Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6

Original poster

To think kids can come home after school when we’re WFH?

150 replies

Sleepdeprived42long · 01/04/2022 22:21

My two DC (age 9 and 7) both go to grandparents after school twice a week but it’s getting quite a lot for GPs as they also have my nieces. Eldest is now able to walk home by himself (10 min walk). DH and I WFH both days. Our jobs are very full on and we couldn’t supervise them after school but DCs could watch TV etc and obvs if there was an emergency we’d be there. At what age do you think it’s ok to start letting them walk home and entertain themselves for a couple of hours till we finish work?

OP posts:

TabithaHazel · 02/04/2022 07:51

I don't think there is any problem with your children being at home while you wfh but I wouldn't let the 7 year old walk home without an adult, and not fair on the 9 year to make them responsible. Can the grandparents still do pick up but drop them at home instead of looking after them?

Namechanger0800 · 02/04/2022 07:52

@BritWifeInUSA

I have been permanently home-based for many years, long before COVID. And we also are not to have anyone under 12 in the house during our work hours unless another adult is with them. During COVID this was relaxed as the office had to close and schools were closed so people had no choice. But now we are back to the original requirements and if you want to work from home you have to sign an agreement that there will be no children under 12 unsupervised.

this sounds quite frankly ridiculous - are you in the US? so glad my employer recognises how beneficial family friendly policies are for a workforce.

Sceptre86 · 02/04/2022 07:57

Why can't one of you pick them up? Surely you aren't on calls every minute of every day? Just block out your diary at drop off or collection time for 30 minutes, both of you. Then take a half an hour lunch or add the time missed to your working day so you start earlier or finish later. You sound like you are making it harder work than it needs to be. Who cares if your colleagues haven't shared what they are doing? If you aren't able to take a shorter lunch or have to have one anyway then both of you need to speak to qork about flexible working options to give something that works for your family. Failing that consider an after school club.

Sceptre86 · 02/04/2022 07:58

*work even

Whatafustercluck · 02/04/2022 07:59

We let ds begin walking back to his cm after school occasionally (once a week due to an after school club) when he was 10. But he walked with another child in a similar situation. I think you could sign letters saying they could walk home alone when they went into Y5. I wouldn't have been happy with him doing so at 7yo and I wouldn't expect a 9yo to be responsible for their younger sibling.

He's in a village school 15 min drive away. When he goes into Y7, same village, he'll get a bus back 3 days a week. It's a direct bus, more or less door to door.

TheDoveFromAboveCooCoo · 02/04/2022 08:01

@gemloving

A lot of my colleagues take a late lunch break (half hour at 1, the other half hour for school pick up), so the kids don't have to walk alone but entertain themselves - similar age to yours.

This was going to be my suggestion too. Take it in turns to do this with DH and block the two separate half hours out of your calendar so colleagues have visibility of your availability.

I can't imagine a 7 and 9 year old disturbing your last couple of hours of your working day the point it affects your work?

fluffythedragonslayer · 02/04/2022 08:03

My kids school only allowed year 6 to walk home without an adult. And younger ones could only be collected by someone 14 and above.

NdefH81 · 02/04/2022 08:04

Between you and dh can you not talk to employer and shorten lunch break, start early ex in order for you to collect a couple of times a week and your dh to collect a couple of times a week?

IamnotSethRogan · 02/04/2022 08:09

Well I'm sure they'll be fine. How were they during lock down when you were working?

I regularly work from home with a 10 year old and 5 year old and it's fine

Wnkingawalrus · 02/04/2022 08:09

I really would not want mine stuck on a screen for 2 hours

This is the crux of the issue for me too. Occasionally I would be ok with, but 5 days a week?

Can they be trusted to just get on with homework? Although that can’t take that long at those ages.

ThatPosterIsSoRight · 02/04/2022 08:10

9 year old fine 7 year old not, based on my children, so that’s a bit tricky for you. In your situation I’d pay for childcare but that might not be affordable for you. After school sports or activity clubs available?

I’m shocked at companies not letting secondary school children be unsupervised in the house, and I’m on the grumpy manager end of the scale. They would have been home alone pre covid. Good luck finding a childminder for a strapping year 7 11-year-old! We used to have an after school nanny but it’s not practical when we’re working from home, too many people in the house.

The only appearance my year 7 child has made on Zoom has been to bring me a cup of tea. My 10 year old never bothers me. I just insist they don’t play online as that causes shouting.

XmasElf10 · 02/04/2022 08:12

Most of my team take a 20 minute afternoon break to collect kids from school. I’d assume they’d be able to amuse themselves at that age. Mine is 11 and has come home from school with no extra childcare for the last 3 years. These days she even makes me a coffee when she gets in. She comes for a quick cuddle and a chat but knows to check if I’m on mute or on camera!!

DazzlePaintedBattlePants · 02/04/2022 08:12

I think it’s out of order, tbh. 7 too young to walk home.

I’m increasingly fed up of trying to arrange 3pm meetings only to be met with squawks of “can’t do that, have to nip out and pick up kids”. It’s a joke at the moment.

worriedaboutmoney2022 · 02/04/2022 08:13

My kids are 6 (nearly 7) and 3 and there no way this would work for me even if I went to collect them I would t get anything done
I use a childminder on the basis that if I was in the office those days I wouldn't be there.

I guess it's about how mature they are too all kids are different but the primary in our village have a policy not to release children to anyone under 16 and certainly nobody to walk to/from on their own

Dontforgetyourbrolly · 02/04/2022 08:16

I wfh I take my lunch break at 3 and pick up ds he's 8
He used to go to after school club but they raised their prices to 20 pounds a day !
Tbh I find it very stressful as he constantly interrupts me, I'm looking at local childminders

dworky · 02/04/2022 08:23

@PotteringAlong

I would let the oldest come home and the youngest go to grandparents

I'm sure that will go down well!

AllOfUsAreDead · 02/04/2022 08:25

@Sirzy

How would the 7 year old get home? I don’t think lost schools would be happy releasing a 7 year old into the care of a 9 year old.

School here is useless on that front. I've seen what looked like a 6 year old walking his 4 year old sister to school. Lots of the kids walk home on their own too. I hope most schools aren't this useless.

Queenoftheashes · 02/04/2022 08:27

@Wolfcub

Sorry op, I work from home regularly and you're there to work not for childcare. Our employer is clear that the care of pets and children is not to be undertaken in work time. Even if they glued themselves to a tablet or Xbox they are still likely to interrupt you coming in the house, wanting snacks, falling out etc.

My partner interrupts me, should I not be allowed to wfh with him in the house ?

Wheelz46 · 02/04/2022 08:28

@DazzlePaintedBattlePants you are obviously aware of colleagues doing the school run at 3pm so why try to arrange a meeting at that time? There would be no 'squawking' if you did a time to suit all.

Anyone picking children up at where I work, take either less lunch or use their break, they pop it into their calendar so it shows busy so you don't have anyone moaning that they are showing available!

user8765 · 02/04/2022 08:30

I think the issue is just getting them home. I actually WFH with my 4 year old one day a week. Luckily we don't live far from school so I actually have my break at pick up time and just pick her up. She then sits behind me with a little snack plate/iPad or crafts. I couldn't do it more than once/twice a week as my job is also quite full on. I just try to get as much done as possible/any meeting before 3.

OfstedOffred · 02/04/2022 08:32

My employer requires us to sign to say we'll have childcare in place for working hours.

Even if they can entertain themselves, if they need anything, you are the only adult there. It reduces your ability to full focus on your work.

Can you use afterschool club instead?

WalltoWallBtards · 02/04/2022 08:33

9’year old can walk home but is too young to aurpervise the 7 year old ( or that’s what the school would think).
take it in turns to collect 7 year old according to your work diaries, or ask another parent to drop home off you get stuck.
As your WFH they are already likely to be getting more time from you and at the places I work/ have worked, collecting your child would be a complete no. Issue.

853ax · 02/04/2022 08:35

My 7&9yo walk home from school two days a week where both parents are wfh.
Over lunch i prepare food for them, they come in eat do homework watch some TV or play garden.
No rush on them walking so often almost 3 when home I finish work around 5.15
They don't come near us working away.
Other days they go to activities after school

Dishwashersaurous · 02/04/2022 08:37

The issue is not them being at home.

It is having to go and get them. Which is half an hour in the most meeting heavy part of the day often.

Most schools wouldn't let a age 7 leave school by themselves. Thus an adult needs to collect them

SuperSleepyBaby · 02/04/2022 08:48

Our 10 and 12 year olds walk home. I leave the front door open and they come in - put on the TV. They don’t bother me at all while working - they are happy once they have a cartoon to watch or an ipad to play on. They knock on the door then after a while asking for food so i take a break to do that.

Our school would not let a 7 year old walk home alone though.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6

Swipe left for the next trending thread