School Holidays

[Pearlygates]

I am entering the school phase soon as my DS is starting reception in September.

DH and I both work full time.

I am just wondering, those who are/have been in this phase; what do you guys do in terms of childcare during school hols?

I was looking at the school holiday calendar and we don't have near enough annual leave to cover school hols. We will off course take as much leave from work as we can but with only 28 days + banks hols, it doesn't do much.

Sorry I'm really naive to all of this, your advice would be greatly appreciated.

TIA

Clubs, grandparents/family, friends, childcare settings (a childminder near us does first and last week of the 6 week hols and the half term weeks)

Mix of annual leave and holiday club. We only have one week off at the same time during the year so most of the holidays are covered. Grandparents help occasionally.

Clubs, trading childcare with friends, family

Also work from home with child being parented by TV/toys in more emergency situations... It's proper shit.

I worked PT and organised myself using a combination of AL, TOIL and holiday clubs. No family support whatsoever.

Holiday clubs- my child loves the one we send her to

Holiday clubs

Annual leave

Parental leave (unpaid - but you have a statutory right to have it).

Swapping with other parents eg i worked mon- wed. I would have a friends child on Thursdays and she would have mine on Mondays.

No grandparent or family help for us but friends do send their kids to the grandparents mon-fri to get a week of childcare.

DH and I only take 2 weeks off together which stretches how long we can take leave to cover, then mix of holiday club, swapping with others, and grandparents.

Thank you all for the replies. Appreciate it 🙂

Schedule one crossover week where we both are off.

Tag team a couple of days off a week each rather than full weeks so DC don't get sick of us individually by the end of a week and we can keep in the loop with work better.

Grandparents cover one day a week in holiday weeks.

Work extra during term time to build Flexi leave for holidays.

Holiday clubs.

Work from home while screens do the childminding.

We are both full time shift working parents with two school age DC's. We save up our childcare vouchers for school holidays. We each take time off at different times with only one or two weeks together for a family holiday. No family help so it's a mix of holiday clubs and juggling time off.
It's really hard and takes a lot of forward planning, plus the expense of clubs. But it's doable.