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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Why is beavers so late?

121 replies

TwentyTwenty20 · 25/09/2023 15:39

I'd love to put my son in beavers but it's from 6:00 until 7:15. By the times he's got home, had a bath, had a bedtime story and wound down and actually fallen asleep it'd be 8:15/8:30. Feels quite late for a 5 year old who is usually in bed by 7. Does this feel a bit late or is this the norm for beavers? Anyone else's kids cope OK? He has to be up for 6 so would only get around 9.5 hours sleep. He usually gets 11+

OP posts:
PuttingDownRoots · 25/09/2023 16:37

DDs started school at 7.30 (not breakfast club!) At that age (not in UK). Getting up at 6am was normal for them... with a bedtime of 7pm. But could cope with a late night once a week.

VegetablesFightingToReclaimTheAubergieneEmoji · 25/09/2023 16:39

They do get used to it quicker than you think they would.

liveforsummer · 25/09/2023 16:39

I'd say 6am is pretty early for a child who needs more than 11 hours sleep. It's pretty restrictive to have to be in bed by 7 every night

StillWantingADog · 25/09/2023 16:40

It’s normal, ours is 6-7. If they did it earlier beaver leaders would not be able to get there.

now our cubs finishes at 8.30 and I think that’s quite late for a not quite 8 yo.

lastofthesmalltownplayboys · 25/09/2023 16:41

Probably because it's run by volunteers who, believe it or not, have full time jobs and their own children to feed before they go look after someone else's

CocoPlum · 25/09/2023 16:43

Sounds normal for Beavers. It feels so late when they start and they're little, but it's fine as they get a bit older. Then Cubs (which at ours is straight after the session) feels crazy late until they move up.

Our Scouts ends at 9.30 and it's taken a year but DC now feels more able to cope with the late finish!

colouroftherainbow · 25/09/2023 16:44

As others have said, Beavers is from 6 (or almost 6 years old) so they will have done a full year of school and be able to be up a little later.

Also have 6-7.15pm and don’t get home from school until 5pm. In that hour, quickly finish homework, have dinner and quick shower. Once home, it’s reading and bed, aim for asleep by 8.30. Bedtime gradually shifted from 7.30 to 8pm over Y1 so it’s a lot easier since going back in sept

liveforsummer · 25/09/2023 16:45

StillWantingADog · 25/09/2023 16:40

It’s normal, ours is 6-7. If they did it earlier beaver leaders would not be able to get there.

now our cubs finishes at 8.30 and I think that’s quite late for a not quite 8 yo.

Dd 10 has just moved up to guides - that's 9.30 finish. She's fine with it but it's too late for me 🙄😅

JustMarriedBecca · 25/09/2023 16:45

We don't do bath or bed after Beavers. Home and to bed. Any school or homework is done before Beavers.
If they've been in the river fishing (like last week) then it's a quick shower.

Part of the beauty of age 6+ is that you aren't so restricted to routine

Desperatehousewivesreruns · 25/09/2023 16:47

As many others have said, the leaders all work and have to take this into consideration when setting start times.

My DD16 is in explorers and a young leader for Beavers (which is definitely from ages 6-8). She gets home from 6th form college at half 5 and sets off to Beavers 5 minutes later, ready for the children to arrive for 6. She has her dinner after it finishes at half 7.

The volunteers who run all scouting clubs are amazing, giving up their free time after working all day. Please don't moan that the club starting time makes allowances for them to finish a days work before looking after other people's kids, no pay, for an hour or two!

TheYearOfSmallThings · 25/09/2023 16:47

That's a normal time - if they started any earlier most children of working parents wouldn't be able to attend.

YewTree84 · 25/09/2023 16:49

Yep I echo everyone else on timings.

Beavers is a fantastic thing to get your LO into, my DS did Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and now Explorers. He went to the World Scout Jamboree in Kore this time (though we won't talk about that haha).

He's now a young leader with the Beavers and he would struggle to get there any earlier after college.

Giraffe888 · 25/09/2023 16:50

My son is 4 and is always up by 6.15am latest. Usually around 5.30

TheLightProgramme · 25/09/2023 16:51

it's definitely the norm so generations of children will have coped

Well no - its not been that long since there were more non working mothers of children that age so it would have been less affected by the needs of working parents. It was definitely on earlier than 6pm when i was a child.

I know lots of parents who have chosen not to do it because they feel its on too late.

iknowwhymummysporridgewascold · 25/09/2023 16:52

I'm a leader in a similar youth organisation and our primary 1-3 are from 6-7.15pm too. It gives us time to get in from work and get changed and organised plus for those of us who are parents it gives us a chance to get the kids sorted before we head back out again - our oldest kids don't go home until their group ends at 8:30 so it's a long night for us too!

LastNightAPandaSavedMyLife · 25/09/2023 16:55

Totally normal.

My 8 year old still wakes at 5.30…
Does he really need a bath? Cubs finishes even later, and scouts even later than that so I wouldn’t class it as late tbh.

My 8 year old leaves cubs at 8.15.

Caspianberg · 25/09/2023 16:55

I think that’s fine. Ds is 3 but he’s never been to bed by 7pm unless ill. From friends and neighbours children I would say most children go more like 8-9pm.

The local toddler gym class for 2.5-5 year olds we just joined is 5.30-6.30pm

mycoffeecup · 25/09/2023 16:55

I think you're unlucky, my local group has Beavers from 4.15 - 5 because they do cubs and scouts after that. Could you change pack?

NioNioNio · 25/09/2023 16:56

6pm is really early...thats 4.5hr of daylight at peak of summer!

Its run by volunteers so 6pm is actually quite reasonable as most people finish work at 5pm at the earliest.

Bananasinpjamas4567 · 25/09/2023 16:56

Beaver leader here! As many have said, it’s run by volunteers, most of whom work full time so that does dictate meeting times. We start as early as we can! If you are able to run a group with an earlier start time, please contact your district team, they will bite your hand off!

Dinosauratemydaffodils · 25/09/2023 16:57

Ours is 6.30 to 7.30. For us hall availability and leadership availability are the driving factors but there is a waiting list so plenty of parents are OK with it.

Neither of my kids need anywhere close to 11 hours sleep though.

Floralnomad · 25/09/2023 16:59

When I was a beaver leader it finished at 7 as none of my assistants could get there earlier than 5:30 and that was pushing it .

MrsAvocet · 25/09/2023 17:01

Don't forget that if the session begind at 18.00 in all likelihood the leaders need to be there at least 20 mins beforehand to set up. I'm not involved in Scouting but help run a sports club for children and our first session of the evening starts at 18.00. At least 2 of us need to be there for 17.30 to review the risk assessment and set the activities up. I'm retired now but when I was working I'd need to go directly from work - it would have been physically impossible for me to get there any earlier. I'd imagine lots of volunteers are in the same boat so that activities couldn't start any sooner even if they wanted to.

Original poster
TwentyTwenty20 · 25/09/2023 17:01

Thanks everyone. I'll probably give it a go! He's absolutely fine getting up at 6 and 7 doesn't feel that restrictive. We're only 10 mins from the school so he gets nearly 4 hours of chill time at home!

I do feel some people have been a tad aggy here. I wasn't criticising at all. I was just asking if it was the norm and how other people's kids coped.

OP posts:
wednesdayatone · 25/09/2023 17:02

I think it's too late
My 5 yo is knackered by 7pm

Ideally in the bath before that. In bed ready for story time by 7:30

Lights out at 8pm very latest