What age can you WFH with kids in the school holidays

Mine are 13 and 15 and it's possible. But you still get interrupted!

Mine is 12 and I can only really do it for a few hours unless I let him game all day. That’s not an acceptable solution for me, so I have to also organise for him to see friends etc. I totally understand why it is necessary but I don’t think WFH works well with kids.

I am a lone parent to a 14 yo, have WFH full time for years in a brain intense job.

I bloody hate the holidays. I admit that I have never been good at working when my child is around, regardless of the situation, I feel pulled and distracted.

The years when he's been too old to shunt off to a camp (many of which require long drives, lots of expense and him not wanting to go) yet too young to be entirely independent have been tough.

Last summer was really bad. He didn't have a great social life, we live rurally and he was too old to be sent to sports camps.
Sure, I set him jobs to do at home and turned a blind eye to him sitting on his screen/xbox all day, but for 6 weeks?? He was at that age where they're bored, but don't want to do anything. Also the age where they feel so hard done by because ALL their mates have at least one parent not working apparently

It seemed the effect of lockdown on his cohort was not to know how to go out with mates. At 13 you can't manage their friends and going out, but they weren't doing it themselves. Then I'd finish work and be so wound up I just needed to get out for some head space i.e. STILL not be with my kid. The guilt!
I was praying for someone/anyone to call me and say "we're taking E out today". I feel very isolated as a lone parent during the holidays.

This year has been better, partly because we took a 3 week holiday (organised in light of last summer's hideousness) but also because he has a better social life, has got into the gym and is more independent with getting busses etc. I still feel like I'm hanging in until the beginning of term.

They can occupy themselves, sure - but that's quite a low bar for a good summer holiday.

I'm relieved to see some realistic responses on here. You read so many threads about it all being a breeze when they get to secondary. It really isn't - not long term WFH during all the school holidays.

14 and 10 here. 14 yo is fine if he can take all day (not ideal) and will take himself to the gym if badgered.
10 yo would need some time as they get bored on iPad - they'd spend FAR too much time on it if I was WFH though.

Maybe next year? Although that's with too much electronic babysitting still.

*GAME all day

Dd would have been fine from about aged 8 but it depends on the child.

As a colleague of someone who has just worked from home for a full week to look after her 7 year old please make sure that you are not interrupted and can actually work.
My colleague was largely unavailable on TEAMS, moved her breaks around to accommodate her child having a knock on effect on the rest of the team and her output dropped through the floor meaning the rest of us had extra work to pick up.
The rest of the team are having a word with our manager as quite frankly we aren’t an extended childcare facility.

I've always wfh with my kids here, they're 11 and 6 and my 6yo has ASD.

They entertain themselves, play in the garden, have some game time, go to their friends on occasions. I obviously don't ignore them but they understand that I'm working. We all have lunch together too.

Think it very much depends on the type of work you do and how your child behaves. If you are on the phone a lot and you can't have noisy children in the background the children may need to be of age where they can understand the necessity of quietness. My youngest with her ASD understands well that I need to work, but at the same time I'm their mum, so if they need me work will take a back seat.

I can do it for a day or two with my 7 and 11 yo. But I won’t do it for longer than that, as they do end up with a lot of screen time. They know not to interrupt video calls, and to wait until I come out for a cup of tea to ask for anything.

when my 11 yo was 7 he would never have managed, so it’s quite child dependent. My 7yo will occupy herself for hours with colouring and playmobil and sylvanians and Lego. My eldest wouldn’t at the same age.

we tend to both work at home if the children are around, and stagger our starts and lunch breaks and tea breaks, rather than have them together.

Ds would have been fine from 8 but being stuck inside for five days would have been too much. 10 would have been better as he was starting to go out with mates.

Mine are 10 and 8, and I can wfh with them for the odd day in the holidays. But it depends on what your child is like and of course you still get interrupted a bit. But I tell them when I’m jumping on a call so they know. They basically watch tv/films game, read or do crafty stuff that doesn’t need me to facilitate much. but I still need to make time in the day to get them out for a run about or they’ll go a bit stir crazy. An odd day is fine, but rest of the time they need holiday clubs or other child care.

Surely it depends on your job? I have always wfh with Ds and he’s only 3. The first 2 years he was home 24/7, and the last year he has attended morning nursery.

But I’m Self employed so run my own schedule, don’t work full time and my work doesn’t involve any meetings.

My DD is 10. I've managed with a mix of holiday clubs, grandparents/family helping out, time off for an actual family holiday etc. I'm lucky in that I can be flexible with my hours so start and finish earlier meaning we can go out for the afternoon. She has far too much screen time though but can't really avoid if. She will occupy herself but prefers me to be with her doing whatever activity and chooses. It's hard!

We had an emergency situation last year and DH did it for a week with 9&11yos... it was pretty boring for them tbh. Doable but they were fed up.

Mine are 10 and 8 and I can do it but they get bored. Loads of the clubs I used to use have closed so we have had spells this summer when they are with me. To make it work I ensure it's no more than 2 days in a e row with some firm of active club in between, they get (too much) screens in the morning then none for the pm but I make sure there are activities for them like craft stuff. I also shift my hours to 7-3 so I finish early and take them to the park or for a walk. I also leave them jobs to do. Basically it's way easier on me if they were at a club!

I think the OP (and the other people responding) mean jobs that you can't do while looking after a child (whatever job that is), NOT jobs that you can fit around part time/flexible/childcare.

Either you're looking after your 3 year old child while working, or you're not. I don't think that's the discussion here (there are plenty of threads though).

Definitely from secondary but they will interrupt you til they're 13 or so.

Why did the manager allow this colleague to WFH to look after her child?

We do it with our eight year old, but I organise for a friend of hers to come over so that's she is entertained and then probably one day a week she has an iPad day, I used my holiday to take some time off spread across the six weeks, just odd days here and there.

I have a 13 nearly 14 year old. Half terms are fine to WFH (One of us usually take a day off just to balance out)

Summer break - it’s hard. They will just sit on their iPads etc. They understand the clear instructions of we on an important call so please hold on an hour. They want friends over - but it’s to noisy :( while working. They want dropping off but again it’s only if one us can do it in-between work. We’ve been lucky as eldest is back from uni so has helped.
We’ve managed to find a week for her to do an activity which she loved and that helps with her boredom. She is definitely ready to go back to school!

It depends on your job.

Mine were fine at home by themselves from secondary age, but I still find wfh with them there distracting. My job requires a lot of concentration so it doesn't work. Even now (they are late teens) I go into the office in the summer holidays so I can get work done uninterrupted.

DD is 11 and is ok for maybe one day a week - she entertains herself, is no trouble, and comes down for anything she needs, however I wouldn't do it more often than that, for her sake - I ship her to the parents/in-laws or to a friend's.

Mine is 7 and I let her have one day at home this summer whilst DH and I were both WFH. It was absolutely fine and she loved it, I just felt incredibly guilty because she basically watched TV for about six hours 🙈

I would imagine that it depends on your job.
If you're a social worker discussing sensitive info that no child should overhear then it's not a good idea but if you're generally typing rather than calling then there would be more flexibility