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Original poster

Those of you who use grandparents as childcare in the holidays etc

29 replies

gingajewel · 14/05/2020 18:22

No negativity please, I am just after opinions! My mom is a teacher and always has my children during the holidays, for one reason or another this is looking increasingly unlikely and I was just wondering what other people are planning to do. I am going to see if we can split holidays and me and oh have two weeks each but this leaves me with two weeks without childcare. Do you use holiday clubs (if they are open?)Or parental leave?
I don’t want an argument just genuinely after opinions, this has been my childcare arrangement for nine years so am just uncertain that’s all.

OP posts:
CoronaIsComing · 14/05/2020 18:37

If she’s healthy and happy to do so, I’d stick to the usual arrangements tbh.

happypoobum · 14/05/2020 18:40

Yes the guidance changed today so family members can look after DC so long as they are not in one of the vulnerable groups.

Nonagoninfinity · 14/05/2020 18:42

Sadly we've never had grandparents able to provide childcare so we split our annual leave and then used school holidays clubs for the rest of the time.

We saved up throughout the year to cover the costs. Parental leave is also an option.

Tc83 · 14/05/2020 18:42

Can you just take a bit of unpaid leave? Employers surely need to be a bit flexible and helpful where they can and with nothing to spend money on currently, maybe the financial hit is doable?

pennee · 14/05/2020 18:43

@happypoobum where can I find this please? A quick google isn’t bringing anything up for this week. Thanks

pennee · 14/05/2020 18:44

Ignore that. You beat me! Thanks

tinierclanger · 14/05/2020 18:45

Oh can someone link to the new guidance then? I haven’t seen that and was assuming grandparents still out of bounds

StinkySaurus · 14/05/2020 18:46

@happypoobum I missed the update. What was said about grandparents being able to provide childcare?

LyndzB · 14/05/2020 18:47

Yes I haven't seen this new guidance either? I've just googled but nothing there!

MNnicknameforCVthreads · 14/05/2020 18:51

@happypoobum please can you post a link with new guidance? Thank you so much?

minipie · 14/05/2020 18:52

What are you doing at the moment?

happypoobum · 14/05/2020 18:58

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision

It says "Parents should not rely for childcare upon those who are advised to be in the stringent social distancing category such as grandparents, friends, or family members with underlying conditions."

So from that you would infer that it IS Ok if they don't have the "stringent conditions" whether medical or being over 70 etc....

Unless it's yet another Tory "Clear as fucking mud" cock up?

skylarkdescending · 14/05/2020 19:08

Hmmm but if you have youngish grandparents and send your kids to them for childcare, aren't you breaking the rules by mixing households together?

Alb1 · 14/05/2020 19:20

@happypoobum that only refers to children of critical workers anyway, but that’s not how I interpret that. Clumsy wording as usual though.

Original poster
gingajewel · 14/05/2020 20:59

Thanks all, unfortunately my mom is in a shielding category and it’s looking highly unlikely she will be ok for august so I’m trying to plan ahead, I think we might take a weeks unpaid leave each or see if holiday clubs anywhere are running, I don’t mind paying for them just worried they won’t be on!

OP posts:
Original poster
gingajewel · 14/05/2020 21:01

Does anyone think there is a chance the guidance may still be if you can work from home do so, still in August?

OP posts:
MereDintofPandiculation · 14/05/2020 21:08

If your mother is shielding and has had the NHS letter, I think you can assume she will be shielding until Covid is not longer a threat, whether that is due to a vaccine, drugs, or the virus itself become weaker or dying out. You need to make alternative plans for August.

DH is shielding; I'm not expecting to make DS2's wedding next Easter.

MereDintofPandiculation · 14/05/2020 21:09

Does anyone think there is a chance the guidance may still be if you can work from home do so, still in August? I would have thought there was a good chance of that. Either that or we'll be in another lockdown because the virus is peaking again.

Original poster
gingajewel · 14/05/2020 21:53

Thankyou, I presume she will still be shielding which is why I am thinking about the six weeks now, just wanted to see what other people did as I have never had to worry about childcare in the holidays! If I’m working from home it would solve all my issues! It’s so hard to plan anything at the moment as everything is so uncertain!

OP posts:
minipie · 14/05/2020 22:19

Does anyone think there is a chance the guidance may still be if you can work from home do so, still in August?

Yes.

SoloMummy · 14/05/2020 22:42

Presumably you get 5 weeks annual leave equivalent, minimum, so why can't you do fortnight each then another week each?

Original poster
gingajewel · 14/05/2020 23:48

@solomummy I get stat minimum which is 20 days (plus 8 bank holidays which are used in bank holidays) so 4 weeks but I have to keep 8 for Christmas so have 12 for the rest of the year, my partner works in a factory that has shutdowns so he has two weeks as mandatory shut down in august and he only has 3 ‘floating days’ per year.

OP posts:
nikkijr1990 · 14/05/2020 23:59

I work in a school and received an email today stating that staff returning from maternity leave will be allowed to leave children with grandparents even if they are over the age of 70 but not if they are shielding! It's madness that you can have family babysit but you can't visit under any other circumstance Hmm

whatkatydid2013 · 15/05/2020 07:13

What I really don’t get is if you can afford it you can have a nanny come to your house from theirs every day & look after your children without maintaining social distancing from the children (though they should from you) but it’s against the rules for me to go and live with my kids at my (under 70/generally fit &healthy) parents for a couple of weeks after both our household and theirs has spend the best part of the past two months having our only interactions with others being occasional trips to the corner shop. I’m increasingly tempted to just say screw it and go and stay with them. Other half and I both still working full time from home with two under 5 who aren’t getting as much time and attention as we would like or as they need. Kids are missing their grandparents who they usually see three times a week horribly and don’t understand in the slightest why they can’t see them. Parents are missing kids like crazy and bored witless. How can us going to them and staying in their house and not going out for a week or two for kids to have that extra time and attention and OH and I to do some standard work days with actual evenings off as a family be any more dangerous than having a nanny coming to/from the house every day. Or indeed having a cleaner who goes to loads of different houses coming to your house weekly. I’ll bet good money I’m not the only person thinking like that. If people are going back to work outside the home in next few weeks they’ll be in an even more pressing position to find childcare than we are.