Working mums - 1 child at school + 1 not?

Hey - I've been thinking alot about childcare this week while search for in-home care for Morgan for one day, so we can continue Jake kindy that day ... and daycare options as we may want to move Morgan once Jake is at school (our daycare is while away) etc etc .... and just got to thinking:

If you work, and have one child at school plus at least another one not at school, what do you do with them in the holidays?? (Or plan to do if you're not quite in this situation yet?!) I'm not putting a 5 year old into a holiday programme by himself .... but if Morgan is in daycare it will only be him off! Do you take time off every holidays?? Share the time off with hubby? Use family? Holiday programmes? A combination? Swop days with friends?

Geez, I may never get back to fulltime work at this rate ... the school hours are worse than daycare as it is if I'm trying to work more than 5 hours a day! haha.

This is something we are thinking about at the moment as I go back to work soon after DS1 goes to school. We'll be using homebased care, so like A&Csmum says, he should be able to go to the carers house during the holidays. We are thinking that either DH or I will 1 week off work during each holidays to spend time with the kids and then take time off together over xmas/new years. I'm hoping to go back to work parttime so we hopefully don't have to worry about afterschool care.

It's a mission trying to figure it all out!

I have a friend's kids during holidays, I said yes to having them come play a few days 2yrs ago, & been sorta stuck with them since. Our holidays are very stressful & repetitive. I felt like I should keep saying yes as she implies she has no other option. Then I found out she was using me even when her husband was home (shiftworker) & one day she came to get them almost 2 hours late as she'd "decided to go home & have a shower". My waffling point is I'm glad you're thinking about it now!

OMG tictacjunkie you are WAY too nice! There are about 12 weeks of school holidays a year I hope she gives you lots of lovely gifts/pays you!

Sorry no advice Nikki but really good idea to start thinking about it now.

I thought about this before getting married having kids. My DH is a teacher so I'm sorted when I go back full time I will probably end up totally jealous of all the cool things they will do though

Being a teacher with all those holidays and short hours is looking like a good option now! haha, shame I don't like kids THAT much!

Thats great he likes the holiday programme mummy becks! I remember going to them when I was about 8 or 9 some holidays, but 5 seems a little young to me. I guess if he knows all the kids it would be OK though.

Between me, DH, our mums and friends I guess we will work it out!

I'll still have dd2y & dd5mths at home with me but it will be a lot quieter than normal. I'm telling the other mum this wednesday that I won't be available, not looking forward to her reaction, oh well. & dd5y will be going but that is only because she's with dd7y & ds9y & I know the people running the holiday programme spoil the little kids!

Yep I give whoever minds my kids petrol vouchers if they've had to travel, & if they're going to someone elses I pack them food as well as extra to share. It just seems courteous to me. Sorry for the threadjack! Back to OP I thought $5/hr was pretty good considering ordinary dc costs, plus if you work or study you can (currently) get it subsidised (up to $3.88/hr depending on income, Winz has a calculator). I'd definitely recommend sharing/swapping days with friends during holidays too.