To not want my children in wraparound care?

[doyouhaveanything]

There’s no way to avoid it of course unless I give up work until my youngest is leaving primary but does anyone else hate the thought of wraparound care? The school day is long enough for little ones and I feel guilty. I know I wouldn’t have liked it.

Try not to feel guilty. There's one at my kids school and they seem happy. There's only 80 kids at my kids school and about 15 at club so it's very common.

If your child is already accustomed to a longer nursery day then it really is no different. Kids like going; it is much more chilled out environment than school. Staff are known by first names for example.

@AmelieTaylor for gods sake. Do you really think if an after school nanny rang in sick I could say to my employer ‘sorry, I’m going home early’? I couldn’t

Will read the other responses now.

My daughter loves it, gets a proper play time before and after school with her friends

Thanks for the responses. I probably will stay part time (although earning so little is depressing) while they’re at primary school so they only have to do three days a week but it does still feel like a lot, somehow.

Realistically there’s no way I could rely on one person. All it would take would be one person being unwell once and massive stress would ensue!

Mine loved it, I think mostly because they made good friends there. They were basically playing with their friends for a couple of hours and did their homework. I used to pick them up and they'd beg to stop at the play park with their friends, so they couldn't have been that tired.

Wraparound care is shorter than the nursery day, and DD has been fine with that so I’m not bothered by wraparound.

Nursery was 7.30-6 51 weeks a year
Wraparound is 7.45-5.30 38 weeks a year

My kids loved it when they were little. As others said it’s like playing out with friends after school (but supervised). When it was difficult was the in between years 9-10. They weren’t so keen on club anymore and wanted to mooch at home but too young to leave them to come home on their own.
swapped to childminder for 9-10

Did you actually have them in nursery until 6, though? I pay for 730-630 but they are never actually there at those times!

It's pretty normal for children to be in nursery for those hours, yeah.

I was in childcare from 7.30-6 as a baby/toddler, and that was in the very early nineties.

Yes on my office days, not on my WFH days.

Nope! Mine enjoy it, they have a wide group of friends and love the different activities.

it also means I can work, progress my career and give them much more enrichment outside of school and I’m not stressed about money and am building for their future. They also see me working and they understand responsibility, commitment and schedule.

If you can afford it then I see no reason to not use it but I see no reason for guilt. I went to a childminder in the 80s/90s because my parents worked - I remember my mums heels clip clopping up the path to pick me up when she finished and I always felt so proud because most of my friends mums didn’t work.

It’s not the worst thing OP by a long shot but ultimately you do what is right for your family

I know but wondered what was different between nursery (6) and school (530)? Just idly wondering, no need to answer.

I'm not sure what you mean by different? Could you elaborate?

Thinking about it, one of the best things about ASC is that it keeps them off screens and being active until at least 6pm. If I tried to WFH with my son at home, he would be trying to get onto screens without a doubt.

My DS went from age 7 and enjoyed it. He actually asked to go on Fridays even though I didn't need him to as I finished work at 1 on Fridays back then.

Sorry - I meant that someone’s children were in nursery until 6 but after school club until 530 and I wondered why they were picked up earlier from after school club. It looks rude and intrusive though and that wasn’t the intention so ignore it.

That’s lovely @Beezknees . I am definitely projecting.

We have had to make flexible working arrangements to accommodate the fact that wraparound is a shorter day. It’s a fucking nightmare to be honest but it is what it is.

If wraparound went until 6 we would use it but it doesn’t.

Most after school clubs finish earlier than nursery, so it may just be for practical reasons.

But also, I do think wrap-around is different from nursery in the sense that they're going do it from a busy (and often tiring day) at school, whereas in nursery they still have naps, quiet time etc, so it's not necessarily as full-on.

Ours is from 8am to 6pm, and all the schools around here are similar (some open at 7:30am, and one of those closes at 5:30pm).

Mine never particularly minded. I worked 4 days a week until both in secondary and then went full time. They were in daycare too, now 16 and 19 and thankfully childcare is a thing of the past. I never felt guilty, I’m working my ass off at my career providing for my kids and showing them women can be successful too. I bet their dad didn’t feel any guilt

I only used a couple of days a week for my DC. One of them really didn't get on with it so went to a CM, the other was fine so went to ASC and Breakfast club.
I wouldn't have liked them to do both breakfast and ASC every day if I'm really honest but I was lucky that I was able to work pt that meant they didn't have to, but for a lot it's probably a necessity

I live rurally, the school only has 68 kids 4-11, we are lucky to have 7.45-5.30.

Naps?! My DD hasn’t had a nap since she was 2, she was at nursery until 5 as Sept born. The nursery day for a 4 year old is not very different to reception.