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

[Itchyandscratchy]

Here

Speechless.

[rabbitstew]

Tasmania - so as to avoid your own accusation that some people are guilty of transferring their own desires on their children, I presume you will acknowledge that actually not all children do like the summer camps they are sent on?

[exoticfruits]

I was just generalising- a lot of schools have an after school club for child care until 6pm.

I keep mentioning beds because the thread was about schools providing sleepovers to help with childcare costs.

[Tasmania]

rabbitstew - I am just saying that there are many parents who claim online that they do a myriad stuff with their kids after school when the reality looks very different, and what they write is often wishful thinking... in fact so many that if each would sign a declaration that they do all that stuff subject to fines by me (not the government) if they don't do as they say, I'd be a millionaire tomorrow.

Not too different from the superhuman profiles you get on online dating sites - when the reality looks very different.

[Tasmania]

And rabbitstew - re. summer camps... yes, not all kids may like it, but you can't say they don't like it unless you send them to one!!!!

Most kids cry and complain as a youngster when they are sent away - even I did. And you will also get home sick. But while I hated the thought of going to summer camp, once you are there, you adjust after a few days and enjoy it.

[Portofino]

Yamsarsyammy above said that after school clubs are maybe acceptable to onlies, or those with unhappy home lives. This statement gives me the rage.

[rabbitstew]

I agree, you can't know until you've tried something. Whether the summer camp you are doing is enjoyable or not depends quite a lot on the quality of what is on offer, whether it is taking up the whole of your holiday or just part of it, and the company you are expected to keep, though. Some holiday camps turn out to be more enjoyable than others!...

[rabbitstew]

Hmm. Yes, Portofino, that is a bit of a provocative statement.

[Tasmania]

rabbitstew - I wouldn't say 'no' to the American 7-week long summer camps even at this age... or should I say 'especially' at this age as the thought of having 7 weeks of no work, but only fun seems very appealing to me (activities are endless - from art to waterskiing). DH actually once asked whether we could go instead, and leave DC with grandparents, lol.

They do cost a lot though these days - sth. like $10k+ for a 7-week period.

[LimitedEditionLady]

I will send my son to afterschool club until i finish work.why not?for two days a week i want him to.he will be with other children doing activities and playing until i pick him up.its just a club for kids.

[Iwaswatchingthat]

Lots of teachers are working parents too!

[Portofino]

The reality is that the govt is making a huge effort to get women into the work place - whether they want to or not in some cases. Lack of affordable wrap round childcare is a huge barrier to working for some families. We should be thinking what can be done, looking at positives, learning from other countries. This seems to be what they are doing. Using school buildings and LA sports facilities that would other wise be empty at those time is just SENSIBLE. Of course it needs to be thought about and executed properly. But it is a start.

But instead of seeing this as a positive step to help hard pushed families we get hysteria about baby farming, the view that the plan is really to get our kids left at school 24/7. The headline in the op was goady toss. The reality is someone is thinking about how to make childcare more affordable. Maybe you don't like the option. It is not obligatory after all, but it is a START.

[Iwaswatchingthat]

Sorry posted too soon! Teachers are professional people, not babysitters.
Not sure many would want to do this? Who would bath/brush teeth/change wet beds? These are all parent jobs!

[Portofino]

Iwaswatching no one is proposing this is staffed by teachers. Just that they use the school buildings.

[Portofino]

The fecking beds again. Grrr.

[Iwaswatchingthat]

Just lots of comments on thread saying things like - teachers claim they are already overworked so will oppose this etc.

[Tasmania]

It's not teachers providing the after school care!!! How many times does that have to be said?

Basically, teachers go HOME after the normal school day once the teaching is done. The after school care is often outsourced to organisations that focus on providing childcare. Often, these are organisations that also run private nurseries.

[Portofino]

the school , the one school mentioned in the article as offering "occasional" sleepovers doesn't even mention this on their website.

[Tasmania]

P.S.: My local private nursery runs from 7.00am - 6.00pm. They work on shifts (just in case people think they get worked like mad... though the above is more similar to my working hours!).

[aroomofherown]

I think that there is an argument for using school sports/drama/ict etc facilities for clubs after school. Not connected to school/teachers, but run by external groups.

But personally I think it's a bit of a red herring - the government should make childcare cheaper and not what can be the entire income of someone who is working, so that families can have more choice over the quality of their after school care.

[Tasmania]

The offering at that school is actually OK.

Knowing the exaggeration of the media though, that sleepover may have been an organised sleepover! Some schools have that not as a 'helping parents' thing - but rather like a fun residential-but-at-school activity.

I can see how the media would then spin it into something else...

[rabbitstew]

I think the problem with the article is that it does refer to schools being good places to host these things because parents trust schools. Well, it isn't the school building they trust, is it? Therefore the article is implying parents would be OK about leaving their kids at school doing extra activities and even sleepovers because they trust the school staff to have made sure it's all kosher... That's loads more work for schools if people really expect them to be doing all that checking up. Poor old headteachers, unpaid governors et al... parents will be relying on them to provide safe, quality care 24/7, even when they aren't, and will be blaming them when things go wrong.

[Tasmania]

As in... "Hey, kids. Let's do sth. fun and have a sleepover at school! Don't forget your sleeping bags!"

The Natural History Museum offers sleepovers, too - doesn't mean it will take in kids willy nilly every day!

[Tanith]

Some childminders do overnight care and nannies often do this, too, so not sure why schools would need to host sleepovers for childcare. I wouldn't think there would be enough take-up to make it financially viable.

[Trigglesx]

When DD was young, DP and I used a childcare center that was open until midnight 6 days a week because we both worked evening shift. It was brilliant. Hot meals in the evening, activities for the children. And cots for them to sleep on with a mostly regular bedtime (bit later on Fridays and Saturday). They just had a couple shifts of childcare workers instead of just the dayshift workers. It was slightly more expensive than dayshift hours, but not hugely so, still affordable. And we were happy to have it available to us. They are few and far between.