AIBU to be dissatisfied with the way the after school club is run

[Olympias]

at my DS's school.
Two problems really. One - there is a game console there and all kids seem to be doing is either playing or waiting for their turn to play. That's what my son is telling me and that's what I observe when I come to pick him up. No other games/activities seem to be taking place.
Two - they never go outside, even in good weather. The After school people explanation/exuse - it is what the kids want to do.
In the case I am not BU, who can I take it up with? The After School club or the school?

Take it up with whoever you like but I suspect there's nothing you can do. It's a kids babysitting club, not education provision, the kids can and will do what they want. It will have been in the small print I'm sure.

I'd take it up with the After School Club because often the School is simply renting itself to them as a venue.

WRT to the activities, perhaps they could encourage the kids to do more but I'd lay money on the fact there's not just the one activity for them, and that there are others on offer.

The console (is it a Wii?) is usually the most popular thing after a whole day of structured School ativities.

What do the other kids do whilst waiting for their turn on the console?
How big a club, how many kids there typically?

to sparkle12mar08

Their brochure says the kids are offered a wide choice of stimulating activites

ragged -

nothing -their watching other kids playing

I suppose some children could go outside for rounders or something while others were on the technical stuff buit it depends how many members of staff there are.

Offered a choice yes. They're choosing not to do it. They can't be made to!

That does sound rubbish. I can only judge by telling you that both the after schools clubs that DD has been to were packed full of lovely activities (crafts, role play, sports, cooking etc) and there was a sensible limit on how long children were allowed to spend on a console or computer. There are always children outside when i go to pick her up. I think you ought to speak to them about it, it doesn't sound as if they are doing a very good job. Sorry but it doesn't!

They can be made to. The wii can be limited in time and the other activities made interesting. If you know that your group's turn for t he wii is not today, you will do something else. The staff sound a bit rubbish, tbh.

I think YANBU - while it's correct it is a baby sitting provision, it is paid for and you are the customer. It should be regulated by OFSTED, and as such, should be providing what it claims to do. My DS's both go to an after school club twice a week, and while some do play on games consoles if they want to, there are lots of other things to do and on warm/dry evenings everyone goes outside for basket ball/playground games etc. I would take it up with the provider, rather than the school.

But part of playing on a console like that is watching how your friends score before it's your turn again.

If they're ignoring other activities to do that, at least they're enjoying themselves.

Remember, some of these kids are dropped at breakfast club early in the morning...then 6 hours of school and often another 3 hours at ASC.

Sometimes that amounts to a 10 hour day so they have to have some chill out time to do what they want.

At my son's after school club, there are always several activities on offer. Craft, cooking, painting, computer, Lego, games console, DVD, etc. The older children do tend to just want to do DVD and games console though. I would take it up with the after school club if you are concerned.

Remember some of them will have been at breakfast club since 7.30 and not get picked up til 6 pm, that is a bloody long day and it's hardly surprising they choose to do something mindless at after school
club.

If you are unhappy with it then do complain to whoever runs it and take your children out of it , yes the console is great but there should be something else to do , but TBH after school clubs are just that after school babysitting but they should have other things on offer the club organisers are being lazy does it cost a lot to send children ?

The thing is, the OP is only seeing this for (presumably) a few minutes at pick up time. Her DS tells her that's all the kids seem to be doing....but in actual fact it's probably just that it's the most popular activity on offer.

Kids spend much of their school day doing crafts, painting, cooking, playing outside etc...so it's bound to be the most popular activity because it's the only thing they don't get to do during the school day.

YABU - It's an after school club!!!!! They are supposed to enjoy themselves, in whatever form that is!

If you dont like the way it's run then take them out!

Yes, it's worth remembering this is pick-up time - at DD's after school club, it often looked like the activities were a bit crap, but that's because I picked her up late-ish & they spent the last half hour or so chilling out & winding down with less intensive activities. And definitely less messy ones because the staff were clearing up & tidying down (from the more worthy activities earlier) by then.

Though it has to be said there were always a few playing outside at that time as well. Never going outside would worry me, if true, because it's just tiring & headachey to be stuck inside with other noisy kids, and not really what they need after school.

I'm sure it absolutely feels to your son as if all they are doing is "either playing or waiting for their turn to play" cos that's how it always feels when you are waiting your turn but I would check if that's the case for the whole session.

YABU. It is basically babysitting provision and you are free to choose another form of childcare if you do not like the one offered. A pain to have to do this, but maybe look for something more structured if that is what you want.