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.

As a kid I'd would have hated it. I liked to read and have my own space and I was the bullied one with few friends. It would have been my idea of hell to spend even more time with those children.

I think its definitely dependant on how good your child's friendship group is and natural personality type. Two of mine would have loved it, two would have hated it.

My son loves it, always has. They get toast and fruit and to choose their own spread and then they just get to play outside in the playground unless it's tipping down. He went only a couple of times a week, he's been to breakfast club a couple of times only and asks when he can go again! I'm on maternity leave now and he's already sad he's not going so I'm going to put him in occasionally in September.

I didn't want my kids in wraparound care either. I just became a SAHM and had less "stuff" until my kids could come home from school by themselves and wait for me.

In an ideal world by the time both kids are in school DH and I will both do 4 days or at least an early finish once a week. So at most they will do 2-3 days wrap around.
I remember being a kid and clubs are also part of the social life so they will actually want to do some activities.

Moving mine from after school club to a childminder was the best thing I did. I only wish I'd done it much sooner.

Have you thought about a childminder?

My eldest DD didn't like the after schools clubs as the only one available was at the local nursery, she didn't want to hang out with babies and toddlers, which was fair enough. Luckily my job allows me to do pick up and drop off and I just carry on working when we get back until I have to pick up my youngest from nursery at around 5.30 .

My kids loved afterschool care and asked to go... but that was exactly why they liked it. They only went when they asked and didn't have to go, so it was a bit like having a playdate for them with lots of friends.
I think it would have worn very thin for at least 2/3 of mine very quickly if they'd had to go every week, even quicker every day.

Mine don’t do wrap around care as they have too many sporting commitments. We have a nanny a couple of afternoons a week to assist. However, between about Year 1 and 4, mine regularly asked to go to wrap around care. Apparently they were missing out by not going!

Im not in the UK, so it’s possible workplaces here are different. If I phoned work to say our nanny or one of the kids were sick, the world would continue turning. I have a client facing role, so it’s not without its challenges but it wouldn’t be a huge drama. Same with DH and we split it very equally. Obviously it wouldn’t work if our nanny was sick regularly though!

Well yes because that's what would have to happen.

Just like it if they were ill at nursery.

It's generally rare and employers have to cope - they will almost certainly have dealt with the unexpected before.

I hated holiday, afterschool and breakfast club most of the time, was in it basically whole of primary, p1/2 was childminder I think. But I went and that was that, there wasn’t an alternative option, a there would have been much less money coming in and b both my parents wanted to work full time (neither would have been happy staying at home and not working 😂

I didn't love the idea. Having now gone through the journey with 3 children I would say a little, high quality care has been ok for us. One of my children has even asked to go more as friends also go. I don't think I ever would have wanted to use it before and after school every day. If that had been the case I would have looked for a good nanny. I appreciate that for various reasons there isn't always much choice.

DT’s hated it if I dared to collect them early from after school club and spoil their playtime with their friends. They also loved the holiday clubs - they did different activities- sports, science experiments, crafts etc.

For my kids, afterschool is more like time to play with friends than 'childcare' exactly. Obviously they are being cared for by others yes - and they great relationships with the staff, but that's not really what registers with my kids.

I think when they are really little it can make the day too long. Quite a few people I know use local childminders instead. When they are a bit older it's fine if the school offers after school activities as you can combine those with wrap around care.....

@ByCupidStunt
Oh yes that's why we all work, and force our kids into after school care, for more 'stuff'. We are just all social media obsessed plebs.
Nothing to do with our careers, education, the example we are setting our kids, pension contributions or cost of living.

It's beyond cruel to put a kid in school 8am to 530pm or whatever.

Mine likes it, as an only child, they’d rather be with their friends.and it’s a shorter overall day than mine had at day nursery!

what an ignorant post. Is needing to pay my mortgage, energy bill and buy food not a good enough reason to work? We’re not all doing it to buy stuff. Or being bankrolled by a partner, not that I’d ever do that as that has no guarantees and is so risky.

Of course it’s not cruel - it’s breakfast club (better choices than at home), a school day and then after school club and a great time to play with friends, have a snack, football, tv - mine loved it and very normal amongst their friendship groups.

Cruel. Putting 5 year olds in school longer than most people spend at work. People shouldnt have kids if they cant look after them.

They were looked after perfectly whilst DH and I were at work. They had fun and enjoyed themselves.
Would you prefer DH gave up his job as a GP to stay home so he could collect them when school finishes for the day - then you’d moan more about not being able to get a doctor’s appointment!

Don't be ridiculous 🙄

They're not at school for all of that time. Duh

Of course it’s not cruel. I don’t think you know the meaning of the word. My 5yo is absolutely thriving using wrap around and is excelling at school academically and socially. She will have had the example of a mother with a successful career which allows her to have a nice life. I’m not really sure how a couple of hours playing with her friends is cruel.