How Do You Plan To Make The School Summer Holidays Work?

I was chatting with friends at the school gates earlier about everyone's plans for the summer, when someone mentioned that they're paying a local teen to help keep their kids occupied during the long school summer holidays.

'What a genius idea,' was my first thought, swiftly followed by pangs of maternal guilt for even thinking of paying someone else to mind my kids when technically that's my job.

Except it's not my only job, and it's just not possible to do the one that actually keeps a roof over our heads as well as minding three kids 24/7 during the summer. So what to do? There are summer schemes and sports camps aplenty and indeed all sorts of exciting options open to my kids but can I persuade them to sign up for these? Can I heck.

Whereas persuading the teen kids of some lovely friends to help 'babysit' while I tackle my inbox and attempt to keep my freelancing show on the road? That seems like a genius idea.

But I draw the line at paying someone to teach my kids how to play board games, which one mum tells me is all the rage across the pond. Yes, parents are paying strangers to come over and teach their kids how to play classic board games on the basis that trying to teach your own kids the basics of Monopoly all too often ends in tears.

I dunno; call me old fashioned, but I just think some tasks should be done by Mum and Dad, and initiating your kids into the childhood rite of passage that is playing board games in the summer is one of them.

But we'd love to hear your thoughts.

Would you pay someone to teach your kids how to play board games in a bit to keep them entertained over the summer? And will you be single-handedly handling the summer holidays, or calling in help from friends or family - paid or otherwise?

Tell us, how do you plan to keep everyone happy over the summer holidays? Leave us a comment below or join the debate over on our Facebook page.