Honest opinions please - Wrap around for year R kids?

I ended up changing my hours so I only do 3 full days and DC still dislike after school club however some don’t mind it all so it’s very hard to say. Mine were more tired by reception than nursery though

Plus going to school is a huge change for them too and oftne comes with lots of new kids/friends. My DC still needed naps
sometimes, she was absolutely exhausted by it all. She is ok at wrap around care now (3 times a week) but it’s not great IMO and I am happy we don’t have to do 5 days a week.
It really is a lot for those kids, a few afternoons with a granny/babysitter/childminder would be better if this option exists for you.

And yes you need to factor in the fact they see their classmates getting picked up by parents, going to another's house for tea or swimming/gym whatever. They're not all in the same boat like at nursery where they have little concept of time.

Yeh I think there's a lot to be said for this.

YES lots of kids do it.
YES lots of families have no choice.

But if you DO have a choice then why wouldn't you keep wrap around to a minimum? 1-2 days is fine, 3-5 is a lot.

In my experience wrap around care can be genuinely enjoyably for year 1/2 to 3/4 ish, depending on the child. Outside of that they are too young/old to do more than tolerate it.

My DD was fine with it, she had been full time at nursery before so the length of day was normal for her and wraparound is not school.

It's snacks and play/watching telly/doing crafts/reading a book.

I think this very much depends on the child. I know summer born reception children in after school club 5 days a week who their parents tell me are fine if tired (but aren't they all anyway?). I think you know your child best and you are best placed to make the decisions. My reception child is the oldest in her year and as DH and I already worked part-time we were planning to use wraparound (breakfast and after school club) on the two days a week we both work. However in the end family offered to help us instead and DH managed to do one morning WFH so we haven't needed to yet. If you work 4 full days now would there be any scope to spread those hours over 5days or that does incur too much additional cost with childcare for your youngest?

MY DC struggled for the first term. It was emotionally tough on all of us. He'd been used to long days at FT nursery but what I hadn't factored in was the heart ache of most of the kids being picked up at 3pm and just a handful remaining behind to be taken to the hall for the after school club. And just as he was adjusting the sodding clocks changed so they couldn't spend as much time outside which caused more upset. But, by the January, he'd found his groove. He's in Y1 now an absolutely loves it. He knows he gets a play date every day!

So... it's not easy but it's fine.

I think it really depends on the feasibility of you being able to reduce your hours. For example, could you just finish early one day?

Maybe a childminder would be a bit less full on, she would be going to a home environment which would probably be quieter and calmer. Plus the possibility of a run in a park or garden depending on the cM and your child.

She was ok in after school care after Y2.

Honestly I think depends on child. My summer born was exhausted and desperate for quiet time at home and hated to spend more time with more kids. We hired a babysitter on the days I worked, but very hard to find.

My GSs both hated it, I altered my hours at work so I could pick them up.

Mine didn’t. Reception is mostly play, not that different from nursery. Year 1 was a bit tougher, but only the first half term or so.