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

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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?

We do a combination of:

• holiday clubs as others have said, though some do not take children until 5 - your child's school may well be able to help, otherwise look for companies that run before/after school clubs, and sports clubs. There might be something run at your school

• request flexible working - e.g. can you work evenings/weekends or as your employee has offered 4 days a week during holiday periods

• take different leave to your OH to eek out your a/l

• "child swap" with another parent in the same position i.e. they have your child for 1 day, you have theirs for another - even if it's only the odd day here and there it all helps.

• unpaid leave when desperate!

I think once he is in school you will hear alot more options.

Alot seems word of mouth. DD also come home with flyers in her bookbag close to holiday time.

Keep your eyes open eg leisure centre/library will have adverts or LA childrens service should have details.

If he does any activities then they may offer holiday care. DD's dance school offers school hours care for £75 a week all school holidays (buy 2 get 1 week free) and my friend's son goes to football training every week that runs holiday care 9-3 for a bargain £5 a day.

The school runs holiday care 9-5 all August and a local nursery has just opened a holiday facility 8-5.

All these take from 5. Before 5 you have the right to take unpaid leave, or use a nursery or childminder.

Alot of holiday care is school hours only though. My friend works 4 days and changes to 5 days but shorter hours come holidays.

The odd days are harder to find cover for eg DD goes back thursday this week meaning she needs care Tue/Wed.

I live in a small town - imagine lots more options in a bigger place.

Thanks everyone for all the ideas - not worrying quite so much about how we are going to manage!

Definitely talk to local childminders - the two near here take extra children in the holidays and employ assistants to keep the adult-child ratios right. If you are on a low income and get tax credits you will get help with the cost even if it is only holidays.

Try your local Family Information service (google your county + FIS). They hold information about all kinds of childcare and often know about places that hold playschemes etc.

here's what we do:

• ds loves football so enrolled him in a community football programme for a week at a time 10am-3pm (they run them here at easter, twice in summer and at october break for £45/week), "found" another working parent with a footie loving dc in his class and she enrolled her ds after we discussed shared drop offs and pick ups to help each other out - this saves us ~8 days a year.

• employer currently lets me work some statutory holidays and take a day off later, so dh has dc - do this with about 5 days a year.

• find parents who work part time and have an only (like us!) and are looking for company for their dc (be sure to return the favour!!) - get around another 3-4 days a year with this.

• dniece is 18 and at college (childcare) and gets same holidays as school so takes ds overnight (drop off in morning and pickup up next evening) 3-4 times throughout the year.

Me and dh share the rest, or, if we are desparate ds goes to his afterschool club that does fullday care in holidays (he doesnt enjoy it much so try to avoid it).

We normally manage 1 week off together as a family each year.

dh drops ds at school each morning and then ds goes to afterschool so I rarely see other parents which makes it hard to make connections, so try to take every opportunity you can to talk to other parents (parties are a good time) and set up play dates, and, if you click try suggesting helping each other out during the holidays as its a common problem.

There are a range of holiday clubs near us, some start from age 3 (£15 a day if booked in advance, £20 if booked on the day) and run to about age 11, others seem to be for older children eg start at age 8 because they are sports clubs or outwood bound type things. Try searching on your local council website ours has details of all of them - or phone their family information service.

DH and I do not take all our leave at the same time - so he will take the dcs off for a week in the summer, as will I and then we will have a week together.

They do holiday clubs - they have done swimming, tennis and football in the past. I think this is how most working parents cope.

We have built up a network of friends who will have them for the odd day (such as school closures).

They spend time with relatives.

You will manage - everyone finds a way.

Can I add Ask around the parents at school. I work part time (wed and Fri for 3 hours - and some weekends) I often have friends kids over holidays. Its easier for me as the kids do not get bored as they have friends over Plus it aids me making friends.

I know that takes guts to do but you could start out with " do you know any who would be willing to....."

Also if the school has a notice board or a newsletter they may be willing to put out a notice.

I'm sure this will seem less scary once the flyers for holiday clubs start coming home in book bags. I have honestly never had a problem, even from when DS was 4. Holiday clubs aren't cheap but typically a lot less than a full day at a childminder.

DD goes to a childminder before and after school and she also does holiday cover. That's the default solution. Luckily our CM only takes 4 weeks holiday, that can be covered with our annual leave.

We will also try school/sport clubs to give DD an alternative and us a fall-back solution as no family lives nearby.

I'm a teacher so I don't send my children to my childminder for the holidays. There will be a few CMs out there who have holiday only places available because of people like me.

I'm obviously lucky as far as school hols cover is concerned as I'm usually off the same weeks they are. My OH and I still only manage a week away together in the year though as he saves his hols for all those days the kids school is shut and mine is open, when they are poorly and when the childminder takes her annual week's leave.

IME holiday clubs are not geared up for infant/early junior school ages...plus the often run on similar times to schools, like 9.30 to 4pm... not so great for FT workers. Holidays clubs seem to kick in around 7 yo.

Some nurseries do holiday clubs for younger though...worth a quick look?

It is a PITA.

It is a PITA. Mine have been going to Holiday Club since they were 5 and 7 for two days a week, my mum has them the other, half day I work. DH and I wrangle the holidays so they usually only have to go for 3 weeks max in the summer hols ( ie a measly 6 days!). It costs £18 or so a day. It's based at a local secondary so a cross-section of local DCs go there (though none from their present schools). They moaned and moaned about it, til, aged 7 and 9, I deemed them old enough to understand that I work so we can have nice things and, when we all go away on hols together, it's to nice places. So either stop moaning or accept a reduction in our lifestyle! I also upped the ante, acting on the 'it's boring!' chorus, by sending them one summer to a different holiday club (can't recall what it was called but they're a national (?) chain and set up in Public Schools, often, using said school's facilities) and cost £27 a day. They hated it! It was sooo competitive, even the art they did was 'judged', it was all teams for this and that, go, go go! It well suited the alpha DCs who were there (many were at that school's prep, a £££ Public school) but tell you what, mine didn't moan about the local secondary school's holiday club again! . They have a 5-11 and 11+ club so the DSs are currently separated though will be together again this coming summer hols. And they go for 4 weeks so we can, as a family, have 2 weeks off in the summer together.

But it's still a PITA!

holiday clubs. and they are packed off to grandparents for a week too and then we take 2 weeks (Summer holidays). other holidays its a mixture of holiday club and leave.