How to survive the school holidays
Bucket and spade season will soon be upon us and I, like most parents, will once again face the annual dilemma of who is going to look after the children.
For the lucky ones, their parents’ businesses or jobs can be put on hold or planned around the school holidays, but for many people whose annual holiday entitlement is only four weeks it will involve the mammoth task of organising, scheduling, time tabling…
Here’s a few tips from the Back2workmum team which should help make that task a little easier:
Flexible working: ask your employer if they are willing to negotiate your current hours i.e. starting an hour later and finishing an hour earlier or allowing you to work from home.
Annual leave: the most obvious solution is to use a couple of weeks of annual leave and if possible split the time between you and your partner to cover a longer four week period. Not ideal if you’re hoping for a family holiday together but in the worst case scenario a solution none the less.
Childcare: for those remaining days or weeks you may need to call in the help of a registered child minder but before you do check your entitlement via the government’s tax credit system as this could help pay for approved childcare providers. You could also consider asking your school or nursery whether any of the staff are looking for additional work over the holidays as many teachers and nursery staff work as temporary nannies over the summer period. The advantage of this option is that they are qualified, CRB checked and you are likely to know them personally.
Nanny share: if your own childminder is not an option consider sharing a nanny with another family just for the summer period. This can prove cost-effective and great fun for all the kids!
Summer camps: there are many of them around at the moment and most councils provide information and services on childcare availability during the holidays which includes summer camps so get online and research. A good starting point is your local council’s Family Information Services department which should have an up-to-date list of what’s happening in your area.
Relatives: the unsung heroes of every working parent and if all else fails aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc are very often able to help out for the odd day.
As anyone returning to work after having children knows, childcare cost, availability and suitability are key factors to consider alongside a flexible and practical approach to the career or job they return to.
Naz Lewis is the founder of Back2workmum which she launched in January 2009 as a means of realising a gap in the recruitment and training market for mums looking to return to work. Naz is a back to work mum herself with two fantastic daughters who continually inspire her. Back2workmum is a coaching and recruitment agency based in Cobham in Surrey which supports mums looking to return to the workplace. For further information visit www.back2workmum.co.uk
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