How do you fit work around 11+ age children during school holidays?

[LifeIsGr8]

Genuine question. If you have year 6 & older children how do you work your job around the 6 week holiday? Clubs aren't as widely available for that age group. More specifically the days you go in the office.

Mine had a week at guide camp at this age, a couple of weeks on a family holiday and the rest was home alone or with friends or grandparents.

There are clubs here (thankfully) but they are very expensive and more focussed on particular hobbies and sports. I have two kids and can really just about afford two weeks each of camps along with a further change of my working hours as they start late and I have to do drop offs. They both do one shared sport so thankfully one of the camp weeks is a drop off at the same location. The other camps mean over an hour’s round trip to drop them off and means starting work later. The summer hols cost me a lot of money. I frequently wish I had one child. I still don’t see it as the easier option to leave them on their own though am looking forward, in one way, to when they are 14 or 15 and don’t want to do camps but I suppose they will then need endless spending money and still need to be driven where they want to go.

Sadly, I gave up work because we have 12 week summer holidays here in Ireland and no daytime club options nearby as we're fairly rural.

Also, no extended family as both sets of parents are dead and no siblings or cousins etc.

I was hoping to find something once he was at secondary school but now my DH isn't well, that's no longer an option.

Still, we get by on DH's work pension and maybe things will improve when DS finishes school in 3 years time. 🤷🏻‍♀️

We both work 4 days per week each so that's a godsend. We take one week for a family holiday then take odd alternative days. We have one day per week he will be at home while I work, he'll just have to please himself/game more that day.

Fair doesn't come into it if you don't have many choices.

I am not sure what you mean by it not being fair to your work if you are employed during school holidays. Unless you have a term-time job then you take annual leave during school holidays, which is completely fair.

I work from home 3 days and the other 2 they stay in. My mum lives round the corner if they need her.

They make a lot of plans with friends on the days I am at home and then between me and dp we have 3 weeks off with them.

Their grandparents take them out or they can go to their houses too if they choose to

I work full time at my workplace five days a week. We had a one week holiday together and the rest was taken as odd midweek days to break up the week. Statutory minimum of 20 plus bank holidays with my eldest. One week scout summer camp. The rest they were home alone or out with friends.

Mixture of family, WFH (they're old enough to entertain themselves and enable me to work) and annual leave. Y7 onwards I have left my eldest on his own when I've needed to go to the office, he's not very keen to be on his own though so tries to arrange a day with a grandparent or friend if he can, but if needs must.

What kind of prices are the clubs, and what would you be okay paying? Trying to figure out what's "normal."

And unless the club starts by 8 and finishes at half five or later then they are getting themselves there and back, and some clubs don't even allow that.

Sooner? Many of my parents' generation were sexually active at 15 in the 70s.

I wfh and have dd10 and 12 and find the summer hols hard these days. Last summer, there were 3 weeks that DH and I were both working. DD2 went to clubs/cm most days but DD1 was old / felt too old for these - she's autistic and a lot of places don't suit her anyway. We did encourage her to see friends but she didn't, and spent far too much time on screens. She is naturally quite sedentary and we did try to get her out most days after work, but it was hard and it wasn't good for her. We don't have any family to help. DD10 OTOH is very good at entertaining herself and making plans with friends so she's fine if I wfh, but she obviously prefers it if I'm free to spend time with her.

This year, by working longer hours before the holidays, I have managed to get 6 weeks off work so I am off most of the time they are - I will encourage them to see friends and can help with lifts, but we'll also have days out together and I can spend time with them and make sure we all have fresh air and exercise. I am very lucky to have this option.

200+ a week each for four hours a day for two weeks each. So 800 total to cover forty hours of camp for each child. DC1’s first camp
is 250 for twenty hours but it is a specialised camp.

Add to that DC2’s usual weekly activity is continuing at 150 per month.

They are both going swimming everyday for one week (reduced cost of 150 for both kids). .

Add a two week family holiday abroad.

It won’t be forever and it’s preferable to seeing them on screens every day. I wish I’d realised when deciding to have a second child though!

This is one of the factors that influenced my choice of career as a teacher. Thankfully, I also love the job, but before that I was always stressing about childcare during the holidays (no grandparents to help out and few holiday clubs). So, I don’t really have a solution to suggest, other than finding a term time only job.

And?

Some of my grandparent’s generation were working at 12.

They can’t bike ride around here, we live in a busy area with busy toads. People commute by bike to the city but there are numerous accidents.There is a thread on MN about 15 year olds having sex. Maybe all the time alone is resulting in them growing up sooner. We, as parents, have to decide whether we are happy for our children to have all this time alone. I’m not

As a parent, I personally wouldn't haven't chosen to live somewhere so inappropriate. We deliberately chose somewhere our children could have some independence safely, they're out playing with their friends without adults right now. I really wouldn't be quite so high and mighty about the fact you've created circumstances that have meant your children need to be coddled and won't have the benefit of some independence.

Yy exactly!

even the three hour sports sessions that might otherwise break up a day need sign in. Maybe doable if you are WFH but less so otherwise.

I really wouldn't be quite so high and mighty about the fact you've created circumstances that have meant your children need to be coddled and won't have the benefit of some independence

What on earth are you talking about?
Whether I live rurally or in a city, I wouldn’t have 11 or 12 year olds home on their own. That’s my choice as a parent. Coddled age 11? Perhaps I should tell them to get a job!

They are going to grow up expecting on tap entertainment and their hands held at all times……very very unhealthy upbringing you are giving them

I have lived in my sweet 2 bed terrace for nearly 30 years. In that time (like everywhere) car ownership has increased hugely, such that the cul-de-sac and the village roads are not very safe for children.

Go back a bit further, I recently drove along the B road that led from the town to my childhood home village. I used to cycle up and down there all the time. It's not safe for adults to cycle along there now, never mind children.

It's not practical to up sticks when what might have been a great place for kids to roam about, becomes one that isn't.

@Username1010
Would you mind sharing the city you live in with us please? (I fully understand if you don't want to btw).

We both take 1- 2 days leave a week, one or two full weeks of holiday. So that leaves 1-2 days to be covered, grandparents, friends or left alone. Mine are older teens. Wing it basically.

I grew up in a tiny rural community, barely left it, never did any hobbies, could barely swim. Roamed around the house on my own - bored and spent my days reading.

Still managed to travel extensively when I was on my 20s. My kids will be just fine.

I do
*playdates aka hanging out at friends and take my turn when WFH and can keep an eye
*take a couple of half days over the course of the week so we can have an outing in the afternoon while I wfh in the morning
*get up early, long lunch, work late, so the child has had an outing during the long lunch part
*take them out and log on from wherever
*take child to office - treats, workbooks, lunch and my 10 yr old manages this from 0930-1630
*leave them at home

I can’t do that obv.

I left the city when I had kids as needed more space. I now live half an hour (drive) outside the city or 35 to forty minutes cycle.