Childcare options for 10 year old, please give opinions!!!

[SqueakyRadish]

Background:
Just started a new job 3 days a week after being a sahm for many years.
It is my first foray into the world of paid childcare.
My son is 9 (turning 10 next month), and I also have a 16 year old and a 19 year old at home

There are 2 childminders who pick up from the youngest's school and my son has been there for 2 days so far. First day was fine, second day he was there for about 4.5hrs (school was a half day) and he came out utterly miserable. He said there was nothing to do, he was the only one there, and she just put the TV on all afternoon.

I'm now really dreading having to send him next week since it's the holidays and he'll be there 7.45am to 6.15pm

So, my questions are these:
Should I expect her to be more proactive at entertaining him? He's a bit shy and this is new to us both and he's unlikely to ask her if he can do something.

Do you think he'll get used to it???
Will I get used to the guilt???

Also, what alternatives do I have?

He could, technically, go home by himself after school and his brothers will be there. My eldest is autistic, and while I trust him 100% with his siblings, he wouldn't necessarily think to help him get a snack or make sure he isn't eating ice cream all afternoon. 16yr old generally stays in his room and ignores everyone. It feels like a big ask to expect them to look after their brother 3 evenings a week.
Also means I'm still stuck in the school holidays 🤔

Nanny share? I have seen a local lady who could do school pick ups and bring him home, but is this overkill?? My son would be happier in our home with someone here, but my eldest would find it VERY difficult having someone in the house and I don't want him to feel he has to stay upstairs all day in the holidays 😮‍💨

What would you do? Are there any alternatives I haven't thought of??
Ideally any childcare needs to be Ofsted registered so that UC will pay towards it.

Tia!

Does your school have a wraparound care provision? Are there any holiday clubs to use? Our local holiday club runs either 9am-3pm or 8am-6pm

School does breakfast club which we will use, but nothing after school at the moment.

We do have a few local holiday clubs and he's been to one before so I could book him into that and see if someone can drop him off and pick him up as I think it's only 9-3.
That gives me more options though!

Will he definitely be there by himself next week?

I’d see how the Easter hols go and reassess for summer if they don’t go well.

I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask the 16 year old to look after him. Pay him some money to care for him instead.

If you work three days, can you offer to share care with another school family? So you pick your child up and theirs on the 2 days you don't work, and they do the same 2 other days when you are at work. The fifth day you use wrap around care?

My first thing would be to ask the childminder what she does during the holidays. If you’re paying her to look after your son she needs to actually do more than sit him in front of a tv.

Not sure. I'm going to message the childminder and ask and maybe gently suggest that he could use a bit more direction while he's getting used to being there. And I'll find out if she has anyone else booked in

I actually like this idea and I'm going to post on the school FB page and see if anyone is up for it

After school have him come home by himself. Don’t buy the ice cream if it’s too tempting and let him know what snacks he is/isn’t allowed to eat. Siblings are there in case of emergency so all good. In the holidays I’d do the club and could you get someone to pick him up or he goes on his bike and you pay the 16YO to pick him up and cycle home with him maybe? I’d definitely try to find a way to make that work over a childminder which must seem a bit babyish, also they just sound shit.

Holiday clubs. Most round here run for a school day but with wraparound on offer 8-6. They’re also Ofsted registered for UC/TFC, etc.

Childminder for a 10 year old sounds very boring to be honest.

Swapping with another school family also a good idea.

I agree. I would ask whether any other children are coming in the holidays and what activities she has planned. She could take him lots of places if there's just him, or him and someone else. Perhaps she thought he felt awkward not knowing her and she thought he'd like the TV to relax. So just ask (or tell), he likes this park, he likes this trampoline park etcetc

It can be hard when an older child starts a cm you say would you like to do x y z they say no you ask for suggestions they shrug.
Have you talked to the cm? Who else is coming in....few have no children....can he bring his own toys...Lego is popular here. Has she any outings and activities planned?
Often parents pick up themselves on half days but send in for full days.
Next week we're off to Hendon air craft museum. Tring dinosaur hunting, will do woods den building if dry enough or just exploring

Absolutely no way in hell would i send a 9 year old to a childminder. What your DC described is exactly what i’ve seen when I my 2 year old was at a childminder. The primary school kids were just sat there being made to watch cbeebies because there were still very small kids there. I actually removed my 2 year old from childminders because they weren’t stimulating enough.

PP’s suggestion above - are you able to give your 16 year old pocket money to babysit?

Thanks for all the input, I really appreciate it
I think I tend on the side of caution a lot of the time so it's good to know people would be happy to leave a 16 year old in charge of the 9yr old.

I've "fixed" the Easter holidays for the time being by booking him into holiday club 9-3 and his dad can take him and pick him up

I think I'll carry on with the after school care for the time being and just see if it improves once he settles in a bit and feels happier saying what he'd like to do

Is there any other after school clubs around? Our school didn't have one but a local community center had one where they would do pick up from a few schools. My 17 old is sometimes left in charge of my 9 yo and they just do their own thing.

I think pay the 16yr old and give him a few tasks such as preparing a small meal (e.g. beans on toast) and helping with homework, practicing times tables / spellings - so that he has some responsibilities for the first 45mins-hour or so. Better for everyone.

I pay my eldest to look after the youngest sometimes. This has been since she was 15 and he was 8.

In your situation I would absolutely let him walk home and be with his siblings.

My 11yo (yr6) walks home and is alone in the house (up to 1.5hrs) and is fine. Can get a little bored, but she has the dog for company! She prefers it to after school club, although she does go there when I am working longer days.

My two outgrew the child-minder at around age 7. Doing a whole day there in the holidays would bore them to tears! I only work term time, but still occasionally use holiday clubs to entertain the kids and they love them. You can get ones with extended hours too.

It wouldn’t occur to me to use childcare for a 10 year old after school if they can get themselves home on their own steam, especially given there are 2 older siblings there. Holiday club for the holidays.

In a year he will be at secondary school

So yes let him go home after school. Get a snack. Do homework

Why isn't 16yr in school /college /apprentice ?

Holiday clubs are good 9/3 then home

A cm for a 10yr is a bit much

16 year old is in school, but he starts and finishes earlier than the youngest so he'll already be home

Is there no way 16 year old can go to the primary school to pick up your other child? Even if you paid them?

Honestly the childminder will also be looking after very small children and babies so they will always take priority over yours.

Mine was in a combination of breakfast club and home alone after school at that age. Holidays were still holiday club until secondary but inset days he just stayed home from 10. No older siblings.

Unfortunately his school is one direction and the primary school is the opposite way.
I guess he could walk that way and meet youngest halfway and just make sure he gets home alright.

Youngest's school is just under a mile away, with at least 6 roads to cross which is why I've been a little reluctant to have him travel home alone.

I probably just listen to too much true crime, so I can't stop thinking about him being abducted or something on the way (I do realise this is unlikely!)

My son is the same age as your youngest. Two days a week he walks home from school and by the time he gets home my 14 year old son has arrived home from secondary school.

I check that they have been able to get in the house and get a snack. I didn't consider paying for after school club since his brother is home to keep an eye on him.