to ask my son's after school club to stay open until 6pm?

[squareheadcut]

My son started at a new primary school from an old one and maybe i'm spoiled from his last school, but the after school club here finishes at 5.30pm and I am thinking that I will write a letter to ask them to stay open until 6pm because it's impossible to get back in time if you finish work at 5pm, as many working parents do. I've spoken to a lot of parents at the school who seem to heartily agree with me.

But then I think, school is not childcare and they should be encouraging you to work less as it is better for the kids if they are not at school so long, but many people, me included would love to live in a world where i didn't have to work until 5pm, but that's just how society is right or wrong i have to live with it ...
what do you think, should i write a letter with a gathering of parents signatures? or just bite it and juggle and leave early and beg other parents as I seem to be doing right now .. aibu to expect the school to accommodate working parents in this way?

any apologies forthcoming ?

Anyfucker - I think they've all gone to bed

do you think they have to be up for work in the morning ?

I wouldn't rise to it

They're perfectly entitled to their opinions even if they are as ignorant as fuck

camberwickgreen "I mean what a cheek to think a parent will mind their own kid at the end of the school day"

So you clearly have a problem with working parents then - should I give up my full time job as a Nurse so I can collect my DS from school everyday and go on benefits and then no doubt I would be criticised for being a drain on society!

Luckily after many many years doing unsociable shifts I now have a Monday-Friday 9-5 job - but as I work 45 minutes away there's no way I can get to the school for 5. And luckily again the schools aftercare - notice the word AFTERCARE - i.e. its set up to watch children after school hours - is open till 6.

I rose, I deflated

Such is MN

< moves on >

thanks AnyFucker well said indeed , i've sent the email to the pta woman and i'll take it from there, i'll prob send it with a few signatures attached

good luck with it, square

Has anyone mentioned benefits yet?

I find there just aren't enough discussions about benefits on MN.

BTW AF, am now intrigued as to what you do...

I post bumf through people's doors, teth

it's a thankless task

Thankless but selfless, AF. Thankless but selfless.

< nods sagely >

long hours too

I can't take my children with me

I suppose you could ask. Our after school clubs finish at 4.45 so no damn use to anybody - and they would rather close the school than have a breakfast club . I'd be far too terrified to ask at our school although it would be a great help (I also work full time). I would have said you were BU just because I didn't think schools provided this sort of service but on reading the other posts it seems as though many schools do a lot better than ours so maybe it's not so far-fetched as I first though. And our school is more behind the curve than I realised.

when that advert for LocalShiteKebabs pops through their letterbox, I consider it a job well done

Thank you, AF. I mean that.

I wouldn't rise to it

They're perfectly entitled to their opinions even if they are as ignorant as fuck

Worra
That made me laugh.

square
Ask. As long as you word it politely, I don't see how they could take offense.

Am going to shut up now, because leaflet-posting is a very valid job and I am not trying to diss it

it was the first thing that popped into my tiny mind

My son´s after school club was open till 6 pm.

Just as well cos I usually never got out before 5.30 plus the rush hour....

Yea, what´s with the :single: working parent bashing?! Or are you lucky enough to have a job where you can swan off when you want?

In our school they couldn't stay open until 6pm as the school closes at 5.30pm as that is when the Janitor's hours finish and they can't always get cover for him.

530 is early. but then its NOT their issue, its yours. get a childminder

I agree that there is no harm in asking and to an extent the after school club is a business so if you can show through an informal petition/ letter with lots of signatories that a reasonable number want the extended service then they will think about the economics of providing it.
If they just employ a couple of people and neither of them are willing to work beyond 5.30 then they'll say no because restaffing the place for half an hour will be impractical. When my kids were young I had a childminder a couple of evenings a week rather than after school club because the club wasn't open for long enough. Having my kids in a more homely environment was an advantage as well, although if your son enjoys the busier environment of the after school club that maybe isn't a concern.

AF am also a working parent .
I work in the public sector as a health professional .
I just choose not to send my DC to after school club until 6pm .
And yes I do feel sorry for kids in that situation . It's not about parent bashing .
I just think it's a very long day for them in that environment .

So I will ignore your smug comments about ' saving lives ' because DH and I do the very same ,

And I have nothing against after school club . I used it yesterday .
I just think 6pm is a bit late .