To send dc to breakfast & after school club 5 days per week

[Gemma2022]

Just that really…
is it too much?

All depends on your circumstances, i had no choice as worked full time so my DS had to go to both and during the holidays went to holiday club 5 days a week.

I do and Ds 6 is fine . He has breakfast and a play with friends before school , then after school he has a snack and either outdoor games or activities inside with friends . It’s more sociable for him than being at home to be fair . I am a teacher so there is no way I can avoid it , but he is happy and often wants to stay longer at after school club of friends have not left yet .

If you have no other choice then do what you have to do.

I think it will be tiring for them in all honesty. My DD has had to go to tea club occasionally when I've been working. She really was tired the next day but plenty of kids do it and are fine.

Its not child abuse!

Plenty there do five and five. Its simply the only option for some parents.

If you need to then of course you do it. They will be fine. If you are able to pick up once a week or so by adjusting your hours then it’s always nice to be able to do that, but sometimes that isn’t possible!

I used to work in the after school club and children do adjust: it isn't as tiring as being in school

Do what you have to do. It's easy for others to judge when they aren't in the same situation.

If that's what you have to do, then that's what you have to do. Don't feel bad or guilty, plenty of people have no other options and it's perfectly fine for the kids as they will adjust.

If you need to do it, you need to do it and your kids will be fine.

If you have any flexibility to have them come home after school 1 Day a week though, they may well value that a lot. But no judgement from me.

Stop feeling guilty. Life is hard enough.

Presumably you’re sending them so that you can go to work and presumably you need to work to earn money to provide for them so I don’t think it’s too much, the alternative of not working and not having enough money to make ends meet would be too much.

The whole "school is so exhausting" schtick i

I think it's fine if you have no choice. They will adjust to the routine.

What are the clubs like? Do you have concerns about them/ the way they are run?

My kids went to afterschool club 3 days a week - it was well-run by school staff they knew and had good routines with lots of interesting activities, so they were happy there. They only occasionally went to breakfast club as my DH could mostly drop them at school in the mornings, but again it was fine.

I work in a school though and our staff run breakfast club but outside providers have been running the after school club. It used to be held in a different venue but since it's been held at school we have seen how dire it is. Some children refuse point blank to go and unsurprisingly numbers have dwindled.

Luckily they have now given up and we have a new provider next term which will hopefully be a lot better.

Sorry posted too soon! I was going to say he or she will be fine. Most children I know come out of after school club buzzing with energy. I don't know where all these listless 5 year olds are, but I certainly don't know any of them.

My kids did. They were not more tired than their friends. They did find working whilst studying during their A levels much easier than others though. A long day was the norm for them.

If you can get a place for all of those days (we can't!) then why not. Nice consistent week for your child without lots of "Monday is childminder, Tuesday is Mum" etc confusion.

Unless you are a SAHP in which case ya probably being U to put them in every day .

If you have no other choice why wouldn't you? My eldest did this pre-covid out of necessity and loved it. Doesn't appear to be damaged by it!

I had no choice. Became a single parent when DD was 3. Had to put her into childcare from 7.30am to 6.30pm to be able to work. When she started primary I used their wraparound care, it was a bit more difficult though as that only opened til 6pm

I think it's absolutely fine. Even better if the after school club also offers a homework club as then when you get home with them, you can just all be together rather than stressing about homework and all the rest of it.

DC1 used to go to the childminder before and after school. We have to work. There is another child there every day too. We only stopped with Covid and working from home.

Needs must and don’t feel bad.

If you are working, why not?

I was feeling guilty about doing the same when one of DDs friends said “oh my mum doesn’t want me going to after care she wants to look after me”

each day during the holidays though he’s been out in the street playing alone while DD is at care (I WFH) so I don’t think she’s the one missing out

It's fine, they just play! Same as they'd be doing at home, I expect.... My DD loved it, enjoyed seeing her mates for longer (only child) and the staff were amazing. She still sees them now and always runs for a hug (she's 15!) and was genuinely really sad when one of the leaders died suddenly last year.

Assuming you need to, then that's fine. If you don't need to (i.e. you don't work everyday) then it seems a little unnecessary. But do as you need to.

We had planned that ours went to school 8 - 5 everyday but covid has actually helped and they only do that 3 days a week now, which I do think is better for them.

We do. Although DS does get collected by DH at 5pm most days: he then whines as he was busy playing with the other kids, and could we not collect him later...