[migratory birds]

With several 2-3 wk breaks during the school year (and the longer summer break) is it difficult for working parents to find daytime care for their school-aged kids during these breaks? If no kids programs or "camps" available, are most employers likely to give parents the latitude to take that time off throughout the year?

[wilson182]

This answer is for the Christchurch area - not sure if it will be the same for everyone.

The two bosses I have worked for both have children themselves. They have both been very understanding to the pressures of a working parent. I don't know if this is a general thing, or if I have just been lucky.

When I lived in the city, the holiday program I used ran for the two weeks of the end of term breaks. Here in Rangiora, the holiday program only runs for the second week - not the first. However, both here in Rangi and in the city the summer holiday programs - for some reason - only run for the last two weeks!!!

Hope this helps

[Huttvalleypom]

With several 2-3 wk breaks during the school year (and the longer summer break) is it difficult for working parents to find daytime care for their school-aged kids during these breaks? If no kids programs or "camps" available, are most employers likely to give parents the latitude to take that time off throughout the year?

There are plenty of good holiday programmes for school age kids, in the main population areas at least. The one we use (run by the local authority) costs $30 a day and the kids get involved in a huge range of exciting activities including swimming, go karting, paintballing, cinema trips, outdoor sports and more. Our ten year old son loves it and looks forward to it with a passion.

Such holiday clubs (like many other activities) do not seem to be as risk-averse as you may be used to if coming from Europe/US. Kids are allowed to be kids which, in our opinion, is a great plus.

Cheers

[ruthyroo]

Here in Dunedin there seem to be a lot of holiday programmes run by big employers and the Council (who are a big employer too I guess!) The University runs some, including a marine studies one down at their station on the Peninsula.

Overall I think that NZ is far more considerate of the needs of working parents and families and relaxed about people taking time out for personal reasons in general - that's the positive flipside of the relatively 'slack' attitude to working life that some people have experienced and commented on! Even teachers have far more leeway to, for example, take time off when their child is sick - this would be a major source of moans in the UK. In fact I've come across far more families and older couples chucking in their jobs or taking extended leave to do personal things, like travel or live abroad, than I ever recall from the UK.