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!

If you’re worried about the walk home you could pop on the school Facebook that you’re looking for someone who would walk him home. If you offered £10 a day cash in hand you would definitely get people offering….

He's in year 5, so he won't be in secondary next year

Yes reliesed age is younger plus with long walk and roads I understand the worry

Can 16 meet him en route

Or walk with any friends ?

It's a tricky age to start. Is there any options to ask school community of anyone available for the hours . Ideally a family with similar aged child.

I've been lucky as between about 8/10 parents we juggle a group of my sons friends. They come to one home, have a snack, do homework then play out together.

Fortunately there's two teachers in the group so they take a bulk of holiday time. And in return we cover all of their babysitting between us.

I think that the main issue is going to be holidays. But I can get round that by using holiday clubs and either his dad or my parents doing drop off and pick up

I think I'll stick with the childminder after school for now and see how it goes, but if he's really not happy there then I'm definitely going to try and persuade/bribe 16yr old to walk up and meet him.

He can walk about a third of the way with his friend, so if one of his brothers meets him there he'll be fine.

Thank you to everyone who has commented by the way.
I'm a terrible overthinker, I tend to catastrophise, and I feel very guilty for leaving him when I didn't do it with his older siblings!

It's really good to get a bunch of other views, and I feel happier about leaving him home with his brothers if it comes to that.

If he is the only older one at cm then be hard for him

I’d pay the older child to sort him out

I have a 10 yo and no way could I get him to go to any kind of childcare these days. Admittedly it’s much easier for me as I wfh but I am happy to leave him on occasion.

I would carry on with CM and reassess after the holidays. If her other mindees were doing a full day of school and needed fetching at 3pm and your son got there at 12.30 and had a bit of lunch, there may not have been time to do much other than a bit of TV. Holidays can have planned day trips etc.

it is illegal so don't ask on a public forum and dont ask a stranger

he can take his own things to the child minder, book, toy etc over easter

It's illegal to offer to have a child over after school??

it is illegal to act as a childminder without registering as a childminder. "Swapping" childcare on this sort of basis counts as receiving payment for childcare, ie, acting as a child minder. Advertising it publicly too

@notnowmarmaduke I would query the number of prosecutions. We do quid pro quo so no money involved. At this age it is really impossible to find age appropriate childcare.

Not true.

"you do not need to register with Ofsted if you look after a friend’s child for two hours or less a day and are not paid.
you don’t need to register if you look after a friend’s child for three hours or less a day and are paid"

https://www.netmums.com/life/childcare-swaps-the-rules

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/registration-exemptions#when-you-do-not-have-to-register-but-choose-to

I would do a mixture of holiday club, brothers, and swapping with friends, in fact that exactly what I used to do when DS3 was 10, and his brothers 18 & 15.
A 10 year old doesn't need someone to get them snacks or remind them to eat, they just need a bit of company for some of the time.
You could offer to pay your other sons, or just tell them it's part of being a family, you probably give lifts and pocket money/facilitate outings and phones and sports etc, and it's the quid pro quo.
I'm sure other people in DS's school will have similar issues- I used to ring round all his friends parents and tell them the days I was off and offer to have their DC on those days, and ask could they have my DC on a different day?

we are talking about whole days, and way over the maximum legal hours

@notnowmarmaduke op has said she just means after school for the childcare swap

well, I hope it works out, I am just making sure she is aware of the legal situation

It's illegal too offer more than 2 hours a day paid childcare for under 8s ....of course they won't be insured and probably not have first aid training

This child is over 8, so of course no one needs to register as a childminder.

Childcare swaps don’t count as payment either and haven’t for a number of years.