Figuring out your summer holiday childcare is difficult every year. Although things are happily back to normal, navigating summer childcare while parents are still working, can still be tricky. So, what are your options? You still have lots! And each one comes with pros and cons, depending on your family’s needs.
Work From Home
Since the start of covid, working from home has become a welcome norm for many families, which has allowed families to juggle work and kids, but the precarious juggle can still be tough. If this is a good option for you, but your employer has asked employees to come into the office some days of the week, ask them if you can continue working from home over the summer holiday. The pandemic has shown that working from home is here to stay, so don’t be afraid to ask for what you want or need. It’s a more than reasonable request. And lastly? Pray for more nice weather!
Hire a Part-Time Nanny
If juggling work and looking after the kids just isn’t an option, a part-time nanny could be the answer. Part-time nannies are brilliant because they come straight to your house, so you don’t have to worry about dropping the children off anywhere. They can entertain, feed, play with and help the children with any homework until you’ve finished with work for the day. The best thing of all though? They’ll form a special bond with your children. You’ll know they’re in safe hands and having plenty of fun over the summer holidays (needed more now, than ever before!). Whether you need them for 4 hours a week or 40, we’re here to help find your match. They’re the ultimate summer childcare.
At Koru Kids, we offer a competitive nanny service for families across London, without any upfront fees.
Au Pairs
Like nannies, au pairs are a fantastic option too, although it appears that there aren’t as many available this year, as opposed to previous years (pre-covid). Au pairs will look after your children during the day, and they also live with you, so your summer childcare comes with loads of flexibility and very little worry. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic – and Brexit – lots of au pairs have gone home to be with their own families. If you love the idea of an au pair but are finding it difficult to find one, a student nanny could be a great alternative instead.
You can learn more about au pairs in our childcare guide.
Share a Nanny
Nanny shares are growing in popularity, and the Government is now allowing them to continue – which means there’s no need to panic if this was something you were originally relying on for summer childcare. A nanny share is as convenient as having a nanny, keeps your children socialised, and works out cheaper than having a sole nanny because the cost is shared.
Nanny shares work by two families living near one another sharing the same nanny, so there’s tonnes of flexibility. Drop offs and pick ups can be from one house or the other, and the nanny can help with sole care if it’s ever needed too. The children still get lots of attention and can form close bonds, with the bonus of spending time with another family’s children for that extra added fun. After two uncertain years due to covid, we can all agree this is the summer to get them socialising again!
At Koru Kids we love nanny shares so much we even created a totally free Family Finder tool to help you find the perfect family to pair up with. We can also help you find a brilliant trained, vetted and local nanny to nanny share with here.
Family
With no more enforced lockdowns, parents can rely on family members to help with summer childcare again. If you’re lucky enough to have relatives nearby who are able and happy to help, this is a great option. There’s lots of trust in family, they may be able to care for the children at your home or theirs, and they’re the cheapest option. If they’re not available to help out for the whole summer, it might be worth thinking about using a part-time nanny for the days your relatives have other commitments. Or alternatively, use family as a back-up alongside a part-time nanny.
Book onto a Summer Camp
Summer camps are back in town! Unlike during lockdown, summer camps are in full swing again this year. They’re a fab option if you need to get a solid week or more of work done, and you also want the kids to be having fun, burning off energy, away from screens and making new friends.
Summer camps involve all sorts of activities children may not usually get to try at school: archery, camping, swimming, cooking, and other outdoor activities. More importantly they’re hubs for children to make new friends to share these memories with. With travel overseas still looking limited this year, they’ll be a luxury for the kids to appreciate this summer. For some wraparound care, a part-time nanny would pair nicely alongside the camp, to pick the kids up, make dinner and look after them until you’re finished with work. They’ll also then be able to cover childcare for any remaining weeks and potentially into the school year if needed.
For more detail about your summer holiday childcare choices, read our Childcare Guide.
