Schools should 'provide sleepovers' to help parents with cost of childcare

[Itchyandscratchy]

Here

Speechless.

The role of school is to educate. There are better ways to reduce the cost of chldcare. I know... stop taxing parents on the income they use to pay for childcare. Then more parents could afford to work.

Triggles your post reads as if you think the children will be sleeping under their desks. My boarding ds spends as much time in the classroom as his day pupil classmates.

State schools only have classrooms and the hall- possibly a library- they may well end up shoving the desks to one side!
Swings and roundabouts anyway- if you go private to get boarding you are going to have much longer holidays to find childcare for.

I don't have any kind of issue with boarding school per se or parents using different forms of childcare to suit their children's needs.

I do have a huge issue with totally inadequate premises and infrastructure (and probably people) being used to keep DC under control to force allow their parents to work.

BUT WHY IS IT THAT PEOPLE ON HERE COMPLETELY IGNORE YOU WHEN YOU KNOW IT WORKS IN CERTAIN COUNTRIES?!?

But we do have this kind of childcare here.

However, the government is struggling to find school places for all children, never mind put more money in to childcare.

Who is supposed to be the recipient of this PR brief?

They are not proposing to subsidise more childcare (whether by increasing school budgets or benefits/tax breaks for parents) and they are not proposing to fund capital expenditure that would make schools more suitable for childcare as opposed to teaching.

They are also not proposing to raise taxes.

It just doesn't add up. (But then neither does the free schools/academies budget, or the proposals about ratios and nurseries, so no surprise there then).

Bonsoir

From my recollection, you and DH are quite well-hreled. DH and I fare well, but it is far easier when you have a lot of money to come across as the heavenly mother.

My SiL has a horrid (female) boss who has no empathy for her struggle between career / commute / child / living cost. That's because SiL and her DH both have to work and can just afford nursery while horrid boss can afford TWO nannies on a rota basis.

There is no other woman in her company that has a young child... wonder why?!? It's not a small company either.

That said - I do think tax credit on cost of childcare is also necessary. But there aren't quite enough childcare places available...

Not all state schools are pits.

The one my boys go to has a sea view and plenty of green space, plants, outdoor play equipment and other useful stuff. I am more than happy for them to spend time there before and after school, and so are they.

There is plenty of good stuff that could take place in school facilities with a bit of thought and planning.

bico I hardly even mentioned the overnight part, other than saying I thought it was a bad idea. How you read that I practically said they were going to be sleeping under their desks from that is beyond me. Specsavers might be helpful.

Tasmania - then your SIL should look for another job. Not all companies are as unenlightened. My DP runs a company where well over 90% of the employees are women, mostly of childbearing age and huge swathes of them have small DC and are on minimum wage or quite modest salaries (though his senior management team is also 3/5 female). It is quite possible for companies to be understanding, as his is, about the necessity of give-and-take on both sides.

The thing is, companies also need to be sympathetic towards men with children, not just women.

Looking after school age children should not affect mothers more than fathers.

(I know we are along way from this, so am not trying to blame mothers)

Men should also be equally responsible for ageing parents - come the revolution....!!

Tasmania.

I don't think it has anything to do with how much money you have tbh, its if you want your dc to board.
Personally, I wouldn't touch the state sector with a barge pole. Maybe one day I may agree to a couple of nights boarding in the Private sector, because these are purposely built premises with good facilities and experienced/ qualified staff. I'm not talking level 1-3 childcare cert here.

I was quite happy with the state sector and wouldn't have gone privately if I had the money. My DCs have ended up exactly where they would if I had paid- their first choice of career.
There are state boarding schools - I wouldn't want to use them ,but I wouldn't want a boarding school full stop.
Of course they are purpose built with good facilities but you are paying for it- paying more than most people can afford. They are businesses- not helping parents with childcare out of the goodness of their hearts!

Bonsoir

Re. SIL finding another job: Minimum wage does not pay a mortgage in this country.

What really has to be addressed is the cost of living in thos country. But not many want house prices to drop by 50% - which I beloeve to be the real fair value...

They are not setting up beds in class rooms! Many people seem to get quite hysterical about this.

Though actually in Belgium they do to let the maternelle children have a lunchtime nap.

Nah, it will be be billed as an alternative to Brownie or Cub camp for people who aren't in the Brownies or Cubs. Have a jolly night on a camp bed in the classroom, or in a tent on the school playground (inner city)/field (if not sold off), set fire to a few books and toast a few marshmallows. Sounds like fun to me! Just an extension of Forest Schools, really.

I struggle with this really. My previous experience of uk school was when I was there. We used to come home at 3.30 and watch tv, or play outside with friends according to the weather. My dd plays outside with friends , or plays board games/does crafts according to the weather. There is a larger choice of games than we have at home and certainly more willing participants. I don't recall getting quality one on one time as there were chores to do and dinner to cook. In fact I remember very little interaction. We were supposed to get on with it. Dd is 9 and complains if I turn up early and interrupt.

Where would they set up beds Portofino?

Maryz, I totally agree, but this is optional remember.

My childhood was entirely different from dd. I never lived in a city. I had liberties that even if I was sahm i could not offer due to location, traffic, main roads etc.

Exotic, in the Belgian maternelle system. Where they start aged 2.5. They do put beds out for the little ones to have a sleep. Some schools have purpose built areas for this. Much like the NHs crèche I went to 40 years so.

Maryz I agree too. It seems now like your expected to fill every minute of your child's time with 'activities'. Whatever happened to children being allowed to just play and learn how to occupy themselves and be comfortable in their own company?