no childcare. But it's meant dh and I haven't had a day off together for the full 2 week period as I've had to cover on the days he's off.
It's grim isn't it.

Florriesma · 03/10/2015 22:26

Nursing god love her, she'd be better off bursing whatever that is!

mandy214 · 03/10/2015 22:28

How does it work? Does it not work in turns? Can you swap any of your days with colleagues?

If not, 29th and 31st are normal working days for most people. Holidays clubs will he up and running. Do you not want to use those?

mandy214 · 03/10/2015 22:32

I don't know of many people where both parents have the holidays off - my H's firm shuts down from Christmas Eve to the day after new year - he has to take leave whether he wants to or not. As a result, as we try to cover school hols between us without holiday clubs etc, I've worked all Christmas (other than the bank holidays) for 10 years.

Florriesma · 03/10/2015 22:33

No holiday clubs are not up and running. Childcare shuts down in my are because everyone has 2 weeks off over Xmas dint you know.

Additionally the nhs managers go into meltdown as it's Xmas. Everyone else either has either has their Xmas turkey or turns up to a and e. Believe me Xmas in the nhs is hell.
The Xmas off duty arguments start in august and continue for 4 fecking months followed by the post Xmas off duty whinging in January.

Original poster

CountryLovingGirl · 03/10/2015 22:33

Not a job for a mum that is for sure (mind you not many NHS jobs are - so unfamily friendly now).

They wouldn't tolerate me saying no childcare so I can't work as they would know that I have known for a while that we needed childcare those 2 days (they know I plan ahead). At my old trust, when I only had my first born, they had a nursery (ran by the trust) that was open during Christmas week. Great! I had no problems in the early years but, once he started school, that was it! They only took children up to 5 years old.

Goodness knows why there isn't better provision for NHS workers (and any other job that involves Christmas working). I think I will have to get a sitter but worried as one of the days, I need care for, is New Years Eve.

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mandy214 · 03/10/2015 22:40

I am sure if you widened your search there would be holiday clubs running - have moved around quite a bit and there have always been holidays clubs at Christmas - maybe not Christmas / boxing day but definitely by 29th / 31st - like I said above most people are back at work on 27/28th.

Have you used childcare.co.uk - they list a pairs / childminders / babysitters that you can contact.

nephrofox · 03/10/2015 22:43

Sounds truly hideous, must be horrible to have no family time over Xmas. Sorry no advice but much sympathy

Original poster

CountryLovingGirl · 03/10/2015 22:47

Mandy,

All holiday clubs here are closed during Christmas week. That is for the town I live in, the city I work in and the towns in between (I work 25 miles away from home). I have checked with all of them. There is a school holiday club that is usually open in the school hols but it closes Christmas time for 2 weeks. My childminder is also off Christmas week. She has helped out before but is refusing this year as they are going away.

The problem where I work, in my department, is that staff have time off during the week if they have worked the weekend before (they will be entitled first). Then, they have to allow time off for the on-call person. Then, 3 others are allocated the week off. I have worked at 3 hospitals. My first hospital (12 years) I was never given the week off (always went to the favourites), my 2nd hospital classed me as a new member of staff and I was put to the bottom of the list and then my 3rd hospital (that I was moved to due to centralisation of services) also classes me as 'new' and, although this holiday rota has recently been introduced, I have been put to the bottom of the list (all the existing staff have been allocated the week before 2022). It is just tough luck the way things have gone.

Like Florrie said, the NHS is a nightmare over Christmas so it is a time when the least number of staff will be granted leave. It is far worse now too as we are short staffed and are managing on minimal numbers of staff (for an increased workload).

Funnily enough, I checked the diary for all other annual leave last week and every week, between now and April, is fully booked. Goodness knows when I will get ANY time off.

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mandy214 · 03/10/2015 22:57

Have never heard of anywhere mot having holiday clubs - but cant argue if thats the case. But surely that means that all the staff that normally work at holiday clubs / schools etc may be available to help you out. Can you get in touch with them?

Sallyhasleftthebuilding · 03/10/2015 22:58

anyone wanting a business opportunity?? Nhs childcare. Any DC friends willing to help?

BrianButterfield · 03/10/2015 23:05

"Never heard of anywhere not having holiday clubs" - not everyone lives in a city! Some people live in rural counties where stuff like holiday clubs are few and far between.

nannynick · 03/10/2015 23:05

As a nanny I often get time off over the Christmas period and if my family did not live so far away I would be at home for a lot of the time. So you may find that there are some nanny's around who are not working for their usual employer and would do the occasional day or two. Uni/College students may also be around at home, so may be looking for a little bit of work. So I agree that looking on childcare listings sites may result in finding someone though it may take quite a bit of messaging possible people to find out if they are able to help on the days you need.

Kitty149j · 03/10/2015 23:08

Shame you can't take them into work and have them entertain/help sick kids on the kiddie wards for those couple of days, tell them it's work experience.......

Florriesma · 03/10/2015 23:17

Jesus kittis don't wish that on us!!

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