Full-time work, childcare dilemma

[Madammarmalade]

I’ve worked from home since DS started school, so have always been around during school holidays. DS is now 11 & we’re struggling financially so I need to get a full-time job that will most likely involve hybrid working with 3 days in the office & 2 from home. I’m all for this, but I cannot for the life of me get my head around what DS will do during school holidays on the days I’m in the office.

There doesn’t seem to be any holiday clubs near us for children of secondary school age & he’s too young to leave home alone all day (DH has a long commute & is out of the house for 12-14 hours a day). What do other people do in this situation?

I’m sorry I can’t help but really interested in replies. Also in office 3 days a week and two from home. I have wrap around childcare at the moment for my ten year old but cannot figure out what I’m supposed to do when she starts secondary school. Around me, the kids of this age seem to be home alone for a couple of hours after secondary school before parents come home from work.

Can you and your DH split the holidays between you both? Ie as family time but you both have some days/weeks off. Do you have friends with kids where you can look after each other’s kids and split the childcare with another family?

it is hard but if there are no childcare clubs that’s what I would do for

Use annual leave?

sports courses, science or art / photography courses? Maybe find a friendly local student / 6th former to take him out to some places, hang out, maybe even do some revision / practice a language?

Mine were at home mostly as they hated kids club, sometimes they went to programmes at the museum which was near my work

Where I work we are supposed to be in the office 50% of the time. It is measured on a monthly basis so a lot of people work 4 or 5 days in the office during term time and then at home during the holidays.

Depends how much leave you get but most people stretch their holiday to cover the office days.

14 weeks of school hols x 3 office days is 42. Between you and DH that’s doable.

Week away at Scout camp
Week at Stagecoach holiday club (9-3 so need to WFH around it)
Grandparents
WFH for both of us
Leaving DD in bed in the morning and coming home about 1pm to WFH in the afternoon
Leaving DD in bed in the morning, coming home, picking her and a friend up and take them back into town for cinema and I go back to work

Depends how flexible work are, mine would let me do some extra home days during the holidays. Also take annual leave, and DH take some days too.
You could arrange something with his friends to have him go to their houses and have the friend at yours when you WFH in return.
I would also leave an 11 year old alone once or twice a week, leave him a lunchbox and call him a couple of times to check.