Summer holidays...

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Octsmum
Posts: 345
Joined: Wed Mar 08, 2017 11:21 pm

Re: Summer holidays...

Post by Octsmum »

Hi

It's a challenge for all working parents (even though who thought long & hard about children). My DH & I both work and only have one remaining parent with moderate dementia who we wouldn't leave our DD with....

I tend to get a plan during June of the summer holidays day by day to help preserve my sanity. It looks a bit like this:

2 weeks on 'family holiday' be that at home or away, for the other weeks:

DH & I work from home 1 day per week
A day with friends (we reciprocate on the days we're at wfh)
A day or 2 at 'holiday club'. We have a couple we use currently - one sports, one arts & crafts & one watersports....

My DD is just coming to the end of year 6 and most of the clubs finish at 11...so we will be in your boat next summer. - something I have realised doing my plan for this one.

I think we'll be doing something similar to above, maybe more trading days with friends. We have talked about going on PGL breaks when DD & friends are happy to go...

I foresee that the next couple of years will be more challenging - too old for most clubs, too young to leave at home (nor would I want to for the volume of time)....I suspect we might top it up with staying with auntie / friends with elder children who want some pocket money or us wfh another day...(fortunately my employer is relatively flexible)

So interested to see others' views & experiences....
doodles
Posts: 8300
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:19 pm

Re: Summer holidays...

Post by doodles »

Nothing really to add to the other suggestions and the only thing I can suggest is do you have a neighbour or relative who's a late teen and may want to earn some money "babysitting"? My elder DS has done this in the past and it's worked well for both parties. I was lucky enough to be able to change career and only work term time but I see the problems my friends had and it's really hard.

I can reassure you that it does get easier, I promise. I reckon that you probably have another couple of years of this dilemma and after that all you will be needed for is food and money :lol: :wink:
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad !
loobylou
Posts: 2032
Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2014 5:04 pm

Re: Summer holidays...

Post by loobylou »

I am super lucky to be married to a teacher. It takes the stress out of it.
But now they're are very first when he goes out to work during holidays (supervising revision classes etc at school or tutoring for example) as they love time to themselves!
We've left them for the day on their own from year 7 but only in the evenings from the younger being year 7.
food4thought
Posts: 125
Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2016 1:28 am

Re: Summer holidays...

Post by food4thought »

this is my plan:

relax for a week
some study
read some nice books
do some past tests
week holiday in uk or spain
spend some time with granparents

i'm hoping that stops the boredom.
Yamin151
Posts: 2405
Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2013 8:30 am

Re: Summer holidays...

Post by Yamin151 »

food4thought wrote:this is my plan:

relax for a week
some study
read some nice books
do some past tests
week holiday in uk or spain
spend some time with granparents

i'm hoping that stops the boredom.
Yeah, studying and doing pass papers always cured my boredom!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:
Yamin151
Posts: 2405
Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2013 8:30 am

Re: Summer holidays...

Post by Yamin151 »

I work mornings and can work from home a couple days a week, but actually from late age 13 mine were left alone as my work only 5 mins down road, only mornings and they didn't want me around anyway (I do annoying things like opening curtains in rooms with screens and asking them to unload the dishwasher!!). Its just as well I only worked termtime before that because mine have never gone to any sort of holiday club - they absolutely refuse.
solimum
Posts: 1420
Joined: Wed May 09, 2007 3:09 pm
Location: Solihull, West Midlands

Re: Summer holidays...

Post by solimum »

Trying to remember how I coped having worked part-time from when youngest went to school (so ages 4,8,10 - definitely not leavable all together at least in the early years! - and not ideally left together as squabbling teenagers either! ). This is some years ago though, as youngest now 24...

Flexitime so built up extra hours during school times to cut cover needed to only two days most weeks

Grandparents - one lot more local (an hour away) and able to come across for odd days, the others further afield so would have them to stay

Friends/neighbours with similar ages to swap

Holiday club at local college (drop off youngest and continue in on train to work)

Holiday club at local church

Later on (age 11+) they would all have a week away at church camp too

DH working from home

Two weeks family holiday

Survived somehow!
sportsforall
Posts: 259
Joined: Tue Sep 13, 2016 11:02 am

Re: Summer holidays...

Post by sportsforall »

Thanks everyone!

I have managed eight summers successfully up until now but this year the age seems the challenge a/ too old for many childcare options, and b/ them not wanting to be organised all the time.

I think I can see a plan coming together.
Moon unit
Posts: 654
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2014 9:14 am

Re: Summer holidays...

Post by Moon unit »

Just out the other side of this now.
We found getting a neighbours child who was home from uni to help out worked really well all round.
PGL does get cheaper as the holidays get closed.
2 for 1 deals sometimes so mine both went with friends and we split the costs.
It does suddenly get easier again!
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