year 7+ childcare options?

[PukingCat]

Say you both work full time and aren't home til 6 or even later, where do your 11, 12, 13 etc year olds go after school?

Old enough to be home alone for a while, say if you pop to the shop, but hours on end after or before school seems way too long.

Primary schools have breakfast and after school clubs, and then their are childminders etc, but what about secondary schools?

When i was that age most of the mums were at home or grandparents were instead so we all went home to them.

Some still go to CMs, but most secondary children should be able to go home, make themselves a snack, do their homework and then veg out in front of the tv or whatever.

I don't have secondary age children but I do teach them. Our school day finishes at 3.05pm but the library and computer room are open till 4.30 for pupils to do homework. Lots of year 7 pupils stay till about 4ish and then get the later bus home, presumably because parents are working.if they get home at 4.30/5ish then not too long to wait for someone to get back?

When I was in y7 and 8 my mother worked on a Tuesday and Thursday and we went to my gran's house for tea on those days.

Not sure about child-minders, I assume they will still cater for 11/12 year olds. Who could presumably get there under their own steam, have their tea there or something? Although most childminders only operate till 5.30/6.

Where I've just moved from in North Wales I read a few local adds for 'mothers help' which appeared to be a bit of cleaning, doing the laundry and getting the family meal on each evening typically 4-6pm Monday to Friday. One mentioned that the advertisers teenage children would be around during these hours.

It seemed like a good idea but I don't really know anything about the practicalities of how it'd work.

HSMMaCM.

Even at age 11 when they've only just left primary school? Alone for what could be 3 hours a day seems too much!

I think children of this age are still very vulnerable, and having no one to go home to or to even notice if they don't arrive home doesn't seem very safe.

PatTheHammer.

Not a single pupil when i was at school would stay a minute longer than necessary! Im not sure it was even an option and Im not convinced it is in most schools now either. Even if it is i just can't imagine the majority of children spending an extra 8 or so hours a week on school grounds willingly. At the school nearest my house all come pouring out as soon as the bell goes.

It hadn't occurred to me that they could just travel to a childminders house. Do many childminders take older children i wonder?

Mumnotmaid.

That wouldn't be a bad idea, just having someone in the house to keep a loose eye on them.

Pukingcat- it's not what happened when I was at school but I'm saying lots of pupils use this option at the school I work at now. We also have quite a high take up rate for after school clubs that go on till 4.15pm.

The only way to know if it happens in schools near you is to ask 'is there an after school library/homework' facility. You may be surprised that there is, it's common in most of the schools my friends teach in.

However, doesn't solve your childcare issue if your child doesn't want to go as its voluntary!

Can you change work hours? I do 7 till 3 so I am home for my children (but I am exceptionally lucky that I have landed in a job where I can do this)

Or can you work remotely - eg from home for the afternoon

I work full time and have a yr 7 DD and yr 10 DS. They leave at 8am to walk / ride to school. The school kitchens are open so they will get tea a toast in school before registration. They do also have breakfast at home. If I leave early in the morning then the earliest is 7.30am so they are alone for a max of 30 mins in the mornings.

In the afternoons, they walk back from school and arrive home at 4pm ish. They have to ring me from the house phone so that I know they are in the house. The latest that I arrive home will be 5.30 - 6pm ish depending on traffic. They are perfectly fine in the house. They do their homework and veg in front of telly, do any jobs that I have left them, peel potatoes, washing away etc, and get themselves ready for any clubs etc they might be doing in the evening.

It's not so bad now for DD as she has DS with her, but even when DS was on his own he was fine. I was at the end of the phone and we have some really good neighbours and their godparents are only 5 mins in the car away.

After school clubs most days? I remember doing that when at senior school. Used to do choir, quartet, walked about 3/4 mile to a local leisure centre and did rollerskating classes.
As got older, would get the bus home and stay in watching cbbc - cities of gold was broadcast back then and I think philip schofield used to sign along to the theme song on occasion. Oh the memories are flooding back.

Although when I was at school my mum didn't work but lots of my friends parents did

At 11/12 they should be old enough to be able to get home via walking or bus and start homework and make a sandwich/snack& drink if they want one

I would get them to ring you from home phone so you know they are there rather then mobile

My eldest mindee left me to go to secondary in September, she is 11, 12 in April.
The bus drops her and others off in the village at about 3.50, mum depending on traffic gets here to pick sibling up at approx 5.20.
shes home alone for about an hour and 20mins.
She will be with me however, during the holidays .

my son is 12, he is a sensible lad,unlike his older (15) brother.. I have left him before for a couple of hours, I am a short car journey away if he needs me, his grand parents also live in the village.

Patthehammer. Yes i can't imagine my children wanting to stay and do homework. They are the more, come home or see friends and have fun type.

I can see after school clubs possibly helping, but there will be only so many they'll be interested in and want to go to per week. Unless they both go on the same days its not much help. One of mine would only be interested if it were one certain subject.

BoundandRebound. My children aren't actually at this age yet. I took time out of my career while they were small to avoid childcare. I carried on working at home a bit but need to get back into a proper job now as the last few years have left me enormously in debt. My younger has just started school so am looking into this now. I just realised though that I'll only have a few years working and trying to get into a better financial position before my oldest starts secondary. So don't think I'll be able to step back my career then as well as when they were small.

I thought i was doing the right thing being at home when they were very young and needed me, but actually they will really need me when they are 11, 12 as well.