Holiday Childcare for 12years+?

gardenia101

I'm struggling to get childcare & wondered if anyone could give me some ideas.

I have 2 kids, 9 & 12 & can get childcare for the youngest as school during the term & holiday clubs during the hols. But these clubs don't take secondary school age kids, so I'm stuck. I can't find a childminder who can collect from my primary school & the school exit times don't allow fro my eldest to collect my youngest & walk together to a childminders (assuming I'd be lucky enough to find one within walking distance which I haven't yet!).

What do you all do with your kids that are too old for clubs but too young to be left alone at home full time during the hols?

I've no family, I don't drive & my friends either all work or are carers....

rachbc

My son does a whole mix of stuff - he's 13 so does stay by himslef for odd days - generally arranges a day out with his mates to the indoor skate park/ swimming etc. Our leisure centre does some activities - 10-3 type days so he gets himself there and back, last year he did a YHA residential - cheaper than PGL type holiday but similar activities. He get packed off for a week with the grandparents too.

Sinc ehigh school my son is by himself after school - but its only 2 days a week and I think he quite enjoys his time

adamantine

tbh i dont think you will find any or very few childminders who will take a secondary school aged child.

do you have a "childcare @ home" ran by your local council? they have fully qualified nursery nurses come into your home to watch your children and its paid for on a sliding scale depending on household income.

only drawbacks i found from when i looked into it was that you get 2 or 3 nursery nurses and they wont cook proper meals. i was told they will make sandwiches or put something in the oven or grill as "they are there to look after your kids not do your housework"?! that meant i couldnt use them as with DS2 allergies everything needs to be cooked from scratch and really how much work is finishing off a casserole or coating chicken in gluten free breadcrumbs?

might be different in your area.

**curlywurly**

Would your eldest like to go to PGL? If so, they accept childcare vouchers, and if you wait until the last minute to book, it is still not cheap but it is (IMHO) very good value considering the standard of the activities, particularly if you are able to use vouchers. You often get 2-for-1 offers too. However, if s/he doesn't like sporty-type activities, that wouldn't work.

It's a tricky age isn't it? I have found that even the schemes which accept 12/13-year olds really aren't geared up for them... at that age they don't want to play parachute games and do painting!

gardenia101

**curlywurly** wrote: »

Would your eldest like to go to PGL? If so, they accept childcare vouchers, and if you wait until the last minute to book, it is still not cheap but it is (IMHO) very good value considering the standard of the activities, particularly if you are able to use vouchers. You often get 2-for-1 offers too. However, if s/he doesn't like sporty-type activities, that wouldn't work.

It's a tricky age isn't it? I have found that even the schemes which accept 12/13-year olds really aren't geared up for them... at that age they don't want to play parachute games and do painting!

PGL looks great fun & good value for money for what you get BUT @ £445/week/child I sadly cant afford it on my not more then NMW job. Places like this are often a nightmare to get to on public transport - my nearest centre would be a bus then train then a cab as there is no sunday bus service (most weeks require sunday drop off).

My council childcare/advice service have confirmed there are no holiday clubs available to 12+ & no local childminders with 2 vacancies within walking distance of my kids' schools. I can pay for taxis to take them to a childminder 15 miles away, but there is no named taxi driver (as there is for kids in care) so they could be going with anyone. Not meant as a slight against cabbies, just don't feel happy with not knowing who is ferrying my kids around, never mind the cost....

Looks like I'm not going back to work just now

gardenia101

adamantine wrote: »

do you have a "childcare @ home" ran by your local council? they have fully qualified nursery nurses come into your home to watch your children and its paid for on a sliding scale depending on household income./QUOTE]

Sadly not in my area but it does sound like a really good idea.

I've even tried my local college than does childcare course & qualifications hoping they may be able to recommend someone looking for experience - no joy & I got the impression they thought I was nuts for asking! Seemed like a good idea to me...

claire16c

Have a look on childcare.co.uk.

I once did a job for someone for a few weeks that I found on there. I picked the kids up from school, helped with their homework, gave them tea and took them to any activities until their parents got home.

you can put in a postcode and it will let you search for nannys/child minders/baby sitters on there.

Alikay

you could try www.childcare.co.uk and search for babysitters in your area, rather than childminders. These may be people who have experience with kids but maybe just want to do an odd bit of work here and there rather than go for full-blown OFSTED registered childminding.

Babysitting is in your home, rather than childminding which is in the carer's and the rules and registration are different, although the sitter could be just as experienced with children and young people. TBH, when I give up fostering I'd like to do something like that....kind of a part-time "auntie" sort of role but with the option of having an immaculate white-carpeted home after all these years of kid-friendly decor:rotfl:

Edited to add: Oops, sorry - cross-posted with claire16c; Same info

FBaby

I already posted on your other thread, and you seem ok with after school, the problem is with holiday. Here are suggestions:
-dont' forget that you will have days off so you are not looking for childcare for every day of every holiday
-What I did is work out some rota with two of my friends (who work too) so that they take a day off differently from me and we have each other children. Exhausting, but it does mean 2 days childcare sorted for one day taken off.
-can your children go to grand-parents/father for a week if they do not live locally? similary, can a family member come to yours to stay?
-if your DD start being on her own after school, she will quickly get used to it and a whole day won't make much of a difference. It's about confidence of being on their own. I haven't yet let me DD alone a whole day, and i think I am sorted for the Christmas break, but I think it will happen next year (she will just have turned 12). I wouldn't do it day on day, but one day should be ok.
- Our local David Lloyd offer activities for over 12. It cost a ridiculous amount of money, but I do it in desperation for one day as a very special treat.


All in all, holiadys usually end up being a combination a many things, a day at a friend, a day another, a day with me, a day on her own etc... It's a nightmare to organise, but I have no choice.

Do look into it, it would be a real pity not to take a decent job because of childcare for a 12 year old.

Spendless

Hi. Mine are aged 8 and 11 and I work 5 days so have run into similar problems. with the eldest since he started secondary school. My local football team runs a holiday club at their stadium and another at a lesiure centre (near where I work) where they do days of activities including different sports, ice skating, ten pin bowling, swimming and day trips. Another leisure centre sometimes runs similar. I know from experience that the places I use don't run more than 1 day max at Xmas or in the last week of summer hols, so I plan AL accordingly. Forgot to say-In the summer hols my leisure centre was offerring a summer pass, it was so much to swim all summer at a local pool (you allocated which one), so much to swim at the fun pool and a bit more for the fun pool plus ice skating combined. That's something I'll look into for him next year spending a day down at the pool preferably with a mate. Bus journeys there and back plus a packed lunch should use up plenty of time.

How sensible is the 12 yo? I had to work f-time a few weeks back (I usually finish at 3) my eldest had a key, a set of instructions for when he came in, plonked under the remote control so he was bound to find it.;) and was told to ring/text mum when he got in. My employers don't mind this. I've not read any other posts of your, so am unsure if you have a job, been offerred one, or are applying for one?

Zoetoes

There are a few activity 'camps' round here, do they have anything like that where you live? I often use the cricket ones but there are other things available.