New research reveals that 33 per cent of parents are taking work calls beside the monkey bars, as the summer holidays plunge families into a childcare crisis. The findings, from childcare app Bubble, show that 25 per cent of parents expect to work from a soft play area and 13 per cent from the beach.
The summer scramble
For six weeks each year, plus Christmas, Easter and half-term holidays, parents across the capital and beyond struggle to balance work and childcare. With limited government support, many rely on bosses for flexibility or juggle calls while supervising children.
Grandparents nearby can be a lifeline, but many families live too far away. Holidays abroad are often unaffordable, with flight prices soaring in summer. A YouGov survey found that almost one in five Britons are opting for a UK holiday due to the cost of living.
Financial strain and limited options
In London, HAF (Holiday Activities and Food) programmes offer free activities for low-income families, but only cover half the holiday. Ofsted-registered camps, which benefit from tax-free childcare, cost about £300 per week and are only available for children under 11.
Parents spoke to The Standard at playgrounds in south London, sharing their struggles: "It's very complicated these days. If you work, you are gonna be probably not a very good mother. If you are good mother, probably you are not gonna be a successful career businesswoman."
Another said: "It is quite expensive. So sometimes we will take days off to look after her, just to keep the expenses down."
A third admitted: "What I've tried to do is be at home and balance that out with having them doing things too, which means I either don't get enough work done or leave them to roam. So I don't think I've got the juggle quite right just yet... There's that blur: never quite stopping parenting, never quite stopping [working]. It can be chaotic but I try and remind myself that we've not got that many summers left of having our children."
One parent added: "He gets bored and then wants you to play with him. It’s hard because you are trying to get stuff done and he might pop in while you're having a meeting and on Teams and say hello."
Lessons from Europe
Support for parents need not be another expense, argues freelance writer Eilidh Dorgan. Policies on time off would provide breathing room. In Norway and Sweden, employees get three to four weeks of summer holiday plus parental leave. In Germany, staggered breaks ease travel costs.
Dorgan concludes: "It’s embarrassing that we are so behind many other European nations when it comes to tackling summer childcare. Perhaps our new Prime Minister can make in-roads, but with so many before him failing to tackle the issue, it doesn’t seem like help is on the horizon."
