working mums how do you cope with early finishes at school?

[blackandwhitecat]

Title says it all. What do you do if school finishes at mid-day on the end of term and you should be at work?

Have to take time off, or try to work some extra hours at other times to be able to leave early. It's a real pain, isn't it, and yet another example of schools still thinking it's the 1950s with all mothers at home.

After sports day and reception class play (9.30 bloody am performance) I am now overdrawn in the time off in lieu stakes...

I am going to have to beg grandma (who only lives 15 miles away) or dh (who is more flexible)to pick them up. It is a pain at this time of year eh?

I'm a teacher as well!! I'll have to get someone to cover my classes so I can pick up dd1 at the end of every term. I'll be hated at my college. Dreading it.

DD starts in Septmeber. If there are early finished on the days I work either Dh or I shall have to take time off, or we will try and see if grandparents can help out too. I may be occasionally able to change my work hours a little.

here we have OSCAR which is out of school care and recreation, basically they pick up where school finishes, some here even pick the kids up from school and transport them to the OSCAR site.

Our school has an after school club, but that doesn't work on the last day of term, so no help.

We are quite lucky; most children travel to and from school on school buses (as it is a Welsh medium school, and covers a wide catchment area), so they never finish early, as it would be a logistical nightmare with the buses.

Not that that helps you of course. If I did have to deal with this, it wouldn't be a huge problem for me, as my working hours are very flexible. In another job, I suppose I would have to take a 1/2 day, or try and get dh to do so...