Do your kids cope well in full time school/ wrap around?

[Manchmallehrerin]

Please can you give me your honest experiences.

My DCs are 4 and 6 ( nursery and year 1). They go to wrap around care on two days a week. Breafast club drop off is 7.30. I collect from after school club before 6pm. They seem to enjoy it but they are exhausted by Friday.

I have been offered a great job opportunity... but it is full time. I don’t have family support so will need to use wrap around 5 days a week.

I am struggling to decide if it is reasonable to do this. honestly would you do this if you didn’t have to?

I think it's too long for small children and in our experience it's very hard to fit in any homework/reading because by the time you get home you have to cook, eat, bath and they are exhausted. I know lots of people don't have a choice and my stepchildren have done this for quite a while - but it's had an impact for sure!

DD does 7.30-6 4 days a week. I have one day off so I can do drop off and pick up.

She's fine with it. But then she has done it since she was 8 months old. I make sure she gets downtime at weekends, we try and do as little as possible. I always try and make all the events at school. I also make sure she keeps the routine during holidays, she will always be in holiday camp for at least half of the holidays. We prefer to keep our holiday from work for family holidays/trips.

Christmas holiday is a killer, no holiday club for most of it and the lack of routine was hard for her.

It depends on the child and they’re all different so only you can know how they might feel. You’re saying they’re already struggling with two long days and tired by Friday so I think you know. It will get easier as they get older though.

My eldest (private school) has long days (8-6 M-F) and copes brilliantly as he’s never needed much sleep and has loads of energy. In fact he’s like a dog and I still have to exercise him loads at the weekend. My youngest (nursery), does 3x days, not quite as long as his brother but he’s shattered and falls asleep on the way home. That’s why he only does 3 long days, asno way could he cope with more.

All three of my dc have been in childcare from a few months old. My eldest is now nearly 20 and he's not been harmed by it, neither have the other two. It's tiring for them until they get used to it. My boss love afterschool club and sometimes if I pick them up easel lot they will ask to stay longer!!

I say go for it. Make sure you get good wraparound that you trust

Forgot to add. Most parents I know do breakfast and afterschool club. All children seem fine.

Is a childminder an option? Mine go there which means that they have much more normal days. She also feeds them supper and takes them to activities so when we get them at 6pm it’s all done bar reading. Suits us very well and DSs are thriving.

Thanks everyone for these responses.

I think the majority of the responses on here reinforce my gut feeling that it isn’t going to be the best option for us. It would be a choice not a necessity and so I probably need to put the kids first on this one.

I will give some more though to an after school nanny but I think I need to rethink my plans. (because our school has really good wrap around there are no child minders who do pick ups and we’ve no room for- or wish for- an au pair).