If you don't have enough annual leave to cover school holidays how do you cope?

[Dyeingforachange]

DS starts school next Sept. DH and I both work fulltime and even if we don't take holiday at the same time as each other won't have enough holiday to cover all the school holidays and other school closures. We both have elderly parents far away and not in a position to cover the gaps. Neither employer would be keen to allow us to take unpaid leave for the extra weeks even if that was an affordable option.

I am struggling to see how we will manage. If you are already in this position how do you cope?

Could you find a child-minder who would be prepared to cover just holiday periods?

We will be in the same position from September. My plan at the moment is to use holiday clubs or consider a child minder with holiday vacancies. Unfortunately, if you work FT and don't have family nearby then the only answer seems to be to throw money at it!

Whether your employer likes it or not, you are also entitled to request unpaid parental leave until DS's fifth birthday so depending on when that is it might cover a couple of holidays at least for this year.

Holiday club here - we're lucky to have one quite near our workplaces, which makes the logistics easier than when we used to use one near home.

You can save up childcare vouchers throughout the year, do if you average out the cost of care over the year it can take the sting out of it a bit. Not sure if there's an age restriction on them tho

We're in a similar position and use a mixture of annual leave (if you and dh take mostly at different times you'll eke it out more), holiday clubs and temporary nanny. We've also done occasional swaps with friends' children, but usually only for half days rather than whole days, and only if the children get on very well.

Beanandspud yes you are entitled to ask but they are equally entitled to refuse . My employer suggested working longer hours Mon-Thur to have every Friday off but I had to point out that I didn't need Fridays off in term time but would need the whole week off during half terms etc.

No childminders locally who could take DS, will have to look further away. Do holiday schemes take children that young? I assumed that they would be around 8 or 9 before they could do that kind of thing.

Our holiday scheme takes children of school age (so 4 to teens) and then has groups, according to age, so that they can offer appropriate activities.

As others have said, you need to be prepared to throw money at it. Check out holiday clubs, are there other working mums that you can swap days or weeks of childcare with (cultivate this) or are there sahm's that will look after yours for payment?And you need to think about having different annual leave than your partner to cover the holidays rather than being all off together. Apologies if this is old news. We tend to lurch from one school holiday to another, with a variety of options, rather than having a single grand plan iyswim. It isn't easy, and it's the biggest thing that prevents me from working more hours in term time.

Parental leave is only statutory up to 5th birthday (huh? wtf? why would that be?) unless child is disabled, sorry.

Dyeingforachange yes, they can postpone your request but I think I don't think it is quite as easy to refuse as, for example, a permanent request for flexible working. It might be worth looking at this.

It is hard though, I just keep telling myself that thousands of other families must find a way.

I don't think they are entitled to refuse parental leave. I think you have to give quite a lot of notice, and request blocks of weeks (rather than odd days), but I think employers have to have a reason to refuse, and if they do that, then they have to work with you to suggest another more suitable time for you to take the leave.

Yup, just checked on directgov - if you are refused leave, it suggests talking to HR, your union and then raising a grievance. That implies they can't refuse?

Oops ... x posts with lots of people ...

Last summer my kids went on a PGL activity holiday twice and for a third time at half term in October. This Christmas we relied on friends and family for one week and we split the other two weeks between the two of us. Got one week music course booked for Easter. Dreading summer holiday coz they are in Year 7 at indies which means summer break is longer by 2 weeks compared to their 6 weeks at state primary.

Our game plan is to throw money at the problem. Not a solution for everyone though.

Do you have a local pre school? If they open term time only pre school staff may offer childminding / nannying in holidays.
Can either of you negotiate to work from home any of the days or work compressed hours to get an extra day off a week - one less day to cover?
What did you do for child care before your ds started school - some nurseries do holiday clubs.

DH and I have resigned ourselves to not having any leave at the same time as each other. We know another couple (who live a few hours drive away) who manage a week together as a family each year but find that a struggle.

Will check out the holiday club situation locally. Beginning to think I should have listened to my careers advisor at school when he suggested being a school secretary would make my life much easier when I had a family rather than writing him off as a sexist git

Parental leave is only until your child is 5 though so that would only cover the first half term and is unpaid.

DS currently at nursery but their breakfast/after school club closes during the holidays.

As others have said for that first year parental leave may be an option. Who do you work for? I am lucky enough that my employer offers it until child is 14

What will you do before / after school during term time -this may be an option?

Dont be too concerned about school clubs. We are lucky enough to have grand parents around to help sometimes but the kids go to kids club once or twice a week on average (based at their school) during the holidays- and most of the time they really love it and relish the chance to be with other kids. They go there once a week after school so they are used to the environment which helps

And yes look into the childcare vouchers for your or DPs work to help with the cost

HTH

Do you have plans for someone to look after your child before or after schoool when he starts? That may be a good place to start for holiday cover.

Sports centres often have holiday schemes of their own although the hours may be slightly reduced on a normal working day. As well as PGL there is Supercamps doing something similar.

Hi Dyeingforachange

I'm not sure when you will find out what school your child is going to - but you can already look into whether the schools you've listed when you applied for your DS's primary place have before/ after school clubs. These usually aren't too expensive - especially if you juggle drop off/ collecting a bit between yourself and your DH.

We found we really needed the afterschool club (3:30 to 6 p.m.) - so we took turns between us to drop off at school gate in the a.m.

I'm now in a different job & part-time - but we've worked out that various after school clubs mean the school day is effectively 9 - 4:30 for my DDs 3 days a week - so I can work 10 - 4 those days.

Not sure what your work situation is - but you can suggest flexible working - so coming in late but staying late (so you cover morning drop off) - or coming in early and leaving early.

Holidays are very difficult - but you can look into holiday schemes in your area (our local University offers summer and Easter sports camps) - which run 9 to 3:30, but you can pay a bit extra for child care to 5:30. The schools often send home flyers about holiday clubs as well - so again contact the school or look on their website (or in their prospectus). Many professional football clubs also offer holiday camps - if your DS is football mad this is often a great solution!

Our girls' ballet school also offers summer school camp - (9 - 4 p.m) which also helps out a lot. I've got very girly girls - so they adore this.

Once you know where your DS will be going to school - I suggest you contact them and find out about childcare (if there isn't already something in the school prospectus or on the school website).

Finally - although every situation is different - often many other parents are in a similar boat and if you strike up a conversation about 'How are you managing with work over Christmas holidays?' you may find they are in a similar boat and that you can share child-care between you. So one or two days off looking after someone's kid (and providing entertainment/ food) & they look after your kid for one or two days as well. You do lose some holiday - but not all of it. Usually this with a combination of paid childcare and paid leave helps solve the problem.

Finally - you can request unpaid leave due to childcare responsibilities. Not ideal - but possibly more cost effective than paying for childcare. My solution was to accrue overtime in term and have my employer agree I could use it during school half-terms/ holidays.

Dyeinforachange:

DH also suggested that it may be possible for your to bring your child to work - obviosly you can't do this for two week holidays/ summer holidays - but it can help for 1 day or two. This often happens for us and colleagues when there is an INSET (teach training day). Usually employers turn a blind eye and the kids find it really exciting to see where Mum or Dad work. Set them down on a computer - turn on CBEEBIES or something, bring colouring books and reading books and stress they have to be quiet. Quite often you find colleagues who are normally severe just melt.

Someone very senior and who I never expected whisked my daughter off to show her around the building and then bought her a cake and hot chocolate. I couldn't believe it - turns out she'd just found out she was due to be a Grandma the week before and so was very interested to see what a 4 year old was like.

Just wanted to mention that holiday clubs in my area stipulate that your child needs to be 5 to attend. So despite your child being in school they cannot attend clubs until they have had their 5th birthday.

Teachers will take school holidays off with their families so ask any you know who usually looks after their children and see if they have vacancies in the holidays.

There should be loads of holiday clubs round you. School should be able to tell you about them. They normally send home flyers in the book bag.

A lot of schools run them, as do leisure centres.

They're not incredibly expensive, and you only pay for the weeks he goes.

Here in greater London I pay about £100 per week.

If you haven't chosen a school yet, it's worth choosing one that does run a holiday club. The school doesn't run them, but theyre run at school IYSWIM.

Your employer might let you work one or two days at home - you could work over the weekend while your DH is around and then be around for your child on the scheduled workdays. TV also helps a lot if you need to do emails etc.

DD's old nursery took children back in the holidays (up to the age of 7). It's a cosier environment so might suit if yours is similarly flexible.

And holiday clubs can be really good. My dds really really love theirs - it is based at their school and only takes kids from there which helps.

My friend sends her kids to their grandparents for a week at a time. If yours are elderly, that may not work, but do you have siblings/friends who would take yours for a holiday?