School holidays

[monty0703]

I'd like to start a family and at the age of 36, sooner rather than later. Both myself and my partner work full-time. My concern is when the child reaches school age - with both of us at work, there would be no-one to look after him/her at school holidays and we don't have family or friends who would be able to help out. What do other people do? I know it seems a long way off, but I guess these are things that have to be considered.

[gina32]

my daughter works full time and has 2 children one at school and one who was at nursery but its now closed and i lookk after her until she starts the new one in 2 weeks, but i looked after my grandson from a few months old until he went to school and i loved every minute, but not everyone is as lucky to be able to do this, i guess you would have to look into childcare by a registered carer or a nursery, i think the gornermnet now help towards the cost of childcare

[gina32]

*government* sorry

[gina32]

and i still look after my grandson while he is on holidays from school, which i may add seems like all the time

[redcrx]

how will you look after child before school age? If childminder / nursery / creche etc many of them offer before and after school clubs.

[ummmm]

You often see childminders picking up kids from school. Nearer the time contact the school....they'll probably have a list of childminders who also have children at the school.

Also, some schools offer an after school club which is usually privately run...some have a mini bus to pick kids up from other local schools.

[gina32]

a lot also depends on what hours you and your partner work

[monty0703]

Thanks for the answers. It's not so much when they are AT school, rather Easter, summer holidays etc. the hours that we work fit in around school ties so that isn't the problem. It's when they are on holiday from school. Unfortunately, both sets of grandparents are no longer with us, siblings abroad and friends (childless) all work full time.

[monty0703]

oop, should read shool 'times' not 'ties'!

[craft1948]

Is there no chance of you being able to stay at home? I know some people consider that unfashionable but I would recommend it if it's a possibility.

[monty0703]

I'd like to stay at home and get part-time work when the child reaches school age but it's just not an option since I earn double what my partner does. Financially, both of us need to work.

[bednobs]

you are worrying about things that are too far off - you might as well be saying "how will we afford to buy them driving lessons"!
there is many a bridge to cross before you need to worry about "school holidays" who know's if both of you will have a job by then? perhaps when you become a mum you might decide to stay at home? perhaps you will work part time like lots of mums? there a re a lethora of options. You might make friends with other mums at the school who will help out, i presume both of you get holidays? you'll just have to take them in the school holidays, or pay someone

[redcrx]

my son went to a nursery from aged 2-5. Once he started school he stopped nursery apart from holiday times when he goes in for holiday club.

There are many options.

[B00]

During school holidays and on the days im working, my daughter goes to Holiday Club from 7.30 to 5.30, 'im assuming the times are pretty standard everywhere. You get all the info about it from school near the end of each term time. You just fill in the relevant forms,pay and off they pop :-)

[PipinHull]

My daughter is collected from school by a childminder who will also have her in the holidays if needs be - she charges about £30 a day (that's to have her for a full day, with tea). Alternatively she goes to my son's nursery, which has an out-of-school club - they charge about £22 a day including activities. For two children, one in nursery, one school, it costs me about £850 a month in childcare during term time - it's gone down a bit since my son had his third birthday (and hence 15 free hours). Whatever you do it will be expensive but don't forget you can take holidays from work - if you and your husband took two weeks each at separate times then two or three together, that's 7 weeks of school holidays covered a year.

[annie0000]

We do a mixture of things - we obviously have the times when we are all of as a family - at other times we days of seperately to cover, I buy extra holidays to cover extra days and we also use an out of school care provider for the rest. As regards a childminder, you will have the same problem as we do in that you don't need care during term time, you only need holidays. Childminders will have the children they have regularly either all day or those they take after school during the holidays, they may also have their own children all day as well so they are rarely ever able to offer spaces for other children for holidays only. Other options could be: finding an employer who is able to offer term time only working, having your child spend a week of the holidays staying with a relative if you have no-one near by, often sports centres run football, tennis or rugby clubs during the holidays. Share care with another childs parents (you could consolodate your hours during holidays maybe so that you work 3 long days instead of 5 short or something) I have never yet failed to find something suitable for them to do over the last 5 years.

I agree though that you cant really let something that far away influence whether you have children or not. These things have a way of working out. I will be in a new situation soon where my boys will be too old for out of school care when they hit high school age (they are 10 and 9 now) but they will not be responsible enough to leave at home either! One at a time maybe, but not two together. So the hunt for me will start again soon.

[monty0703]

Thanks for all the input, it's helped. We've thought about starting a family for the past 3 years or so and it's never seemed like the right time but now we're in a 2 bed flat we have a real chance. Also, being 36 it feels like it's now or never! Scary prospect though!! Makes me mad that our neighbours are expecting their 4th child in 5 years, never worked a day in their life and don't need to consider cost of childcare etc.. Anyway, that's another story..

[annie0000]

I agree with you monty - but at the end of the day, you can take pride in the way you live and the values that you will pass onto your children. Hope it all goes well.

[lardhelmet]

I worked to pay the childminder when my daughter was on school holidays - only way I could keep my job

[welshlibranr]

My grandsons both went to a private nursery while my daughter was at work before they got to the age that the eldest one could go to nursery at the local school, he started nursery there and loved it, but them private nursery could not take him in the school holidays, and so he went to a childminder!.....he hated it there!.........he was so upset and tearful!..........I took care of him for the rest of the school holidays!............so very sad to see him so distraught!.............

[JonnyBoy12]

You earn double what your partner does? This sounds very unusual; who says that women earn less than men? Dare I ask what you and your partner do?

Sorry I have not got any answers to your very sensible question.