How do other working mums cope with school holidays?

maryjanethespider

Child minders, play schemes?

With the school holidays coming up im getting in a muddle with childcare, the littlest one goes to nursery which runs 50 weeks a year so thats ok but for a 7 year old im completely stuck.

crispeater

i've managed to book 2 weeks of the summer holidays off but apart from that its time to rope in my friends and family! luckily i only work 3 days a week so its not too bad but i did notice that my daughters breakfast/after school club do run a school holiday programme so i can always put her in there. the only problem is it doesnt start til 8am and dd goes to breakfast club at 7.30am but apparently the school caretaker wont let them in til 8am in the holidays... how helpful is that lol

Titch89

Is there a play scheme at your child's school?

*confuzzled*_2

Have yo looked at http://www.childcarelink.gov.uk/ for out of school care in your area?
I've also heard adverts on the radio about school holiday care advice service, sorry I dont know what the number is but i'll listen out for it and post.

wheelies_3

Have you contacted your local leisure centre? Ours do different activies (not just sports) each day of the week, it is either 0900 - 1600 or 0845 - 1745 and much much cheaper than a childminder. The kids come home shattered which of course is priceless

HTH

inkie

Mine just come to work with me - I make sure that my commitments are 'light' in the school holidays.

virgin_moneysaver

mine are now 17 & 14 , but for years when they were little me & DH only had 1 week per year together to go on a family holiday & the rest of the time we covered the school hols between us & my mum helped out the rest of the time, I used to find it a nightmare as I hated having to ask

emsywoo123

I am lucky in that the teaching assistant in DD's class is going to have her 3 days a week, my mum 2.........

karren

im hoping to get my two into the leisure centres playscheme.

Alleycat

DD (3yrs) is spending a week with her grandma in the midlands and the rest of the time, me and OH are covering. We are lucky that OH works shifts so is sometimes in on weekends and so has random days off midweek. He works 12 hour shifts night and day so it can be pretty draining for me running round working full time and looking after DD by myself a lot, but at least it helps during the holidays.

Not too sure when our paths will cross though as we are each taking different days off to each other. No spare leave to take even a couple of days off at the same time.

Spendless

Not started with this problem yet as am currently at college, but my children's school runs a holiday club 8am-6pm, but same problem as a prev poster in term-time the breakfast club opens at 7.30. I know this causes problems for my mate who starts work at 8am. I've stepped in to help her on a few occassions.. The holiday club is shut for 2 weeks in the summer hols and not consecutive ones, though they did warn of this a few months ago.

A local sports centre was offfering one, but I think it may have closed. Another sports centre offers a camp but only a few days a week 9ish-3ish and only from age 8.

When I return to work, it will be a combination of me and hubby taking time off, holiday club and maybe relatives help.