How to manage over Christmas

[SSpuds]

Please be kind!! I had to take an admin job this year. It's been fine we have managed alongside my husbands shifts with the ambulance service with a combination of a friend and an elderly relative ( we haven't had to use them yet).
I have had a term time job up until now. My childcare help are away over Christmas, so 24th until 29th and I have been told because everyone wants those dates I won't get them.
My husband is on shift all over Christmas and CAN NOT take leave - obviously the service can not close.
What the hell do I do?
What is your experience?

Hello
Ask your friend to help you out.

Assuming as you have an admin job that you work mon to Friday?
If so that means you will be off 25th and 26th weekend and then 27th and 28th are bank holidays ....so that’s ‘only’ 2 days Childcare required... can you ask friends? Then offer to have their kids another day?

So just 24th and 29th? Ask a friend for 29th and shift swap for your husband for 24th?

Unfortunately my husband can not swap leave. My friend and elderly relatives have their Christmas plans elsewhere in the country this year. That is the tricky bit.

No, not swap his leave. Swap his shift.

It's a juggling act but everyone is doing the same.

How many days are you expected to work between 24th and 29th - many of those days are weekend and bank hol?

Everyone is not doing the same. In my workplace, the part timers always manage to have their work days falling on the bank hols so they are always off for 1 to 2 weeks at Christmas. If they have to come in a day to break their 2 weeks off, there is uproar. If you ask me, whoever shouts the loudest gets their time off.

When dcs were young, I was in the same position. I used to book the time off far in advance and say I was going to a family wedding in another town. I used to get 2 days by doing this. I would do it alternate years as every year looks suspicious. It was the only way to get time off without making a tramp of myself, fighting for the time.

Once when I asked for time and said I had no childcare, a colleague, (who worked 3 days and had 2 weeks off over Christmas) said quite snippily, 'we ALL have childcare issues'. Having children and working really opens one's eyes to the type of people (bad bstards)out there. There is no give in people at all.

There's always a fight for 24th in particular at my work. It's a nightmare as very busy but also everyone wants it off, especially those with young families. Do you know anyone else in the area!? Do DC have friends that they can play date with on 29th? I would probably ask around more for 29th as many friends and family who usually work might be on leave.

Does you DH have to work every day over that period, could he not work 25th/26th (if you are off) in return for taking 24th off?

@user1471554720 sorry, I meant in the ambulance service. All of his colleagues are doing the same. As in trying to make their shift pattern work for their particular work/life balance.

It's really common to do shift swaps, particular over holiday periods. Having done shift work over the past two decades in services that run 24/7 not once has it turned out that a colleague was left completely stuck. You work it out.

You use childcare holiday clubs. The outdoor pursuits centre here runs clubs over lol holidays and several nurseries care for older kids during school holidays. It's expensive but if there's no annual leave and no family you can use then that's the solution.

25/26th/27th/28th are all Bh's..... surely your admin job isn't requiring you in then?

@user1471554720 this is how it has worked. They are discussing that I didn't work it last year so it's only right I do.
I wasn't there last year.
My husband's block set has fallen that way this year so his team are in. To be honest as mentioned I may just have to try to get my children looked after by a school friend's family maybe on 29th.
There are no holiday clubs on over those dates in my area. They finish on 17th December.
It wasn't a whinge really, I know other jobs are the same, I just luckily haven't had to deal with it before.

What are his shifts though? What hours? He's not on for 24 hours, that's where the wiggle room is. He needs to speak to colleagues and work something out in the form of a shift swap for either 24th or 29th. Then you arrange childcare for the other.

How old are the children? Would a local nursery take them on an ad hoc basis and for shit-loads of money? Hope you sort something.

Thats unfair of your work tbh, you didnt will last year, no shit, you weren't with the company! But anyways.

I'd say beg school friends parents. Not ideal I now, but offer reciprocal days after the new year maybe?

And some administrative jobs are required on Bank Holidays too, good luck OP!

Work not Will!

The other thing is how old are the kids?

Find a babysitter for those two days. www.sitter.co.uk, Bubble app, www.childcare.co.uk

Everyone wants Christmas off. A lot of the nursery and childcare clubs are closed. It is a tough time of year if you work between 24th and New Year and need childcare. Also, people in general think that offices are closed and that a person is only pretending to go to work just to get childfree time. Our office is open 29th, 30th and 31st this year. In the past it has got ugly with DH being off, and refusing to believe that I can't get time off too. It has also got very ugly with colleagues. Fighting for the time, being cool with one another. When I was on mat leave, colleagues counted that as 'I had got Christmas off'. Despite that I came in 2 Christmases previous. I pointed this out and said I am actually owed a Christmas.

It is way easier to make up an excuse every alternate Christmas and pretend to go on hols. At least you are taking a turn at working Christmas and getting a Christmas off.

Sounds awful @user1471554720 fighting and getting nasty and lying to each other over a few normal days when you all get the main Christmas/New year days off?!

Bizarre.

Could you try and find a daycare that does ad hoc, casual days. Ask if you can take the kids for an hour or two in your days off so they are used to the place and staff

I know the struggle OP! My kids 2 nursery options are closing from 17th Dec - 4th Jan so there's a couple of working families struggling round here. Luckily I'm ok this year but I'd be asking family or friends to help, even if they live a distance away. Failing that, I'd search the area for nursery/childminder/nanny/babysitters that might help out. If I genuinely had no other choice I'd tell work that I was really sorry, I've tried everything but I don't have childcare this year and I would commit to it being my turn next year.

Thank you for your responses everyone. I think because my husband is night shift (15 hours) he would need to be in bed during the day ahead of that.
I may not have the solution but I suppose there is comfort in not being alone.🤷🏻‍♀️

How old are they OP?

9 and 12