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

andrealm

esmerelda98 wrote: »

Just what I was thinking. Do these children not have friends? Do parents not take the trouble to get to know the parents of their childrens' friends? With both parents working in many families it can't be that hard for a few parents to form a babysitting 'club'. Is it that people think the suggestion would not go down well with other parents? Or that people just don't feel that they know these other parents well enough to leave their children in their care. I would really like to know.

Well, would you look after a neighbour's child full time for the entire school holidays? For nothing? If parents work full time they probably aren't going to be in a position to trade babysitting favours with other parents who also work full time. It can work for a few people who have a friend who works different days but isn't going to be practical for everyone.

There is a big difference between asking a friend to look after children on an occasional basis, and arranging childcare for 2months in the summer. Not everybody has family that are willing and able to help out, although there are still plenty that do, but grandparents may still be working themselves, be too elderly or unwell, or dead, live too far away, or simply don't want to commit to looking after grandchildren for such a length of time. I'm sure that's always been the case.

miamoo

You can look into having a Nanny, or a Nanny share if you know anyone else who needs care at the same time. Some Nannys are now OFSTED registered so costs can be reclaimed through tax credits if applicable.

Jewel_2

esmerelda98 wrote: »

Just what I was thinking. Do these children not have friends? Do parents not take the trouble to get to know the parents of their childrens' friends? With both parents working in many families it can't be that hard for a few parents to form a babysitting 'club'. Is it that people think the suggestion would not go down well with other parents? Or that people just don't feel that they know these other parents well enough to leave their children in their care. I would really like to know.

Believe me, forming a babysitting club is as complicated as starting up your own business - insurance? CRBs? Holiday entitlement (ie, when who goes on holidays), sickness cover, etc. As soon as you formalise anything, you have to look at the legal implications. Also:

1. Lots of children's friends parents work.
2. Children change and swap friends all the time (surely that's obvious)
3. Some parents may not want to have your children in the holidays :eek:
4. At what age do you think you stop getting to know the parents of your children's friends? It's easy when they're little - you chose your kids friends, when they get above, say, 7, they start picking their own. Why would you get to know the parents?


In answer to the OP, my daughter usually goes to a club, around any other stuff going on - so, I take hols, my OH takes hols, some sleepovers are arranged adhocly and playdays, and the rest she goes to a playscheme. It gets easier as they get older.

seven-day-weekend

One partner work days, and one nights. Or, one work weekdays and one weekends.

Single parents could work this out between them (wages topped up with tax credits if they are working at least 16 hours a week).

Then you don't need a childminder/nanny/babysitter/after school club/nursery/other-assorted-childcare.

minimoneysaver

property.advert wrote: »

Perhaps on the gravy train that is the public purse or in minimum wage jobs but in the commercial world that is just not practical.

Sorry, but this isn't true. Lloyds TSB, NatWest, BAE just to name a few offer term time contracts with flexible working. If you don't ask, you don't get.

onlyroz

Well I send my son to a holiday club run by one of the local secondary schools. Its around £25 a day and he does all sorts of activities from arts/crafts to trampolining, football etc. It covers kids aged 3-11 (not quite sure what to do once he reaches 11 though...). I'd suggest contacting your local authority to see what's available. Or maybe the school has a parent support person who will know what is available in your area?

Spendless

onlyroz wrote: »

Well I send my son to a holiday club run by one of the local secondary schools. Its around £25 a day and he does all sorts of activities from arts/crafts to trampolining, football etc. It covers kids aged 3-11 (not quite sure what to do once he reaches 11 though...). I'd suggest contacting your local authority to see what's available. Or maybe the school has a parent support person who will know what is available in your area?

Is that not age inclusive? ie from the 3rd birthday until the child's 12th birthday. It is here. Assumming it is, then depending where child's birthday falls and how your AL runs, use the childcare when he is still 11, and your AL for the school hols when he turns 12 for as much as you can till he heads near to his 13th birthday. Or you may find that there are other things available as he gets to Secondary school age.

oldandhappy

My daughter hubby and daughter HAD to downsize and moved from Kent to 500 metres away:eek: she works within the NHS part of a team in a hospital nursery hours 9.30-2.30, she is expected as part of her work contract to attend work in bad weather and even stay over if necessary. She can book the nursery also for any school hols at an expense she really could do without in her particular circumstances...so we look after our grand-daughter most of the school holidays. We find our 8.45 to 3.30ish 5 days a week just a bit too much but feel the want to ease the burden. During the summer term we were doing two days a week which was 'great' but gd was finding the nursery quite boring and dd was feeling the pinch.... so we kind of offered:lipsrseal. Dianne

flea72

oldandhappy wrote: »

My daughter hubby and daughter HAD to downsize and moved from Kent to 500 metres away:eek: she works within the NHS part of a team in a hospital nursery hours 9.30-2.30, she is expected as part of her work contract to attend work in bad weather and even stay over if necessary. She can book the nursery also for any school hols at an expense she really could do without in her particular circumstances...so we look after our grand-daughter most of the school holidays. We find our 8.45 to 3.30ish 5 days a week just a bit too much but feel the want to ease the burden. During the summer term we were doing two days a week which was 'great' but gd was finding the nursery quite boring and dd was feeling the pinch.... so we kind of offered:lipsrseal. Dianne

as a worker for the NHS, has she looked into nursery vouchers via salary sacrifice, or childcare help via tax credits.

However, not being funny, if she cant afford to work/pay childcare to at least give you one day off a week during the holidays, then my point would be, they should have downsized a bit more, so they can afford to live. the hours she works, it would be about £20 for one days childcare, why is this not feasible, when she herself must be earning £30 a day? ok i understand it means she doesnt really make any money that day, but she can easily top that up by doing other things

im surprised that as she works in the childcare field, she hasnt set up as a childminder herself. it means she has zero childcare costs for her own child, and you then get to just be a grandparent again

F

starnight_2

I work admin in the NHS, I use to do term time but the previous 2 years my DS goes to the work summer scheme which lasts 6 weeks. The last two weeks I take as holiday.

Sometimes it is worth asking if there is term tiem where you work.