How do you cope with childcare over holiday periods?

[Niru13]

My daughter starts school next year and I am debating whether to put her into state or private school. Either way, I am not at all sure how I am going to cope with childcare over holidays, especially if she goes to private school.

I am keen to hear from anyone who can tell me how parents realistically deal with childcare over holiday periods. My husband and I get pretty generous annual leave but still not enough to take all the school holidays off.

Really interested to know how people cope because it will probably shape what I do in terms of childcare before she starts school e.g. childminder/nanny etc.

Childminder. We need a bit of afterschool care as well and prefer it to Afterschool Club, as DS is still only 6. So CM does hols and inset days as well as collecting him from school. Though might not be easy to get a childminder who just does school hols. Dunno, depends on where you are I guess.

Though why would it be different if she goes to private school? Genuine question, what are the issues there?

Private schools tend to have longer holidays. I have the same issue . It is hard to find a job, especially local and part time, which pays enough to cover 2 kids' care in the holidays after tax, NI etc. Our school does run holiday clubs but it costs £20+ per day and is not 9 - 5.

my mum has mine 3 times a week, and when ds1 starts school in sep she will be taking him, and will have him in the holidays. They go to a CM once a week and she will do the same - so before school care from 7.15am - 8.45am and full care from 7.l5am - 1.45pm in the hols. My CM does this for most her school age minded kids (either before or after school).

I take school age mindees in fact my 5 year old started with me as a baby full time and now just comes after school. My 4 year old again started as a baby, and will be with me before and after school, (as well as afternoons for the autumn term they don't go full time here till January). I drop off and pick up from school, take them inset days, early finishes (often st Christmas they finish early on the last day) and am available for Feb half Term and all the summer Holidays (I take May/Oct Half Term as my Holiday). None of my parents wanted their children in afterschool clubs feeling that they would be in school environment for to long a day.

What childcare do you have now?

All after-school clubs I know also run Holiday Clubs so that's one option.

And most childminders I know of also take children in the holidays. Another option.

It's not easy. We muddle through with holidays, grandparents, aupair cover and school clubs.

If you have space in your house, a summer au pair may meet your needs. There are lots of girls who want to do this kind of work.

I work 3 days per week & never thought I'd manage to sort out the childcare during the school hols. But once she'd stayed a few days with her grandparents, plus I'd taken a couple of weeks off, I found I only needed to use a holiday club for 4 days last summer. They cost £16 - £19 here (NE Hants), so a lot cheaper than nursery ever was!

Why not advertise for a live out nanny for school holidays at the local college - I went to college to study Early years (equivelant to NNEB) and there were always adds for students mother help's or nannies, it will be cheaper and will give them experience, and you can rest in the mind that they are qualified/qualifying have a recent CRB and possibl first aid.