What are you supposed to do with your kids during the school holidays if you work ?

property.advert

With a child coming up to school age, I just thought about problem. With kids getting multiple weeks holidays three times a year, just what are you supposed to do ?

Donkey's years ago I used to go to a friend of the family but I don't have that luxury.

My thinking is that there must be a solution but a provider cannot run a business where there is demand only three times a year for a few weeks.

What do you do ?

BitterAndTwisted

Family. Au pair. Neighbours. Childminder.

mirrorimage0

we generally use the ymca summer days or now they are that bit older they enjoy going away to camp as well. there will be holiday clubs around ask in the school etc, as long as they are registered clubs you can claim tax credits for them, not sure of the exact ins and outs of this but im sure someone will come along to answer more in depth, but depending on your annual wage you can claim up to 80% back with tax credit. xhth

loopy-loo73

if the school runs a breakfast & after school club it may well run a holiday club too i know ours does
good luck
x

niklepic

DS goes to a holiday club run by the private nursery he used to go to and we get a surestart leaflet a month or so before term finishes which lists all the holiday schemes over the break.

property.advert

niklepic wrote: »

DS goes to a holiday club run by the private nursery he used to go to and we get a surestart leaflet a month or so before term finishes which lists all the holiday schemes over the break.

I thought of this but say the nursery can cope with 50 kids, then how can it legally and safely cope with say 75 kids 3 times a year ? If it could, then they would have 75 all the time as surely they cannot be running at 67% capacity for most of the time as they would go bust.

Not saying it cannot be done but it just doesn't seem practical for them as a business.

balletshoes

property.advert wrote: »

I thought of this but say the nursery can cope with 50 kids, then how can it legally and safely cope with say 75 kids 3 times a year ? If it could, then they would have 75 all the time as urely they cannot be running at 67% capacity for most of the time as they would go bust.

Not saying it cannot be done but it just doesn't seem practical for them as a business.

nurseries take on extra staff during the school holidays (placements, volunteers etc) to run holiday clubs.

Our city council runs holiday activities every day for a minimal charge, but only for children age 8 and over. Until my daughter was that age, she went to a holiday playscheme run by her old nursery, which was expensive, but registered, so I did get help through tax credits to pay for it.

spendingmad

Loads of providers around here

The Council run holiday clubs in there sports centers ie football/trampolining/multi-sports etc.
After school clubs run holidays clubs
Drama clubs (stagecoach etc) run holidays club
childminders

Depends what your child is interested in but I am sure there are loads of options.

Do you only work school hours - will you be using before/after school clubs?

niklepic

The nursery also run an after school club so i think staff are part time in term time (3pm-6.30pm) but do full days over the holidays

daveyjp

Parents also need to consider reduced hours to cover holidays - term time contracts etc.

ladybirdintheuk

I will be watching this thread with interest. By my reaconing there are 13 weeks of school holidays, plus all the inset days too? And if you are a couple you are going to get 4 weeks holiday each (maybe a bit more). And possibly the ability to take a few extra days unpaid, but that definitely isn't going to get more than 9 of those weeks covered, even if you never take time off together.

For us we are lucky enough to have family nearby, so with any luck we will be able to do a bit of juggling to cover most of the holidays, but I remember enjoying holiday camps put on at youth clubs and whatnot as a child, and will definitely be looking to send my little one to at least 1 weeks worth of one of those over the summer. I think apart from anything else it breaks the 6 weeks up a bit, and gives them something interesting to do