Anyone else working through the summer holidays and feeling guilty?

[SMLSML]

With summer holidays coming up I've got everyone asking me, what are your plans with the girls for the summer? I'm like they're at the childminder and I'm working😅🥺 I don't know how people manage to take so much time off to have their kids or just not work and being off with them 😭 just need a hand hold and know others are in the same position as I feel so guilty 🫠 just doesn't help all over social media you he e these summer to do lists 😅

I’ve taken a week off for a holiday but otherwise it’s just a few individual days off spread across the holidays to break it up a bit as far as any annual leave allows. I’m left now with 1 day to take in October half term and 1 day before Christmas. But yeah. It’s rubbish. That said, I also can’t imagine 6 weeks off - that’s a lot of days to fill!

I’m working most of it too and the kids are in childcare.

Don’t feel guilty! I know it’s hard but your work provides the children a lifestyle they couldn’t have otherwise.

You can have plans at weekends and evenings, and I'd share those when people ask.

When mine were little I used to work part time and spread my annual leave and any accrued Toil throughout the year for when the kids were off school. It all depends how you choose to use your annual leave throughout the year. Outside of time off mine went to a holiday club.

Don’t feel guilty !!
Parents work and that’s how it goes, children do go to childminders and holiday clubs, I’m a youth worker and whilst we have fab activities on the children still get bored - imagine being one parent at home having to do what a whole group of youth workers do, with a vast assortment of facilities and equipment and still getting bored children !!
Aside from the cost - you’re not missing much even if you were home you’d still have all the house stuff you’d feel compelled to do.
So, go to work and plan good things for the time you can be together.
And don’t beat yourself up the grass isn’t always greener.
The first summer holiday I worked through - my youngest son then 17 (yep I was at home so I speak from experience albeit I was caring for an elderly family member either dementia) well that very first day ….. he went and got a tattoo !!!

Mine are year 7 and year 10 and apart from a couple of planned breaks they'll be fending for themselves, ive offered to pay for activity club if bored etc but they're not interested.

Longer holidays this year too they finish July 10th.

It is what it is...

Don’t feel guilty op, the majority of parents need to work over the summer.

it’s our first summer for school holiday so we’re using a mix of annual leave, grandparents and holiday clubs. DH and I don’t have any days off together either during the week.

never feel guilty for working so you can provide for your children and that’s the bottom line

Plenty of people don’t get the summer off! When DD was small, I was a single parent working full
time. I used to take a week of annual leave at the beginning of the summer holidays and one at the end. And that was it! The rest of the time it was a huge juggle of summer clubs and friends and family stepping into help. I’d help other parents when I was off too. The summer clubs were expensive, so no money left for holidays. It’s just the way it was. Don’t feel guilty. You just do what you have to do.

Most mums will be working, I'm sure. I know a few teachers who won't be but that's all. Presumably they mean weekend plans and maybe a family holiday or day trips?

I don't work Fridays so I have those with my DC, and then about six other random days using annual leave. DP is covering about six days too, a couple with grandparents, and the rest is holiday clubs.

We have one weekend away and two day trips planned so far. We've had our family holiday already this year. It'll be a lovely summer.