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So ... The average school has around 12 (13?) weeks of school holidays per annum, plus curriculum days.
The average full time employee has four weeks of annual leave - and plenty have to take 1-3 of those over Christmas, if the workplace is actually closed ... So how do people manage the rest of the time??
Extended family? Holiday care programs? Kids at home alone?
Very interested to hear.
A bit of all (except kids home alone cause they are 5&6).
My dad lives with us, but he goes to my brothers every school holidays (in another state). Although he is here and helps the first half of Christmas holidays.
So I have used vacation care, friends, sent my dd to my mum's. Had the Inlaws come from Nz, taken time off, DH taking some time off these holidays while I work the whole 2nd week to cover someone else.
It is hard and costly, but we utilise vacation care the most. As you say, 13 weeks kids holidays, vs 4 weeks parents leave.
Fantastic question, have been thinking the same thing lately!:
I think about this all the time - would love to hear what people do...
I was going to post the same thing. I have applied for a full time job and think we can manage the day to day stuff but I have no idea what to do with the kids during the holidays.
As far as I can figure out, there is a holiday program at one of the local schools but it fills up fast so you have to book early. The IL's will also be happy to have them for some of the time, but I would never ask them to do the whole lot - especially the summer holidays. I am just hoping that I can figure something out because at this stage the only thing stopping me from returning to work is the holiday issue.
I only have half holidays as the boys are with XH for the rest. And I'm lucky enough to be self employed so take time off in holiday sbut it is unpaid.
My folks also help out as does DP
It used to be easier - but I can't send DS1 to vacation care because last time he went he didn't cope well and now ds2 is scared of it too. So now it's messy.
Even though mine and my siblings kids are still only little, we were talking about this recently. My sister and brother both have great inlaws who would be happy to help out but we also discussed spliting the holidays between the three families and each having some days off too. We figure between the six adults it would be the easiest way and then the cousins all get to play together too. It would be a headache for the parent "on duty to deal with 6 or 7 children in one go but it's not like it would be a week straight.
My mum and sister get school holidays off so my kids go between them. I am very lucky.
Recurring motif in my house!!!
I work parttime, so this does give me some flexibility, because I'm planning days, not whole weeks. I use several strategies:
* Accrue flextime by working extra days/half days in the weeks prior to the holidays then use some of that
* Purchase annual leave & take it selectively through the holiday period (this smooths the cost of extra weeks of leave over the whole financial year)
* I take my annual leave at half pay. This is the most expensive option but one I use a lot because it also gives me the precious gift of TIME. It also means we never have much spending $ for school holiday fun! LOL
* Booking DD into those days of vacation care where they are running activities/excursions that are of interest to her. Our school doesn't have its own vac care program, so we "shopped around" and tried a few different services. We've got one now that is our preferred, regular service, but you need to book early because the best days book out quickly
* Hubby and I stagger our annual leave. We both get Christmas/New Year off at the same time.
* Oldest daughter (teen) spends a few days staying at her grandies' house each hols.
* In the past, DD1 was in family day care, so vacation care was often with the FDC lady. However places here are really scarce so that hasn't worked with DD2.
I've noticed other families rely heavily on grandparents & siblings, but we've never had that resource to draw on.
I'm a bit weird, because I also organise care for a day each week when I'm at home, so I still get some kid-free time, either to get stuff done (ie, study) or just personal time out. Less important during the small breaks but critical over the summer hols when I'm already a bit of a crazy lady due to the circadian nightmare that is daylight savings.
My SIL has her parents (my inlaws) look after the kids every holidays. They used to live 4 hours away so they were living with the inlaws for the whole time, and it seems to me that they began to resent the arrangement. I don't think I'd like to do this, mostly because we live too far away. Maybe things will change by the time school comes around.
I have two other friends that use the care provided by the school the kids go to. The kids love it because it's a new activity every day and they see their friends. Because mine are already in daycare 5 days a week anyway, I think we'd probably use this option, it wouldn't be completely foreign to them.
When it's my XH week with the kids, he sends them to vacation care 4 days and has 1 day off work. In Christmas holidays when vacation care doesn't run, his mum usually flies them up to her place and they stay for a 1-2 week block
Im a sahm so always have them :)
I chose school teachers as parents ;)
I have done a bit of everything mentioned. DP and I staggering leave, DD going to ex for half hols (only happened for a couple of years), holiday program (can get very expensive if you don't qualify for CCB), friends , inlaws, etc, etc .... mostly though, we rely on DD going to my parents' (who live two hours away).
My last job I took because they asked ME if I wanted it & it was their choice to work around holidays & weekends/sick kids etc.
I have done some holiday work, where I've left 2 home & had 2 with me, or with friends. But this was a cleaning job, 3 minutes away. I could go back & forth as needed, they were able to call me if needed. Very small town. Walking distance away.
Dd1 will be at boarding school next year. There is no vacation care here. Only 1 day a week mobile day care, so those with younger kids who want to work need to be able to rely on each other, or family. I don't have that.
My work place next year will be across from where I live, and dd1 will be home for holidays, so I'll mostly rely on her. But usually all them at home won't work, so I'll send one or 2 off to alternating friends houses those days. It'll only be 2/3 days a week, so I'm not leaving them alone full time. Hopefully I can work that without too much drama!
We manage between the School Holiday Program, taking leave ourselves, grandparents (on my DH side only). This all spread out over the year to accommodate the school holidays.
I have been working part time, so this helps. We are now roll changing so it will not be a problem.
It's tough going as I work in a team and we all have school age kids, not everyone can have the time off at the same time.
I only have to sort half holidays. I ask for them 12 months in advance as LWOP. I get no holiday pay anyway so ferret away and bit here and there and budget, budget, budget. We do a lot of no cost activities in our holiday time.
I get additional leave with work so I can generally mange but we do a combination of
- DP works Saturdays so gets a weekday off
- swap days with friends and their kids
- grandparents
- holiday program at school
- kids come to work with one of us
I would look into purchasing extra leave by being paid 48/52 as it means although your take home is less you don't miss out on pay like leave without pay.
We don't have any family nearby so I send them both to vacation care. I made sure that the school I chose had an outside hours school care program that had vacation care every holidays.
Both DH and I work fulltime so I rely on the vacation care. It costs just over $1k for two kids for two weeks so I budget all term to cover the school holidays. Christmas holidays are the worst as they are so long and the boys finish school at the end of the first week of December. Both DH and I try to take at least 3 weeks off in total but with public holidays etc, then we usually only take about 12 days instead of 15 in leave.
It is not great but I don't have any alternative. At least my boys love vacation care as they have so many activities.
Holiday program which DS1 loves going to as such an awesome range of activities. 1st term went to some friends and my mum looked after him sadly no longer an option.
I only work a few hours 3-4 mornings a week so usually rely on interstate grandparents to come down or use my parents, friends offer to help too.
I only work the first week of the holidays during the year as we close the second week every time, Christmas time we close for 4 weeks.
How do you all thank the family/friends for helping out? I was wondering if supplying some food would suffice and some flowers maybe? I know my parents wouldn't need or expect anything (however I like to give surprise flowers/champagne).
What do you do? Give them cash should they go somewhere that needs an entrance fee??
Is interesting reading - as I will face the issue for the first time next year, but not until the Easter break as DD can stay at daycare until school starts so January is taken care of. If I am working three days a week then as I am now - I assume will just use school holiday program - taking days off won't exactly work because DS will be in daycare and as I am a contractor if I take the day off I don't get paid, but whether or not DS actually attends daycare I will still have to pay (only a very small discount for days booked as holiday) - his daycare doesn't shut for school holidays. We have no family near by to help. DH won't be able to take days at Easter and after that don't know what job he will have, but if he is permanent then he might take some days off.
I do know that this week at work I have been able to book a meeting room no problem when normally is difficult, and the office is noticeably quieter due to people being off due to school holidays.
I have faced this for first time this year with DD1. My husband and I are both from overseas so don't have family to help out day to day. I work 3 days a week and generally how we have worked it is 2 days at a holiday program and 1 day either with dad working from home/in the office with dad/with a friend - we then reciprocate with a day for this child when we can to help out. My MIL is now retired and will come over from the UK during the Christmas/New Year break to help out.
These holidays I am actually off work recovering from spinal surgery and my MIL is over helping out so my DD1 gets to spend time with Grandma and I.
Forgot to mention we have used the Before and After School Program as well. It starts at 7am and runs until 6pm. For alot of parents, they need an extra half hour either side to make it more manageable.
With no family here either we will have to use vacation care :( I don't have to worry till 2016 but it's been on my mind a lot
I don't work. Lucky me aye.
I do offer to look after the children of working mums from time to time, so don't discount the option of school or kinder friends being happy to help. I genuinely feel that adding an additional child (or two if they are well known) makes very little difference to my day. It's no trouble.
Also, we very very rarely partake in school holiday activities that cost any $$, so I don't think that's a bad thing. Aside from an occasional bike ride for an icy pole. We get our DVDs from the library for free too :)
We do a mix. DH is full-time and I work 4 days per week, except over EFY, which means I work all I can.
Vacation care is the first choice,
then DH or myself taking a some time. During the shorter holidays I may take a couple of days and same with DH (thankfully he has RDO's)
then Friends. Some friends are happy to take the girls for a day. Sometimes I help them out as well. Often they are happy to have the extras around as it keeps their own kids from getting bored ;)
Family. When possible MIL will come over (she is in Tas). Very handy over EFY as it means I can work more hours, also she helps with a lot of the housework, so really takes the pressure off there. Downside is that MIL is reluctant to drive now, so it can be boring for the girls, great for them getting some downtime for a couple of days, but hard for any longer, so I arrange for friends to visit.
The girls are funny about vacation care. Complain about having to go, but generally have had a great time when I pick them up. I try where possible to pick the days with the better activities, like excursions. It does cost more, but they get to have a great day. They are often zoo, wildlife park, adventures trips so well worth the $$.
It is provided by the council, and booking open 3 weeks in advance, so as long as I am organised in that first week, I get the days I need.
We use holiday programs. We have found a brilliant one near my work. There are lots around to choose from. I try to take the middle of the year holidays off and we always take Christmas. I am considering taking up 48/52 at work to give me more flexibility though. I loath putting my kids in holiday care despite how much they love it.
I am hoping this will be an option once both mine are at school (so I don't have the issue of paying for daycare for DS while I am not at work) - I would be more than happy to mix and match and take peoples kids some days and they reciprocate etc. I think is a good option - and I agree that once probably kinder and up age that adding more children doesn't make too much difference and in some ways makes life easier.:
Astrid that's a good point. Often the vac care excursions cost less than the entry fee you would be paying to go to the same thing, and a lot less than paying for the whole family to go.
I find the party invites for weekdays during school holidays hard. I have booked in vacation care weeks in advance, then the week before the holidays start, the invite arrives.
Last time DD1 went to the friends house for the whole day as it was the only way she could go, but it meant losing a paid for day of care (not refundable)
This time I have just had to refuse as it is just too complicated to work around. The tears have not been fun :(
Milka, I give really good gifts at Mother's Day, birthday and Christmas. I do things like take her to dinner and a show, give a pamper voucher or buy something they really want like a coffee machine.
This year hasn't been too bad for us but it is going to get worse the more kids go to school and then I'll have to go back to work full time so... Yeah. We have the fantastic ILs, who have said that they will help during school holidays, but in four years when all three are at school, they'll be pushing 70 and slowing down. So, dunno.
One of the school mums who works PT takes the holidays off, every term. She takes a mix of full and half and no pay, whatever she has available.
I know someone who works for CGU and they run a holiday program at their office, full time (5 days, 9-5), FREE for a children of staff. Now that is cool.
The thing to consider about vacation care is hours too - lots of them run 9-3 or 9-5, which can be difficult for city workers who also need to do 9-5.
I'd also happily have other kids over, once my three are old enough to all play well together that is. DD had a friend this afternoon and it was awesome, they just played. Takes a village to raise a child and I figure if I put into my village when I can, they will be there for me when I need things.
I'm taking two weeks, from the 25th of January, so that I'll be home when the boys are starting kinder and primary school respectively.
Looking forward to it!
I have quite a bit of leave owing, but didn't want to take the time off during the school holidays when everything's going to be crazy busy - much easier to take off time during term, so have had some nice time with the kids before it all starts up, and will have the weeks when it's all starting and new. I really wanted to experience that with them.
How my life has changed since this thread was started! DD starts kindy in Feb, 2 days one week and 3 days the next. It works well because now I only work on thkse two days, plus 1-3 afternoons/evenings a week once DH is home anyway. Because she's still only in kindy DD is still eligible for childcare, and our childcare has a hih number of parents that are school teachers and take their kids out during holidays. So during that time DD will go to childcare with DS.
When she starts school I'll have to find something for her for those two days. Only four days over two weeks, I'll probably use the vacation care. But once they're both in school full time I'll be looking for full time work, and I really don't know how I'll manage holidays then :(
So now I am in the first year of having a school child during school summer holidays. This year is easy as my mum and dad came over from the UK and have taken both mine camping for the whole holiday and we are just visiting them at weekends. DH and I are both full-time now, and only started mid year so after the time off at Christmas (between Christmas and NY) we have no holiday left - hope my parents can do the same every year :-). The other holidays when both working we have used Camp Australia, a day holiday each, and a friend. Camp Australia is great, but DD gets fed up a bit of going too often, as not many of her friends go much.
Seems the best thing is to accumulate loads of holidays before you have kids or they start school (seems to be the way others at work manage). Once I have finished my probation then I can try sort out about taking some leave unpaid I think.
I trained as a teacher during DS's final year at nursery. It means I can work from home during the school holidays. The hours are awful though, poorly paid and suffering from government prejudice and political games. I would not recommend. Maybe I should have been a teaching assistant instead. Get to do the parts of the job I like, less paperwork and holidays being time off. Even worse paid though.