2FT job and after school care....how?

[fhgr308090]

How on earth are people with FT jobs meant to manage with school aged kids. Ok this might sound stupid. Until now DT were both in nursery four days a week 8.30 till 5.30. We both work FT and whilst I might be able to do the drop offs, there is no way that we can pick them up as we live and work in London with a min.1hr commute. Cant go p/t as my job does work that way and DH's wont get it as he's the man.

Everyone tells me that kids hate after schools clubs when they are still little (which I get, four-year-olds thrown in a room with bigger kids doesnt seem like a welcoming environment). How does everyone else manage? Just checked and school finishes at 3.15 and then what? We've only just moved to a new area so dont have any local parents to ask. How do you plan the week if you both work FT. I thought nursery drop offs and pick ups were hard but what do people do with reception aged kids?

Childminder on the days we both work (both PT so some days we don’t need it). Have a reception ages kid and he wouldn’t cope that well with ASC (although I’d say half his class go 4-5 days a week). CHildminder has his sibling and so we pick them both up at 530pm. He’s knackered after school and he gets to have a lie down on the sofa and watch a bit of TV or have a play with the couple of other kids she has. Think it’s a bit more relaxing than ASC.

Childminder - she had a few school age kids and they all played together.

When I was a young adult/late teens I had a cleaning job at the neighbours house.

After a while I ended up doing the clean, then picked up their DC, give them tea and played with them till the mums came back. I loved it as their DC were adorable, and they increased my wage per hour as well as the hours I was doing. Would something like that work for you?