School holidays are here … again! It really does feel like the kids have just gone back to school and it's time to think about what are you going to do for the next school holiday break. A quick calculation will tell you that children get approximately 12 weeks of holidays a year. Most working parents get 8 weeks between them, leaving at least 4 weeks where the children have no one to mind them. Unless you both want to use all your annual leave to solely look after the kids and never have a break together or as a family you need to start looking at alternative childcare methods.
Some families are able to change their working lifestyle to manage school holiday childcare such as starting their own business or opting for one parent to deliberately take on a role where they are able to work flexible options from the home. This however is not feasible for everyone. So what options do working families have for the school holiday period?
- Take your child/ren to work. This is a nice idea and there really are some employers who are open to this suggestion. This works well for some, especially those with older children who are able to occupy themselves a bit better with digital devices, books and crayons.
- Collaborate with your kid's friends parents. Sometimes taking days off between you is a "win-win" solution for all. You may have one or two extra kids for the day but as long as it is reciprocated it is all good.
- Family especially grandparents that are willing and able to have the children for part or all of the holidays are an absolute Godsend. If you are lucky enough to have this option embrace it as you are very lucky.
- School Holiday Programmes. There are a variety of holiday programmes out there you just need to assess your needs and research you options carefully. It can be a minefield looking into this option so a good starting point is to look at what your child's school offers. In the lead up to the holidays their book bags will be filled with notices for programmes affiliated to the school as well as other activities and programmes available. The kiwi families website has an excellent article on the what, why, how of choosing a holiday programme that should make things a lot easier.
Figuring out your options does take quite a lot of organisation so the best thing you can do as a working parent is to start planning early. Mark the holidays for the year out in your calendar; research your options and book programmes as early as possible. Hopefully this will make the process a whole lot less stressful.