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Parenting

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Working parents - what do your older primary kids do in summer hols?

26 replies

vitahelp · 03/08/2026 17:25

We both work full time, most of it from home so could technically have our only child age 8 at home with us. But we would prefer she was keeping busy at holiday clubs. The trouble is she is beginning to dislike the sports club she has always gone to as she gets older due to not really having any friends there.

She has 2 hobbies which run holiday clubs for 1/2 week periods, one of which she will go to for a week and I’m hoping she will enjoy that more.

I’m beginning to feel guilty about it and wondering about taking unpaid leave in future.. What is everyone else doing? Do other parents just keep kids at home if the option is there? Are there other clubs I should be looking for?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
SJM1988 · 04/08/2026 10:34

My nearly 9 DS goes to school camp but we coordinate with friends so that 80% of the time he is there was someone he knows. Alot of his friends parents work so for the first 3 weeks of the holidays there is always someone at school camp he knows. We don't move around camps as school camp is so varied. Sports, arts, inflatables, themed days etc. Plus DS is particular on being at the school one.

We then have grandparents that take him for a week.
DH and I usually have 3 days to a week off each with him.
We also plan a lot of our family holidays in the summer months as we camp alot).
Sometimes if we are desperate we do a WFH day (my DH does anyway) with him. He gets a screens do what you want day until I am home from work. These are rare though.

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