DH and I were discussing our plans for the future. In our ideal life I will stay at home with the children until they are school age (while he works) and I'll head back to part-time work once the children are at school.
But...what do you do during the school holidays? There are not enough weeks of paid leave, so do you just take unpaid leave, or send the kids to holiday programs, or...?
I realise that this scenario might not pan out like this at all, but I'm interested to know what other people find works for them.
Even though DD is not long born, I was worrying about this too!! I said to DP "What do we do when she's got school holidays & we're both at work??", he was like "What now??"
...so what if I'm trying to get out of working at all..?! LMAO
My DD just started school last week so I have done some thinking about this too. I am going to be working 4 days per week but I plan to take 2 days off in each week of the holidays so that I can be home with DD but on those days I may be looking after other people's children to payback for them having DD. For example I have a friend who has a 7 year old and I usually look after her for one day in the holidays so my DD will go to their place in the other week. hopefully DH will stay home a day or two and she will go to my mums for a day or two.
I am not sure that it will really work as it may not mean we have enough leave to take our 2 weeks to go away together as a family, but we will try it.
I've been thinking about this too, and DS isnt anywhere near school age yet.
My parents both worked full time when my brother and I were at school.
School holidays were always spent with one or the other parrent, they took turns in taking leave, we also went to stay with relatives - lots of holidays at my Aunty's house who was a SAHM at the time, and sometimes, especially in the summer holidays, we;d go to stay with my grandparents for a week or 2.
So not many family holidays as such, except at Easter when we would go away for a week or so each year.
We rarely went to holiday activity programs, but I do remember going to one of them and liking it, would have been early primary school.
My employer actually runs a holiday program for children of employees and their families/friends. Even though DD is a way away from school... I've been thinking about it too!
You may also be able to negotiate with your employer and prorata your pay to have extra time off work. At my place of work we can have up to 4 extra weeks of holidays per year by doing this.
Childcare during school holidays
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