Before and after school child care advice

[blackcoffee]

Job interview tomorrow! I really want it BUT it will mean leaving at 7 and getting back between 5 and 6. Present job is local.
DS is 11 and a half, Y6. I've left him at home for a couple of hours but he's not responsible enough, I don't think, to get himself to school. School for him is a short car/long bike journey to town B.
DD is 8, and goes to before school club, her school is walkable (village A) but I'd like to leave a little earlier than her club starts. In reality, I'd be more confident about her getting to school than DS.
Does anyone use childminders for older children? I was thinking of finding someone in town B to have them both, ds to walk to school from there and cm drive dd to her school. Reverse at end of day. Does this sound like a good solution?

[BackforGood]

In theory it does, but very often CMs have their 'own schools' they pick up from, and might not be keen on driving off to another town to drop a child off. worth asking of course, as CMs are self employed and some might.

[survivingthechildren]

Do you have a partner who can stay back a little in the mornings OP?

If not, we have used university students to babysit around these hours. If you're in a university town you could even use two babysitters to fit in with everyone's schedules across the 5 days.

I work part time, and we use a student for similar wrap around care. She helped out 2 mornings and afternoons a week. I have two teenage DC who sort themselves out and roll out the door at the same time I do - about 15 after babysitter arrives. We always do breakfast before she arrives and make sure clothes/lunches are sorted and bags packed the night before.

Our babysitter then does teeth and getting dressed, sees that lunches go in bags and they then walk to school! I also have a 12 yo who leaves the house at the same time as my youngest DC, but he looks after getting ready by himself!

After school is a similar deal, pickup, snack, play. The older 3 make their own way home.

Hope that helps!

[blackcoffee]

nope, no partner and not in University town. In the arse end of nowhere.
I didn't get the job .... thanks for the suggestions though! I guess it's for the best (sob)

[survivingthechildren]

Sorry to hear that blackcoffee. But maybe now you'll find something that works better around you DC's school

[missymayhemsmum]

Sorry to hear that blackcoffee, but you could still check out childcare options for the next interview. Is there anyone among the school gate crowd who might help (and is already doing the journey) if you could reciprocate?
I guess an au pair is not a possibility?

[Purplesu68]

Have you thought about working from home blackcoffeexx