Working parents - how do you cover childcare during the school holidays?

[Eminybob]

DS is only 1 so I've got a bit of time before I need to sort anything out, but I don't know how it'll work logistically.

I'm going to be working part time when I go back to work, 3 days a week, DP is full time. We both work office jobs 9-5.

Between us I don't think we'll have enough annual leave to cover all the holidays once DS goes to school. And even if we did we wouldn't be able to have holidays together so couldn't go away. MIL could do the odd day, but not weeks at a time.

What childcare options are there for school age children? Am I better to stay part time when he's at school? As I think DP would be expecting me to increase my hours. There would be no option at my job to work term time only.

I know this must be a common problem so any advice/experience welcome. Thanks.

Personally I'd stay part time if you can afford too. You also need to consider where DS will go before and after achool. There are loads of childcare holiday schemes but they come at a price.

Holiday clubs. You might need to cobble something together, especially at half terms as there are less clubs, but theres a lot more on in the summer.

I figured before and after school clubs during term time. I imagine we'll be able to afford me staying part time as we'll be used to my salary and paying nursery fees.

Are holiday clubs run by the schools? When deciding on schools should j be looking for ones which offer this?

I know it's inevitable but I kind of hate the idea of sending into a school type environment during the holidays, as I didn't have to do that as a child, I was able to spend the holidays with my family because my mum didn't work. Not an option here though

Child minder doing school wrap round and holiday care might be your best option

Oh do they do that? Interesting.

We do holiday clubs and childminder. Lots of local churches do holiday clubs (with religion as a 'bonus') if that's your thing. Local leisure centers do them as well.

DH and I take holidays separately most of the time, my sister helps out when she can despite working full time also and my mum flies over to cover when she can. We have a 6 yr old. We both work fulltime but can work 1/2 days a week at home. Apart from my sister here in Lobdon, we have no other family to help locally. We hVe to arrange a detailed schedule every year! We havent really used holiday clubs yet as DS is in afterschool club every day so want to give him a break.

This is the plan for summer.

Week 1- I have taken a week off work
Week 2 and half of wk 3 - flying to Ireland with my sister to stay with grandparents
Remainder of week 3- DH taking 2 days off
Week 4 - Sister has him first 2 days, holiday club 2 days and one day at home with whichever parent is "working" at home that day
Weeks 5 and 6 - family holiday
Week 7 (combination of bank hol, both of us WFH)

Sounds like a military operation Friday !

My mum lives away and actually I bet she would love to come and stay for a week or two during the hols, so that might be an option.

Holiday clubs are often at leisure centres and sports clubs, rather than schools. There are a lot run at private schools though - these usually include swimming and more outdoor stuff.

Ds loves holiday club - today they are off to a castle, next week he's going to one with canoeing. He also just enjoys hanging out with lots of other children, and seems to find it relaxing even though they are busy all day

We use camps - there are some that cover the full working day, while others are the school day hours.

Presumably when your DC goes to school, you will be doing something for those hours that you are still at work on your work days. And there is something in place at the moment for your work days.

Many childminders and afterschool clubs, especially any run through crèches, will have holiday clubs available. The crèche our DD went to for reception to P2 for afterschool also does full crèche hours cover in summer (so 7.30am to 6.30pm). There is an afterschool club in school, from end of class (or end of afterschool extra-curricular activities) until 6pm, and they also provide the club for the 2 weeks that the PTA runs a camp in school (1st 2 weeks of holidays) - so there is full cover there too.

In our case, DD has tended to have a few weeks in crèche, when younger, a fortnight family holiday, and a week down in DGM's house. Now, just finished the equivalent of P3, she is doing a week of one sports camp (dropped at 10 and collected at 2.30pm by the childminder until 6pm), 2 weeks of sailing camp (9-5pm, DH dropping but collected by childminder), a week in DGMs, family holiday, a week at cookery camp (I can collect her), a week in multisports camp in the University near my office (so I will drop and collect), and a final week of sailing. Our childminder comes in during term time from 7.30 to supervise DD getting up and drops her to school for 8.30. And our summers have evolved as DD has gotten older - but the crèche was fine as many of her afterschool buddies were there a lot of the weeks, there were always a few "summer only" kids as well around, and the staff made huge efforts to make the summer programme interesting and do different things (including a weekly outing).

Same as during term time - childminder.

DS1 is doing some days at a holiday club because it is half the price though! - £22 a day instead of £50.

Good to know, thanks dibbler

Thanks everyone for the replies, it seems like there are lots of options. Can you tell I'm new to all of this!

£50 a day?? Bloody hell!!

The holiday camps in the school are very much about fun - lots of art and craft, baking, sports and fun games etc. And a few movies too on wet days.

But the kids love having the run of the school for non-school things. (They also love the annual winter and summer fairs, so school is very much seen as part of the community).

DD has done multisports camps in a private school locally, where she used to do swimming lessons in term time. They were great too, and offered pre- and post-camp care for an extra fee. (Camp was roughly school hours). They also offered an intensive swimming lesson daily after main camp, and then going into aftercare (or getting collected) if you wanted, again extra money but great for swimming prowess.

Local authority sports facilities run camps, and lots of church halls and sports clubs have other companies using their facilities to run a very wide range of camps, most of which are school hours so don't really suit us, but everything from art, drama, computers, multisports, just fun, specific sports.....

It needs organizing but just look at it as another few weeks of childcare. Very possible to do, and shouldn't be a reason why you can't go back FT in time to come if you want.

I use a childminder, same as the rest of the year.

In some ways I think it's almost easier to work when they are younger because you can establish a good relationship with a childminder who will hopefully be happy to continue doing wrap around and holiday care.

I book a summer camp or two as well, to make sure they don't get too bored but none of them would cover the full working day.

I've just had another couple of ideas. My employer lets me buy extra holidays and spread the cost over the year so I could increase the amount of annual leave I have. DP can do the same.

Also, if I continue part time, I could look into working extra hours on my term time days off, and building up a TOIL balance to take during the holidays.

Lots to think about.

A friend with a DS the same age as mine but also with 2 school age children has just changed jobs from a well paid senior position to work term time only as school admin staff. Dramatic pay cut but they can afford it and it works for her. I would love to do the same in an ideal world, as I don't really enjoy my job but there is no way we could afford to

We do three weeks off between us.
Two weeks with gp split up
And three weeks nanny

I'm sure they'd like holiday club but we can't not use our nanny for too long.

We use holiday clubs - he's at one at the local leisure centre today. £25 a day and they're on a trip somewhere today. He loves it. Runs 8am-6pm and he gets to do different sports and/or crafts each day and swimming every afternoon. Far better than being at home with Mum or Dad in his eyes. We've only got one week off on holiday this summer so for the other five weeks it's holiday clubs!

With difficulty and I always find the run up to the school hols stressful as I try to patchwork together childcare for my DC!

I work PT so luckily only need to sort childcare for 2-3 days a week. Over the years I have managed with a combination of the following:

• Me & DH using our AL. We are normally on hols for 2 weeks as a family but we also take a few extra random days AL over the long holiday to cover childcare
• A few days with Grandparents
• A few swaps with other working parents
• A couple of favours from a friend who is a SAHM

So far I have managed to avoid putting mine in holiday club but it would be unavoidable if I worked FT which is one of the reasons I still work PT even though my DC are almost both secondary school age

Unless you work in a school or are lucky enough to have very generous & local Grandparents on hand then the long summer hols are the hardest logistical problem you face as a working parent!

£50 a day is a lot! We pay £25 a day for kids club, same one that does wrap around care during term time. They're great, they have days out to sea side, take them swimming, lots of different activities on.

So we do that about 3 weeks altogether, plus a couple of weeks away as a family, my parents have him one week (very lucky, I know!).

We actually moved to be closer to a good school with a really good kids club - worth considering, imho.

Hi,

I work 3 days a week, DH works full time (shifts). I try to take as much leave as possible in the holidays. DH sometimes gets days off when I am working so when you add these to my days off we don't need too much childcare.
When we do need childcare our childminder has them. The same childminder also collects them from school when needed. They go to breakfast club at school sometimes (£2 each per day).

We both work full time and DS is 9. I get lots of leave but DH does not. We are doing;
Weeks 1-3 I am in leave
Weeks 4 &5 DH is on leave
Week 6 we have a childminder
Week 7 both grandmothers are splitting the week between them.

In SE London it was too expensive for us. When DH was made redundant when DD was just starting school he looked at jobs which on meant by the time we paid for after school care, 8 weeks summer holiday, Easter, half terms and Christmas we would be out of pocket. He became a full time SAHD. I appreciate that doesn't help you and DD being at an independent school with longer holidays is a factor but that was the reality for us and it isn't a failure if you find that is a path you find yourself on. I have friends who use a childminder for the summer holidays but at £5 plus an hour it is still pricey. If you can get childcare vouchers at work think about joining the scheme, even if to pay towards a holiday club. Other friends use the likes of Barracuda day camps, they seem to be fun and often run for the full holiday although you can just book the odd week too.