What do you do with childcare during half term and summer.

[Sofshiz]

I have a 3 year old and 1 year old. Both at term time nurseries. What I'm earth am I meant to do with them during half term and summer??? I work full time and so does my husband.

I feel like I need to quit work to make it work and take care of them but really don't want to give my career up, despite not being massively happy or successful where I currently am.

Change to a non term time nursery?

For years me and my dh took it in turns taking leave, we also jsed grandparents a couple of times a year

At those ages I'd move them into a private nursery which offers all year round care, or look into childminders

What did you plan for the summer when you went to look at a term time only nursery?

A lot of private nurseries may have holiday clubs you can sign up for for a few weeks. But yes, we used a 52 week a year private nursery. Most will take the 3yo funding.

You need a non term time nursery

When that age - nursery. It was much easier when they weren’t at school!

I work term time now. I earn more overall per than I would if I worked all year round because childcare for three in the holidays would be more than I earn.

We used a private all year round nursery who kindly spread dds 15 free hours over the year so we weren’t hit with a big bill in the summer hols.

I’m a little confused as to why you have them in a term time only nursery if you both work full time?

You need to either switch nurseries or find a childminder to fill the gap.

”What I'm earth am I meant to do with them during half term and summer???”

You are “meant” to chose childcare which suits your needs. If you don’t, there are no guidelines telling you what you are “meant” to do.

You need a different nursery. Or.... you and your husband take different holidays and cover 10 of the 13 school holiday weeks that way.

erm... Another one who is confused, if you need childcare during your FT work, why you would have chosen a term time only Nursery in the first place

Because she got accepted into the school which goes from 3-18 and was our first choice. I didn't ask to have a backlash. Just wondered as I'm new to this and just entering the school age phase with my kids. Thanks for your responses.

Options...

• Move them to a private nursery that opens 51 weeks/year. Unfortunately you'll often have to pay for weeks that you don't need if you take them out for holidays.

• Split yours and DH's holidays to cover 10+ weeks of the year and ask for favours from friends/family to cover the rest.

• Find a childminder that has space during holidays (some will have teachers' children during term time and might have room).

• Give up work and stay at home.

3 and 1 isn't school age!

OP - just seen your last post. Do you definitely need to have DC in nursery school to guarantee a place in reception?

I am assuming this is an Independent school; is it possible to start in YR when you might be able to access holiday clubs etc.

There might be childminders with space over the holidays or you could use an all year round nursery. If not it’s about spreading annual leave out and finding any clubs/ childcare to fill the gaps.

Once they are properly school age you can write several large cheques and send them to a variety of holiday clubs/sports/drama activities.

Most of these start at 5 though IME. If you need to stay at this school for the school place I’d start researching childminders with holiday places.

You’ll have a lot of holidays to cover remember, not just summer.

Put them in a 52wk nursery for the long summer holiday and split your and dp's annual leave between the other holidays? If an independent nursery, likely to be longer holidays perhaps?
Find a nanny for the summer?

At local independents here the youngest they take is at age 3 and parents use summer holiday schemes or family for over 5's.
I use 52wk a year childcare.

Ask the nursery if they know of local provision over holidays. You will not be the first parent to ask.

She will only have been "accepted" if you applied though.
If you need childcare to cover work, then surely one of the obvious criteria is that the childcare is open during all (or virtually all) the days you work. It's not really rocket science.

The 3yr old funding is only term time in most nurseries anyway even if they are open all year but you can usually pay their daily rate to keep them there during the holidays. Some will stretch the 30hrs funding through the holidays if you don't use it all but I'm guessing you do if you are full time.

DH and I had to just book it off between us and ask for favours but I've just been able to go term time only.

.... Term time nursery !

Private nursery for 1 yo and 6 year old family cover holiday clubs or annual leave

So this must be somewhere private like highgate? Most parents will have a nanny.