It Takes a Village—But Parents Are Doing It Alone This Summer

Working families in Jersey share anonymous stories of burnout, impossible childcare costs, and being let down by employers.

Summer holidays are meant to be a joyful time for children, six/seven long weeks of sunshine, fun, and freedom. But for many working parents in Jersey, these weeks represent a source of dread. Beneath the surface of playdates and beach days lies a growing crisis: a broken summer childcare system that leaves families stressed, unsupported, and increasingly disillusioned.

I put out a request asking local parents how they were managing to juggle work and childcare over the summer break. The responses came in fast and anonymously. Many were fearful of speaking openly, worried about how employers might react if they knew the full extent of the struggle. What I heard was deeply troubling.

“Even Holiday Clubs Don’t Work”

Many parents told me they were relying on holiday clubs to plug the gap left by schools closing, the reality is this:

“They run at odd times so it doesn’t cover the full day,” one parent explained. “You still need to find help either side of it. It’s no wonder people are deciding not to have children!”

Another mother said she can only afford holiday club coverage until midday. The rest of the day is filled with unpaid leave, begging family for help, or juggling remote work while entertaining a child.

With costs running as high as £375 per week for two children, many families are simply priced out. And that’s if they’re lucky enough to get a place. Holiday club spaces fill quickly, and for parents working full-time hours, most options don’t align with a typical 9-to-5 schedule.

No Family Support, No Options

The burden becomes even heavier for those without extended family nearby. Jersey’s insular geography means that for many, there simply isn’t a grandparent or sibling who can step in.

“No grandparents, no support network… I would LOVE to be lucky enough to book my child into a week’s worth of clubs!” one mother told me.

For parents of children with special educational needs or disabilities, the situation is even worse. Several parents highlighted the lack of tailored options, with only one official SEN holiday scheme on the island—and even that is limited to a few hours a week, if a place is approved.

“Even coping with trying half a day summer club is a battle,” one parent of a child with additional needs shared.

The Invisible Weight of Workplace Inflexibility

Even where childcare is available, many parents told me it’s their workplaces that let them down most.

“I have an inflexible employer,” one mother said. “I take time off to drop off and pick up, and it goes down badly. I’m made to feel like I’m not committed.”

Several parents admitted they’ve changed careers entirely, often taking pay cuts or choosing term-time only roles just to make the system work.

But this ‘solution’ isn’t ideal. “It sounds like a dream,” said one mother of her term-time job, “but juggling work between long holidays is incredibly stressful. There’s no real downtime. You’re always ‘on’.”

Some families are forced to rely on patchwork arrangements—swapping days off with their partners, working patterns like ships in the night and using annual leave, or working odd hours. It leaves many feelings burnt out before summer is even halfway through.

When the System Fails, Mothers Pick Up the Slack

While both parents face challenges, there’s no doubt that the emotional and logistical weight of childcare still falls largely on mothers.

Many wrote about the impossible expectations placed on them to ‘do it all’: be present for their children, keep their jobs, and maintain their own wellbeing—all while navigating a system that provides little structural support.

“I wish there was more support to keep mums and babies together,” one woman shared. “Even breastfeeding and expressing at work was a nightmare. There was no time, no space, and no understanding.”

Another mother wrote: “I returned to work because I had to, not because I was ready. The guilt of leaving my baby was one thing, but then being treated like I was ‘less committed’ made it worse.”

For single parents, the strain is often unbearable. One mother said she simply couldn’t afford holiday care at all this summer and was relying entirely on unpaid leave and “winging it.”

What Employers Can Do:

The truth is, most working parents aren’t asking for luxuries. They’re asking for basic empathy, flexibility, and recognition that parenting during school holidays is not a private issue, it’s a social and workplace one.

Here are some practical things employers can do right now:

• • Allow remote working during school holidays where the role allows it.
  • Offer flexible hours, such as compressed weeks or staggered start/end times.
  • Provide family leave days or additional paid leave for primary caregivers.
  • Avoid scheduling important meetings during school drop-off and pick-up windows.
  • Support parents of children with disabilities or SEN with tailored flexibility.
  • Create a culture of understanding, where employees don’t fear punishment for parenting responsibilities.

If employers truly want staff to “bring their whole selves to work,” they must accept that for parents, this includes their children, their stress, and the endless logistical acrobatics required to make school holidays work.

A System Near Collapse

“There’s so much talk about keeping your kids active over the holidays,” one parent wrote, “but no one talks about how impossible it is for working parents.”

For now, most are doing what parents always do, coping, sacrificing, and silently hoping for change. But the cracks are showing, and it’s time we acknowledged them.

If we want families to thrive, if we want women to stay in the workforce, and if we want future generations to grow up supported, then this conversation can no longer be whispered behind closed doors.

The system isn’t bending anymore. It’s breaking. And we can’t afford to keep looking away.