The summer holidays and Christmas may be at opposite ends of the year. Despite this, however, they have a lot in common. In particular, they can both be very expensive. In principle, the expense can be mitigated (at least partly) by advance planning. In practice, both summer and Christmas tend to creep up on people unawares.
If you’re a parent facing dealing with the summer holidays, here are some tips to help.
Find out what childcare help is available
Childcare help can be both formal and informal. Both can come from various sources, some of which can be more obvious than others.
For example, your local council may be an obvious source of help. These often run their own holiday-support schemes and/or implement schemes created by the central government. Schools are also obvious sources of help. There are, however, other options that you might not have considered such as local charities or facilities such as libraries.
Similarly, your family and friends may be obvious sources of informal help. Again, however, there may be other options such as informal parents’ groups. These may have been formed purely to get families over the summer madness. There may also be the possibility of cooperating with other parents to share private childcare services and, hence, their costs.
If you\’re employed, then your employer may offer formal and/or informal help. For example, they may run official schemes to help with childcare. Alternatively (or additionally), they may be prepared to show additional flexibility to working parents. For example, they may allow you to work around your childcare needs.
See if you can get any financial help
Even if you’ve not had the chance to save for summer or to request financial assistance, you might not have missed out completely. At this point, you’re unlikely to get much, if anything, in the way of direct financial support. You may, however, still be able to get benefits with a cash value. For example, you may be able to get help with feeding your child through the summer.
You may also find you can get help with resources to keep your child entertained. Depending on your situation (and your child), this could mean anything from enrolling them in free online programs to getting free toys and/or sports equipment. Again, remember that these resources may not all come through formal programs. Keep an eye on local sources of information such as community forums.
Also, remember that there’s a good chance there will be various discount schemes running even in summer. These can be on anything from regular shopping to activities. In addition to keeping an eye out in general, try signing up for newsletters from relevant businesses and organisations. Use a burner email account if you’re concerned about your main one becoming clogged up.
Get your kids involved in budgeting
Even younger children can usually grasp the basic idea of budgeting. Ideally, you’ll turn it into a game rather than a sacrifice by setting them challenges to achieve. The older a child gets, the more actively they can participate in budgeting. They may also be able to find ways of earning an income. The school holidays are a break from schoolwork but they can be used for other types of work.
Put a plan together for the year ahead
Summer can be exhausting for parents but it’s also a good reminder of the importance of planning ahead. Firstly, you need to repair any financial damage the current summer holidays have caused as quickly as you can. Secondly, you need to start building up reserves for next summer.
Doing this may require setting your child’s/children’s expectations regarding Christmas. If this makes you feel guilty, remember that long-term stability benefits children far more than a few days of expensive fun and presents.
