What half term means for me – Mummascribbles

There are lots of parent bloggers right now writing about all their half term plans and tweeting lots of photos of their adventures so far.

This morning when I got in the car to drive Zach to my mum’s and remembered it was half term, I did a little fist pump because I realised that my journey would be so much easier! For me, half term brings quiet roads, quieter trains and less stress getting to work. I got to mum’s in record time for a Monday morning. I caught the right train. I actually got into work at 8.30 on the dot and there was no stress. Half term is five days of peaceful commuting, although the streets are a lot buisier! I just nipped out for my lunchtime walk and there were lots of families out having fun on the Southbank.

Of course, it won’t always be like this for me. Zach will be starting school the year after next and then half term and all other school holidays will be all about juggling childcare and annual leave. Gawd knows what sort of plans I will have to make throughout the summer holidays.

For working mums, these long periods of school closures can be an absolute nightmare. We don’t get enough holiday each year to cover all of the time they are off school and yet it is the time that I guarantee we would most want to be with our children. School holidays are about going on day trips, to cinemas, museums, for walks etc., and to have to schedule these in to our working diaries are tricky. To want to be there for the children vs needing to be at work earning money to pay for such treats! What a bloody hard toss up and juggle it is.

I still have two and a half years before this becomes a factor in my life and I try not to think about it too much! That’s two and a half years to win the lottery or to find a job that pays loads of money for less hours! Easy right?!

How do other working mums out there deal with the school holidays and work? I’d love to know so that I can plan ahead in case I don’t get that lottery win!