no childcare

oppostar

Hi i'm a long time browser but first time poster. Just have a curious question to ask, hope it's the place. All the parents out there of school age children, how do you manage childcare. For example family and friends help or do you pay for it and is worth it moneywise? Justasking because i am living with my partner, have two kids, one 9 and one 12, no family or friends to help out or willing to help out. Could possibly afford to put the youngesr in after school club during term time but i have no childcare for 12 year old, still think he is a bit young to be coming and going himself.

Biggest problem is school holidays, just curious as to how other parents manage it,

thanksx

balletshoes

my DD is 11, nearly 12. When she started primary school at age 4, I reduced my hours at work. So I went to work when she went to school, and I finished work in time to collect her from school. She was in breakfast club from 8am for most of her primary school to allow me to do this and still keep decent hours at work.

Now she is in secondary school, we still usually leave home at the same time as each other in the morning (she walks to school, its close by) but if I'm not home for half an hour or so after she gets home from school, thats fine, she's okay with that and I'm happy enough to leave her to sort herself out for that length of time (actually I'm happy enough to leave her for longer at her age).

School holidays - I do still rely on my family to help me out in the summer holidays, and I do the same. ie my daughter and my niece are a year apart, so if my sister has both of them for a week or 2 in the school summer holidays, i take my annual leave over a different 2 weeks and offer to have my niece (and my nephew, who is older and rarely comes, but the offer is there) when I'm off. Up til now both my daughter and my niece have gone to stay with my mum too for some of the school summer holiday, I don't know if either of them will choose to do that this year, but if they don't we'll sort something out so they're occupied and safe.

The other school holidays/inset days etc we cover between my OH and I.

Del_Astra

After school Club during term time, family and annual leave durning hols. Finanically the after school club is our biggest monthly outgoing, it does allow us both to work full time however and they are very good which puts your mind at rest.

balletshoes

OP what have you been doing up til now for childcare in the holidays etc?

gibson123

Many after-school clubs also have holiday clubs, you save up for the holidays to spread the pain. Some parents take separate holidays, or cut down hours in summer holidays. I know others who send the kids to relatives for a short time in the school holidays.

Most 12 year olds are ok to be left for a few hours on their own and it teaches responsibility. A quick call to Mum to say that's me home now and another to say that the homework finished, is usually all the supervision they need.

WantToBeSE

I dont have any family or friends to help out, so i have to rely 100% on childcare.
Not too expensive during term time (i have 2 school age children) but a killer in the holidays.
When working NMW, i pay £7 an hour for my kids to be with a childminder...yet NMW is only £6.17.
Bank holiays are even worse, as the childminder charged double time, and i wasnt paid any extra.
Not fun for 10weeks of the year! I would have to save all year to be able to afford the childminder in the holidays.

At the moment, i am not working, but i hope to bevery soon. My son is older now (13 next week) so can look after himself for childcare, which only means paying for my younger son.

oppostar

Balletshoes i had been doing college courses, local courses and open university, my dad was able to sit with the kids until i came home but has just finished a course of chemo so i won't be asking him again. Also i want and need to go back to work, i have a lot of friends who are carers and recommend it but i can't do shift work. Been that long now my confidence is rock bottom but if i can get childcare sorted i would bite the bullet

joannasmum

Breakfast and afterschool club in term time and combination of family and annual leave in the holidays. We only have a week togerther in the summer but cover at least 3 weeks between us, and try to cover as much of the rest of the holidays between us as we can.

When DD goes to senior school she will have to be trusted we don't have any other choice! At that point she will be getting the public bus each way as well so it has to be our goal for her to be independent and trustworthy enough by the time shes 11 and a half.

pinkshoes

Mine is only 2, my childcare is £1000/month. To get round the school holiday issue when he's older, I'm currently retraining to be a teacher.

I know people who take a week of holiday to look after their and someone elses child too, then the other parent does the next week.

oppostar

it's probably just me being paranoid but my 12 year old is actually very mature for his age, he is 13 in may, so i could trust him by himself for a wee bit. I could start off part time and put the younger one in after school club maybe 3 days a week so wont be too expensive. Will just have to deal with the school hols when they come lol, thanks for all your advice.

Cherry_Bomb

Mines a combination if a fantastic breakfast and after school club as well family.

With regard to the shift work it is doable. What time does your OH start work? Would he be able to drop the younger one off at a breakfast club? If you worked an early (usually a 7am start) you'd be able to the after school pick up and vice versa