If you/both of you work, have you dropped all childcare once your children hit secondary school?

A couple of people have mentioned their DCs will be too old for the after school clubs - it may be worth checking if the secondary school runs its own one. My DDs school has one which Yr 7/8 pupils and children from a local primary can go to. DD2 (in sixth form) works there and though the majority of kids are younger, there's certainly provision made for older ones (with more age appropriate activities etc).

nope - there's a couple in the adjacent towns - but I think you'd be hard pressed to find an Au Pair that would want to live here and travel, especially if they have no access to a car - bus tickets are stupid prices.

I know quite a few fairly well off famiilies that have had both parents working, none of them used Au Pairs or Nannies, they used friends/family/home alone. (the latter once they were older) and the occasional child minder.

Are you sure you don't?

I had no idea there was one near(ish) me, until the au-pair told me about it. (I had no reason to know about it.)

But there probably won't be one unless there is an established tourist trade in your area, however low key. (But lots of unlikely places have tourism now.)

ermm, we don't have a language school here - and although it's not a "happening" town, it's not the back of beyond either

Ah but you'd be surprised.

I had one years ago and I realised that there are loads of them around here (because of course they all got to know each other at language school), but it's just that I didn't know they were there as I didn't have any reason to know IYSWIM.

It would be worth putting up a card in a local supermarket or in the nearest languaage school. You might be surprised at how many au-pairs there are in your area (depending on where you live of course - they tend not to put on their form that they'd like to go and stay with a family at the back of beyond).

I don't know anyone who has an au pair. That's not how we do things around here.

No, don't seem to be many round my way either.

I think because they're not ofsted registered, so don't have tax credit subsidies.

you know what HB - I don't think I know anyone that has an au pair or a nanny!! They all seem to use family or CM's round here

Those of you who don't have houses big enough for au-pairs - have you thought of borrowing someone else's?

Au pairs are always looking for ways to supplement their income and many of them would be available to do a couple of hours after school, if they only worked in the mornings for example with their main family - if there were only pre-school kids.

It might be worth asking around to see if anyone has an au-pair who wants extra work who would be available at that time.

Some cms around here will mind high schools kid in the hols and after school.

When dd1 started high school, dd2 still went to the cm for two years until she started high school too.

They leave the house in teh morning around the same time as dh (I go earlier). Then I get home by 5.15 usually.

Holiday care isn't a problem so we're lucky in that respect.

Both dds v sensible on their own.

Thanks Hell - I've realised that actually it'll be from the start of YR6 he'll have to start doing it >

He'll probably love it I'm sure, it just feels like a long time to leave a 11/12yr old at home every day during the holidays (or most of them) >>

Does anyone use a child minder for their secondary school aged DCs? DD will be too old for after school club when she moves to secondary and wondered if that was a reasonable option

Ma - DS1 only turned 13 in June and on training days (I also work in a school - but different councils so training days are not the same and I have to work them anyway), DS loves being at home on his own.

DS2 goes to kids club two evenings per week as I work until 4.30pm. When he goes to secondary next September he will let himself in (along with his brother who is in Yr9 now) - DS1 lets himself in now.

It's the homework aspect that#s tricky too. I seemed to spend an awful lot of time in Y7&8 getting dd to do hers, and checking it was done. Got her act together in Y9 and I don't even check now.

Now ds has started Y7 again I spend fair part of evenings and weekends checking he has got stuff, one hour nagging, 5 mins of his doing it (possibly to minimum standard) and then flaking back in the sofa, exhausted.

So whatever you do you may need to factor in how your dcs deal with this

I think it's important for a Y7 to have someone around - also for the ferrying aspect! I think au pairs are ideal for this age (and you can pick someone to help with French/German/Spanish HW!).

I know, it's a really tricky age.
My mum did all the sick days, dentist and doctor stuff that I couldn't. Plus plays and daytime school stuff that I co
Teaching is great for the school holidays, but no flexibility for sudden emergencies at all.

oh I see - so you didn't have to worry too much about school holidays.

I'm not really worried about after school - he's just turned 10 (so YR5) and is getting his own front door key as soon as I remember to go to town to have one cut so that when I'm busy gossiping on the way back from picking DS2 up from infants he can let himself in.

It's the school holidays I'm worried about - 12 (he's s September birthday so will turn 12 just after he starts seniors) just seems so young for being on his own in the school holidays

'goblin - was that during the school holidays as well with your DD from YR7?'

I'm a teacher, so I was home by 5. School holidays usually coincided.
As I said, I was in a particularly good position with a mother who loves my children, enjoys spending time with them and with whom I have an excellent relationship.
DS still adores his grandparents and drops in often. DD can't as she's at Uni.
I think it's great that you are planning ahead OP.

One of the local state secondary schools has a timetable that runs from 8:30 to 5:30 and although it sounds exhausting I've got to admit I'm tempted.