How do you cover childcare for the Summer holidays?

Being a working parent, there are bases that I have to cover in order to be able to provide for my family. Of course going out to work means that Leo cannot come with me. It means that I have to have childcare to look after Leo when I cannot. I am really lucky on this front and have my Mum who cares for Leo while I am away at work. This is amazing as Leo is just as much at home at Granny's house as he is at his own. I guess as we lived there for 18 months, he does just accept their home... as our home.

In just over a year I will be facing a new dilemma. Leo will be starting school and I will have to cover the time that schools aren't open, Summer holidays for instance. Who knows what I will be doing work wise by then? I may still be doing my part time hours, but I could just as easily go back and work full time. I really don't know what my situation will be when the time comes, but there will certainly be days during the holidays that I need to find childcare. It's a topic that anyone with children has to think about at one point or another, but for parents who have to find family or friends to have the kids, or pay for out of school clubs for weeks at a time... It can prove difficult.

Cotton Traders have very recently conducted a survey to find out where and how children around the UK will be looked after during the upcoming six week break. 2,000 parents with children aged between 0 to 18 were asked a series of questions on this topic, and they provided some responses that you may find interesting...

In a day and age where both Mum and Dad are heading out to work, it makes sense for parent's to put some holiday aside and book some time off for the kid's summer break. After all those summer months are the best times to get out and about as a family. Interestingly though 28% of those booking holiday to look after the children said they would be booking separate weeks to their partner. I can see why this makes perfect sense, as it is something that both Luke and I have done in the past to cover childcare. Booking separate holiday periods allows one of us to always be at home with Leo, and it means that if Granny is away for 2 weeks we can each cover a week at a time.

In another area of the results, it highlighted the average age that parents are happy to leave their child un-supervised during the school holidays. This is a point that I think everyone has their own individual opinion on, and I think ultimately it depends on your child and whether they are ready for the extra responsibility. So what is the average age that parent's are happy to leave their children home alone? The average age that parent's are happy to leave their children at home un-supervised is 13 years old. Around the Year 9 mark at school. Do you agree with this age? Would you leave your child home alone at 13?

It can be so hard to find the right working/lifestyle balance , I have been trying to perfect it since I stumbled back to the office in 2012. I know that this is going to be a balance I continue to battle for many years to come.

What is your plan of action for childcare during the 6 week break?

Survey results provided by Cotton Traders

The End is Nigh

I have been on leave from work since Monday June 27th 2011. 

This was the day I went into labour and finally met my beautiful little man. I had worked right up to the very day of having him and put off my leave for as long as possible, as I knew that the longer I worked, the more time I would have with Leo on maternity leave.

It all went to plan and I had a whole year ahead of me. 

It felt like we had forever, all of eternity.

Only a year doesn't last forever, it does only...last a year.

Now that year is up... and this time next week I will be back behind my desk, for 5 days a week. 8:30-5:00.

I cannot imagine any other existence than the reality that I have lived and shared with Leo over this past 13 months. This life is all I have ever known since having Leo, we have shared everything together.

We have played together, laughed and cried, but we have had the most amazing times.

That one on one quality time, every single day.

Heading off on new adventures at every opportunity.

There quite simply does not seem to be enough hours in the day for me to return to work. There is far to much playing to be done, peek a boo and all those tickles that Leo loves so much.

I guess the playing will still go on, but those games will not be played with me by day any longer. They will be played by Leo's Granny. 

Is it wrong that I feel envious that she gets to stay home and play with him? When in the perfect world, it would be me, and me alone.

That is one emotion that I am feeling a lot recently. I envy Mummy's who do get to stay at home, or even just work a few days a week. I envy the fact that somehow they can get by without Two full wages in the bank each month and I wish somehow that was a possibility for me.

I know that it is not, and I have known this all along. 

One thing is for sure though...

I have made the very most of this 13 months with Leo, I can look back and say that we have done so very much. There is not one day that I can say we have not done something worthwhile and I look back on my timed out leave with nothing but smiles and happy memories. 

I will be back behind my desk this time next week, but on my desk, in pride and place Leo's photo will be there staring right back at me. His big bright eyes and beautiful smile will guide me through my day, and when I do get home from those day's in the office, we will continue to play until I tuck him up in his cot and he closes his beautiful Blue eyes.

Laura

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