July 21st 2024.
As a parent, I can't help but feel overwhelmed every time I think about the six-week break that my kids get from school. It's a yearly dilemma that my husband and I have to tackle, armed with laptops, calendars, notepads, and phones. We have to strategize and plan how to juggle work and childcare for our two children during this long holiday.
The weeks leading up to the start of the summer holidays are always stressful for me. All I can think about is, "What are we going to do about the six-week break?" It's a daunting task, with so many moving parts that even thinking about it gives me a headache. That's why I strongly believe that this long break for kids is unnecessary.
During a normal week, I work 38 hours spread across weekdays, utilizing the school's breakfast club and an after-school program until 4:30 pm. This gives me an extra two hours to work, which makes a huge difference in my productivity. I also have a trade-off arrangement with a friend, where we take turns looking after each other's kids on Mondays and Fridays. It's a bit complicated, but it works without breaking the bank.
However, when school's out for the summer, this routine goes out the window for my two daughters, aged seven and 10. This means I have to reduce my working hours to three days a week, as I have to take care of my kids on Mondays and Fridays. While you may think, "Great! Long weekends are lovely," it's a different story for me as a self-employed individual. I don't get paid holidays, so if I don't work, I don't earn. It's a tough choice between working less and earning less or working more but spending all the extra money on childcare.
To make things even more challenging, I have to pay for school holiday camps, which cost £25 per child per day. And to add to the dilemma, the camps are only available for three out of the six weeks of the holidays. This means I have to shell out £150 for only half of the break. If I book any more camps, I may end up losing money overall. It's a tough situation, and I have no guarantee that I'll be paid on time.
Thankfully, my husband works from home on Wednesdays and has taken time off in the afternoons. And my father-in-law is kind enough to look after our girls on Thursdays. We also managed to book a week off together, leaving two weeks with no available summer camps. I have no idea what we're going to do during those two weeks.
The lack of routine during these six weeks is unsettling for my kids. They miss their friends, and they get bored easily. As a working parent, it's also a struggle to find affordable activities to keep them occupied. The few local sports sessions available are expensive and not helpful in terms of working hours. It costs me £40 for a two-hour session for both my children, and I can't get enough work done in those two hours to cover the cost.
That's why I strongly believe that the summer holidays should be shortened to four weeks. There are several reasons for this, including the high cost of childcare, the welfare of children from underprivileged backgrounds, and the negative impact of long breaks on learning. For me, the main issue is the cost. If the holidays were cut down, I wouldn't have to pay a lump sum for weeks of childcare upfront. Unfortunately, most summer camps don't offer payment plans, and spaces fill up quickly, so you have to book and pay in full.
My friends who work full-time are also facing the same dilemma, with some paying thousands of pounds for childcare options. For me, reducing my working hours to three days a week already costs me £800 over five weeks. And with the holiday camps running for only five hours a day, I lose another £120 in working hours. That's a total of £920 lost. Add the cost of the camps for three weeks, and the grand total is £1,060 down the drain.
And let's not forget the increase in household bills and the expenses of activities to keep the kids occupied. I try to come up with a list of free things to do, but it's not enough to fill up six weeks. Plus, most of these activities are dependent on the unpredictable British summer weather.
These summer holidays are a struggle for parents, with the lack of affordable childcare, not enough paid leave, and the negative impact on children's learning. It's unfair to both parents and our kids. Shortening the holidays to four weeks would minimize the costs of full-time childcare, protect those in need, and help teachers maximize new learning in the autumn term.
It's time for action. Parents and teachers should push for change and have a solution implemented. With a new government in place, it's the perfect opportunity to make our voices heard. As the long weeks stretch ahead, I'm sure more and more parents will agree with me. It's time to cut short the summer holidays.
Do you have a similar experience? Share your views in the comments below. And if you have a story to share, I'd love to hear from you. Contact me at Ross.email. Let's work together to make a change.
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