Working mums/dads getting organised for 2010

p-pincher

Hi everyone i'd love to join

I work three days a week (mon thurs and fri) and i have 2 dd's aged 5 and 3. dd1 is at school full time and dd2 goes to nursery the three days that i work.

We've just got back form a holiday last week, that we had to save up for for 2 yeaars for my mum's 60th and to be honest i dont know were to start. i've finally managed to get the washing down but it takes ages to dry as we dont have a dryer but everything has took a major slide. tomorrow will be the first day dd1 is back at school and ive got a full day at home so really hoping to get some serious housework done.

ive not even done a proper food shop since my big christmas shop but told oh it im gonna stretch it to the weekend so we should have some interesting freezer dinner betwen now and saturday.

onlyroz

What do you working parents do about school holidays? The assumption seems to be that there will always be a parent available to look after the kids when the school is shut but that can't always be the case. I asked permission to work from home last week for half-term but I was refused and had to get the grandparents down at short notice.

So what does everyone do? My boss gave me the "option" of taking unpaid leave, which just wasn't going to happen, or arranging the annual leave between myself and my husband so that we took our leave at different times - thereby never being able to take a holiday together as a family. It's looking at the moment like I'm going to have to become ever more reliant on the grandparents - they'd probably oblige but I hate *having* to depend on them...

tooldle

We cover school holidays, by doing what you suggest and splitting our leave, i.e. I take one week, OH takes the next etc.
When available we also use playschemes, nursery (before DD got too old), sometimes sport schemes and one day workshop type events. It is possible, but someweeks you are here there and everywhere for pickups. Somedays, the options are limited and one of us will be late to work, so the other goes in extra early to accommodate an early pickup, that way we at least get close to the required number of hours and don't lose too much leave.
Keep an eye on local leisure centre programmes, there are often schemes running in the summer 10 -3ish.
Ocassionally we split the duties with other parents, rotating the days off. A degree of flexibility is required, but we always manage and still get a couple of weeks all together in the summer.

mummy_Jay

onlyroz wrote: »

What do you working parents do about school holidays? The assumption seems to be that there will always be a parent available to look after the kids when the school is shut but that can't always be the case. I asked permission to work from home last week for half-term but I was refused and had to get the grandparents down at short notice.

I arrange at the beginning of my work holiday quota, some holidays my parents will come up to stay to cover, what I will do and then I pay a childminder to cover what can't be covered by other means (I have no partner so I don't have that option). If any of your children's friends go to a childminder it might be worth finding out who their childminder is, as many have extra spacing in the holidays (it will give you another option).

Or what about making some arrangements with some of the other parents, where they have yor kids some days and you have theirs others?

HalfPint

Hi,

I'd love to join in too...I work 3 days a week during school hours, my OH works full time, plus we run a part-time business of our own. I have 4 children, stepson 12 (he lives with his mum tho), Daughter 11, son 8 and son nearly 4! I feel like sometimes our house is a military base as I have to run it like one! I seem to never get "me" time and any time I do get...I seem to lack motivation to get on and do stuff! arghhh!

It's nice to know there are others who feel like me.

I was up at 5.20am this morning, Mr HP went to work at 5.40am I had 20 minutes for a cuppa and then ds4 got up. I did some work on the computer b4 ds8 got up and then dd11 got up. At that point (7am) I made beds and tidied up, kids tidied kitchen and made lunches. I organised ds4 for pre-school, we all sat and ate breakfast together. dd11 left for school at 8am. I then had time to get dressed and organise myself before taking ds8 to school and ds4 to pre-school. PHEW! and it is like this every morning but when I'm working we leave at 8.20am to get ds4 to minder and ds8 to school..then me to work.

School holidays are a nightmare to organise! We cannot afford to pay for anymore childcare, clubs, etc so usually we work it between mr hp and myself, i.e. he has them on his day off, I have them tue & wed (my off days) I then take 1 day off work and on the other day, they come to my work with me (cept ds4 who is usually at minder) I have a very understanding boss. I have no relatives near me and all my friends work too. If I'm really stuck my in'laws will come stay with us and look after them but this has to be organised in advance...no good for short notice/emergencies.

oops..forgot to mention we have dog too...he has to be walked nearly every day (which is what i'm going to do in about half an hour.)

My life feels like a hectic chaotic but kinda organised continual loop of housework, laundry, dog care, school runs, shopping etc etc etc. PHEW...you tired yet? I am and it's not even 10.30!

I;ve got a list of things to do today...and I'm already thinking there ain't no way im gonna get thro all that!!

Looking forward to getting to know you all and hoping to get some tips and help along the way :T

HP x

2boysmum

onlyroz wrote: »

What do you working parents do about school holidays? The assumption seems to be that there will always be a parent available to look after the kids when the school is shut but that can't always be the case. I asked permission to work from home last week for half-term but I was refused and had to get the grandparents down at short notice.

This is the issue I have at the moment, I work in retail part time and we are only allowed 2 people off at the same time, everyone wants the school holidays and when I put in for my holidays this year I didn't get any that I asked for, DH has just started a new job, but has managed to get one week of the Easter holidays off, so it is just the second week I would need childcare for. Checked the afterschool care club at school and they are full, there is also a waiting list, so no chance of getting them in there. Unfortunately DH's parents are both no longer with us, and neither is my mum, which only leaves us with my dad, but he works nightshift, so spends all day in bed, so cannot babysit for us either, luckily my sister has just trained as a teacher so hopefully she will be able to look after the kids for us for the 3 days at Easter, come the summer holidays it looks as though I will have to either give up work, or pay for a childminder, DS13 is not very keen on the last idea!!

claireac

onlyroz wrote: »

What do you working parents do about school holidays? The assumption seems to be that there will always be a parent available to look after the kids when the school is shut but that can't always be the case. I asked permission to work from home last week for half-term but I was refused and had to get the grandparents down at short notice.

Dd doesn't start school until September but is at play school. We'll continue to use her child minder, who will cover the school holidays. I also find her more flexible than a nursery as she's happy to have dd if she's got a cold and isn't up to play school.

I'm so disorganised the moment!! Dd has been under the weather for 3 weeks with a lingering cold, then I came down with it. I'm so busy at work that when I'm home I'm exhausted and tend to just crash in front of the tv. Dh is very good and cooks quite a lot. I've even got out of the habit of batch cooking in the slow cooker at the weekends, so we're now out of easy frozen dinners grrrrr:mad:. Need to get myself sorted out.....

Pisces

Hi all, both my other half and I work full time and we have a 16 month old. My tips that just about keep our lives together are:

Never cook enough for one day, cook enough for two (and baby portions). Tonight I'm doing a massive cauliflower/brocolli cheese that will do tomorrow and I'll be able to freeze a portion or two for our little boy. By doing this I only 'lose' three evenings cooking but get enough meals for the week.

Make enough packed lunches for a couple of days. OK so by day two, they're not mega fresh, but they're fine, and much cheaper and better for you than buying a sandwich.

If you can, put the washing machine and/or dryer on over night, every night. Saves losing a whole day to washing at the weekend (and electricity is cheaper overnight).

Put a list of daily/weekly jobs on the fridge - it might just remind you OH to do something other than sit down!

Hope this helps, we're all doing a difficult job balancing home/work/children/relationships and deserve some support!

flowerscotland

Joannag wrote: »

Well my tip is I got my husband to put a smallish tv in the kitchen. I make 4 packed lunches after kids in bed while watching Corrie or Eastenders - don't feel I am missing out my soaps and makes the task less boring (it takes ages as everyone likes different things!)

That's a good idea Joanna

I do the same with my ipod, I usually do my housework at night or any lunches/ironing etc with my ipod on, it gets done in half the time if I put a fast song on lol ! It makes it less tedious too

flowerscotland

onlyroz wrote: »

What do you working parents do about school holidays? The assumption seems to be that there will always be a parent available to look after the kids when the school is shut but that can't always be the case. I asked permission to work from home last week for half-term but I was refused and had to get the grandparents down at short notice.

So what does everyone do? My boss gave me the "option" of taking unpaid leave, which just wasn't going to happen, or arranging the annual leave between myself and my husband so that we took our leave at different times - thereby never being able to take a holiday together as a family. It's looking at the moment like I'm going to have to become ever more reliant on the grandparents - they'd probably oblige but I hate *having* to depend on them...

I'm going to have to put the girls into a holiday club this year

Last year my Mum took them most of the big hols a few days a week, I got annual leave for the rest, I really don't know how I managed it :eek:

I got swine flu during the summer and ended up with two extra weeks off sick, that I had to spend indoors :mad:

My Mum isn't too keen on having them, she works in a school, my sister is 9 years younger than me and I feel like my Mum thinks she's brought up her kids, and she wants a bit of relaxation time now.

Tax credits will help me out with childcare costs a little, because I'm a single Mum, or else I don't think I could work !