Summer holidays - how's that going to work?

[ReadingTeaLeaves]

There's so much discussion about schools, but what about care over the summer hols. 6-8 weeks of no school work (and presumably much more limited support for keyworkers too). Are holiday clubs going to run with social distancing measures in place? Will private providers be able to get insurance? I'm really worried about this. Kids are in the middle age bracket - I'm able to work (ish) with them at home as they have stuff to do during much of the day, but once school finishes for the summer it will be much much worse than now. I'm surprised others aren't talking about this. Does anyone know how this might work? Are holiday clubs going to operate? We normally use a mix of grandparents, holiday clubs (at least 4 weeks), and 2 weeks family holiday. Only the latter looks possible now.

Not a parent but I was thinking this the other day. None of the local holiday clubs are opening here. They don't have the staff. Will be a nightmare for parents I imagine

It's not going to work.

We are on our own.

I'm thinking it's going to be easier when there's no schoolwork to fit in around my own work.

Dump all the Lego out for the morning / play doh/ screentime / garden time / reading and jigsaws etc.

No worrying about fractions or spellings etc.

It will be so much more difficult without school work to do. Yr 6 and Yr 10 here so plenty of engagement with set lessons / tasks. They will be bored rigid for 6 weeks without being allowed out / socialising. H and I trying to WFH. Just no idea what we'll do.

They usually do sports / outdoor activity type things / camps, days out with friends before we have 2 weeks abroad. None of that is remotely likely.

My out of school care has already emailed saying they won't be opening this summer.

It'll be same as now but no home school.

There’s BBC bitesize and Oak National Academy lessons. Whatever they haven’t been doing switch to the other one or go up a year.

But Applesandpears23 do you honestly thing you could keep your kids going with learning for 4-8 hrs / day following bitesize or Oak during months when they know they should be playing having a break? My kids (upper primary) are super conscientious and compliant but I'm not kidding myself that they'd be willing to do more than an hour or so, tops, during the holidays. Other than that we'd be looking at hours of TV, computer games and "I'm Booooooooooored" judiciously timed to interrupt work calls. (And I'm lucky enough to be able to WFH there's must be many many thousands for whom that's no an option).

I am really worrying about this. I have a young teen, so she doesn’t need childcare, but she needs stuff to do. She will have 2 months of summer holidays. That’s a long time and all the stuff she usually does in that time is not going to be available. I worry about the impact on her mental health.

I'm fortunate to fully WFH so no actual childcare issues as such (DC are 7 & 9 and pretty low maintenance) We usually have a combo of grandparents, holiday club and annual leave. If grandparents and holiday clubs are a no go, after a weird spring it's going to be a long and boring summer - poor kids!

I have a fairly generous annual leave allowance so I expect I'll just have to take a bit more than usual to try to get us out of the house.

I'm hoping that some holiday clubs will be allowed to open with limited numbers by then. We have forest schools, football clubs etc round here that seem like pretty low risk options. But no grandparents this year which is my usual childcare first choice.

This worries me too.

My DD is 12, so doesn't need childcare as such. But she needs activity and company (only child). We usually put her in holiday club or PGL or similar for a few weeks.

My employer is starting to make noises about going back to working in the office as soon as Boris says we can.

So the school hols are going to be shite for DD and I genuinely fear for her mental health.

And then when September comes, it won't be straight 'back to normal'. So I need to keep Annual Leave in reserve for juggling lifts to/from school to fit with a presumably reduced timetable. No public transport, 8 miles school run, prob won't be allowed to car share.

If we get a summer holiday I am really looking forward to spending time with my kids instead of ignoring them while i work! But i appreciate I'm lucky to work term time.

I run holiday care but don’t know if it can work. If I’m allowed to open I would have to run with reduced numbers. Would parents pay increased fees?

I was thinking that

Reduced kids must mean nearly double the costs just for them to break even?

I would pay increased fees if it meant my DD could spend time with other people rather than on her own for 6 weeks. We've saved on not having a holiday this year, or trips or outings or school lunches or commute costs.
I'll do and pay anything necessary for my DD's benefit and in the slim hope that I can keep hold of my job.

Big concern here. I can't do my job from home and haven't been able to work since school closed. I rely on holiday clubs.

I would pay increased fees up to a point. I've always thought that a lot of holiday clubs are very good value for money round here. I am sure local councils could take a role here and offer subsidised places for low income families needing to get back into work properly over the summer. There are a few things round here (city football club being one off the top of my head) who already do this.

Yes I am worried about this. My daughter currently still attending school (key worker) however I hope the holiday clubs are allowed to open over the holidays. I don't have much faith in this government however, surely we should be preplanning this type of thing. It's all the unknown.

This is why I’m not going back to work until September, if I decide to go back. DS gets 9 weeks off.

I'm worried about this too. We are both still working 5 days a week with 3 children. Luckily we have booked most of the holidays off between us but we do have one week when we are both working. Our kids club at school is still closed. Im keeping everything crossed they open for summer. No idea what I'm meant to do other wise.

I was hoping the sports type clubs might be open over summer, especially those run by schools as it would also act as a way of trying out procedures with fewer children before September. If the guidelines stay as they are though it’s pretty limited as to what sports they could offer....tennis, running and er maybe some socially distanced football drills.

My DD works in a nursery thats normally term time only but they have been told to expect to be open during the summer break too, so I assume other childcare may be in place then too. Interestingly she has also been told it will be nursery as usual with no social distancing in place as its not possible for the age range, and all parents want their DC to return on 1st June. This means 30 nursery DC all together, playing together, sharing toys.

This is worrying me too. DC are Y3 and Y6. No holiday clubs, no grandparents, no holiday. It was going to be a challenging enough summer with 7 weeks off in our area as it was!

For half term next week I’ve taken the afternoons off. I’m hoping the DC will w I ok lie in, watch TV and entertain themselves until lunchtime, then I can spend the afternoons breaking up fights and playing board games. Or something.

I imagine by summer we will be able to see some family, so grandparents would be ok.

Grandparents not an option for me unfortunately as my mum is 51 and still works full time herself.