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Original poster

What childcare options are available for ds/dd childcare when they go to secondary school?

51 replies

MrsS01 · 02/09/2011 21:33

As they're too young to walk home and stay on their own whilst you're at work and after school clubs are sporadic - what childcare options are availble?

OP posts:
GypsyMoth · 02/09/2011 22:07

3 miles not 3 hours

GypsyMoth · 02/09/2011 22:07

A taxi home..... An ongoing booking?

WoofToYouTooLady · 02/09/2011 22:10

sorry, misread

but even so, if the bus departs at 8.15 the child would have to leaving at 7.15/7.30 and surely will be dark then in winter?

something's not quite adding up so I'm outta here

Bellavita · 02/09/2011 22:15

Woof, I feel the same too.

I am afraid that if no provision can be made for your child after school, you don't want them to walk home in the dark, you don't want them to be on their own in the house, you cannot reduce your hours, then your only option is to give up work.

annh · 02/09/2011 22:19

What childcare have you had to date? Is anyone from your son's primary school going to secondary with him? Is this a school bus which drops hi three miles from home? This doesn't seem to make sense.

seimum · 02/09/2011 22:25

We spent many years employing a 'nanny/housekeeper' after school 3 afternoons a week. Sometimes this was a university student, but for the last 6 years it was a retired lady, who wanted a part-time job to boost her pension.
She collected from school & cooked tea & did the ironing.
We found the best source was ads in the local paper.

exoticfruits · 02/09/2011 22:29

3 hours to the bus stop sounds odd-have you opted for a school outside your catchment? Isn't there anyone else at the school that they could get a lift with? You could pick up their DC in the morning as I assume you must be doing that one?

annh · 02/09/2011 22:31

It's 3 MILES to the bus stop, not 3 hours.

exoticfruits · 02/09/2011 22:36

Sorry-obviously time I went to bed-it has been a long day! It still holds-lift share.

LovetheHarp · 03/09/2011 15:53

I would advertise locally for a mature lady or similar who will come and help at the house for a couple of hours a day after school.

I have just done this myself for different reasons but in a similar vein - I have 4 children and need some help with cooking/picking up/dropping off to activities and homework supervision as I struggle to do it all by myself. Good luck with it!

Rocky12 · 03/09/2011 17:11

Three miles from a bus stop - yikes! It sounds a very strange set up for the UK, another person complaining that they have a problem and refusing to listen to any suggestions. If you dont want to leave them at home, dont want to advertise for someone, dont want to ask another parent to help (maybe for payment or for babysitting), think DS is too young to be left on his own - well you might have to give up work.....

ragged · 03/09/2011 17:14

This is the first year in the last 8 I've been on MN that we've had any threads about this problem. What were people doing about it 5 years ago, were all 11yos mature enough then? :(

IwanttobeShirleyValentine · 03/09/2011 17:31

I am wondering about this too, child care for older DC.

Some DC at 11/12 are just not quite ready to be on their own every night after school for several hours. All kids are different.

At 15 I used to sit with a 10 and 11yo 3 days a week until either Mum or Dad got home from work. They probably would have been fine but Mum and Dad wanted the reassurance and I think the kids quite liked the company.

I may be in a situation this time next year where I may need some help. The proplem for me is though because I am student money is very tight to pay out lots of money.

I think I would try the local ads route and ask for someone who can pick him up from school or the bus stop and the cook tea and supervise him from a distance.

cjbartlett · 03/09/2011 17:33

Move closer to the school

Most rural places have buses near enough to homes don't they?
Im thinking of Wales etc
Must work out somehow

cjbartlett · 03/09/2011 17:34

Perhaps child could cycle to bus stop, keep bike at school and cycle home from bus stop? Is that allowed?

penguin73 · 03/09/2011 20:08

Have you checked with school? - we have provision for them to go to the library after school for an hour to do hwk etc, there are also clubs/hwk sessions run by different teachers and departments. Otherwise childminder or an afterschool club are probably your only options. Although I was happy for DS to be home alone at 11 I think some of his friends went to the after-school club run by one of the school's feeder primaries so it could be worth trying the primaries if the secondary can't help.

Original poster
MrsS01 · 03/09/2011 22:49

Thanks everyone for all your ideas. He will be attending a school out of the catchment area due to personal issues that I'd rather not go into - but for his stability that it why he is attending that school.

Cj - it is rural and the school bus will drop him off 3 miles from home. Moving is not an option I can afford.

He's not quite responsible enough to walk the distance to the bus stop and stay on his own just yet - maybe in another year he will be, but I'm not happy that he is mature enough yet. The school provide some clubs but not every day.

Penguin - I hadn't thought of trying primary's - maybe that's worth a go.

Ragged/I want to be .../LovetheHarp - thanks for appreciating the problem I'm facing.

ExoticFruits - I will be doing the morning run, drop off and dash to work - i don't know any of the other parents.

Maybe I'm worrying unnecessarily and things will work out when school starts on Tues with clubs etc.

Wooftoyou-I'll be doing the morning run, its the 3.15 finish thats the problem when I finish work at 5pm.

Bellavita - give up work???!!! There must be a better solution.

ILove Tiffany - taxi costs, i'm a lp - at least if its a registered person i can get help towards costs.

Annh - i've used a childminder to date and will continue to do with other child,however she is too far away from the secondary school.

All I want is to continue to work and pay my/our way but be able to care for/have care for my children - surely that's not too much to ask as a lp is it? Those of you who think I'm too soft on my DS and he should walk 3 miles in the dark then look after himself for 2 hours before I get home when he's been through a lot and needs stability and support at the moment - would you do that to your children? All children develop and mature differently and have different needs. I expect I'll be flamed now Sad

OP posts:
WoofToYouTooLady · 03/09/2011 22:54

no flaming from me, it sounds very difficult

thank you for taking the time to explain a bit more

Original poster
MrsS01 · 03/09/2011 22:57

Thank you Woof :)

OP posts:
SarkySpanner · 03/09/2011 22:58

Could your cm collect him from the bus stop?

Meglet · 03/09/2011 23:03

I wouldn't flame you. I'm praying I can still work p/t when mine are at senior school as it's quite possible we won't have family nearby in a few years time and I wouldn't want the dc's at home trying to kill each other / not do their homework at that age.

(Not really helpful I know but I understand where you are coming from).

Mutt · 03/09/2011 23:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Tidybush · 04/09/2011 00:10

How long have you known that this will be an issue? I thought that secondary school places were confirmed in March.

exoticfruits · 04/09/2011 09:20

ExoticFruits - I will be doing the morning run, drop off and dash to work - i don't know any of the other parents

Everyone needs a network-get to know them once he starts.

You will need cooperation in years to come. When your DC is on study leave and has to be in at 1.30pm for an exam it is a nightmare for working parents-you need to have developed your network so that you can lift share.

There will be times he has to be at school at the crack of dawn for a trip, after school activities, sporting fixtures etc.

Bellavita · 04/09/2011 09:28

Why would we flame you?

However, maybe you should have given us the full picture in your first post about the school not being in your catchment area.

As Tidy says, you must have had the school place confirmed months ago?

Surely when considering this school at the outset, you must have known about the difficulties you wre going to face?

As for the giving up work comment, yes I was serious. If you are facing these problems, don't want your child being in his own, cannot reduce your hours, cannot come up with any other solution then....