My daughters are off school today, as it is an inset (AKA in-service) day, when the schools are closed to pupils to allow the teachers to participate in training workshops. These days are a major pain in the butt for working parents like me, as we have to either take the day off or arrange childcare cover.

I am very lucky to be blessed with the best inlaws I could ever wish for. They are always on hand to look after the girls. I would not have been able to return to work, and certainly not fulltime hours, if it were not for my wonderful inlaws. They have helped out with childcare, to top up the girls’ nursery hours and after-school club hours, for almost five years now.

I am also fortunate to have a decent amount of annual leave entitlement in my job.  Due to my long continuous service, I have the maximum amount of days – 33 days, as  well as eight days public holidays.  This allows me to be able to take a week at Easter, three weeks in the summer, a week in October and a week at Christmas, with a few days left for other eventualities.  However that still leaves a week at Easter, three weeks in the summer and several inset days for me to have to make alternative childcare arrangements.

I’m fortunate, too, to work flexible working hours, with no core hours.  This was particularly useful today, as I had to drop the girls off at the with my inlaws before work, which is normally about a fifteen mile round trip.  However, with all the roadworks, reduced speed limits, diversions and temporary traffic lights en route, this task took considerably longer than usual.

Now, I’m off to schedule my childcare arrangements for the summer holidays which are just six weeks away!….