When did your child stop needing before and after school childcare?

[SIMPLYLOVELIES]

How old was your DC when you stopped before & after school childcare?

My 10 yo DS has outgrown his childminder setting, he goes with my younger DS every morning from 7.45 until school drop off my childminder has been in my DS's lives since they were 4 & 6 months old I've always kept this consistency for them to keep the familiarity.
However, my boys are 10 & 7 and love to wind each other up and bicker etc nothing major usual brotherly nonsense they are actually very very close but listening to them and playing referee is exhausting at times as they both like to have the last word.....

A couple of months ago we decided to start allowing our 10 yo DS to walk home from School a few nights a week, we live less than 5 minute walk from school its a safe and secure neighbourhood and no roads to cross etc. Reasons for this was 10 yo wanted more independence and it seemed fine as 15 yo DSD is home most nights from school also (unless she goes to the gym). It's worked well DS is a sensible boy and wouldn't mess about etc I trust him...... now the challenge I have is he wants to walk to school in a morning...... his childminder has also approached me and confirmed what I already thought and that is he has outgrown the setting all the other little ones are toddlers my DC are the only school age kids there now so it's not much fun for them...... I am going to trial him for the next few weeks walking to school from home alone to see how it goes and ensure I can trust him to lock the door etc. If this doesn't work out he will have to go to breakfast club at School (he doesn't want to though but I have to have confidence in him). He's yr 5 going to yr 6 in Sept so in practical terms he would have been doing this from yr 6 anyway I expected.

7 yo is also bored in childminders setting so my plan is to get this academic year finished and as long as eldest is ok walking I think I will put him in breakfast club from yr 3 atleast he is then with his friends and not little ones. I guess I need to let them grow up now but my god it's hard hahaha.

I'm not enjoying this stage of parenting at all.

Does the school have wraparound care if so I would definitely move the 7 year old no wonder they are causing problems if all the other kids are toddlers.

The ten year old walking home is pretty normal here even without an older sibling at home.

Yes, re my youngest my plan is to start him at breakfast club and after school club from (possibly) September although I may bring this forward and start a few mornings/nights a week from after May school holidays to see how he settles in there, I don't envisage him having any problems as he has many of his friends who attend.

My 10 yo took himself off to School for the 1st time this morning, was very strange leaving home without him though but he was absolutely fine and really happy he has the independence and trust. (I was spying on him though he hadn't realised I had turned the camera in our window around 😂).

Slightly pissed off with my childminder tbh, youngest got told off at School yesterday nothing major but he came out with a face on and she has approached his teacher asking what was wrong with him so the Teacher has told her about him having abit of an off day (unusual for him) I spoke with the Teacher when i was told and it's mild stuff but Childminder couldn't wait to inform my MIL who collected him last night, however, instead of telling her the full story she has made out like he has been really naughty at School and in alot of trouble he hadn't he had abit of a spat with another boy and they both missed their playtime no big deal at all it happens. I'm pissed off with her because she hasn't told MIL to pass on to me as I already knew as childminder text me and I then rang school. So she was well aware I knew everything. I have then been told she had told him off and told him "wait till we get back I am texting your mum" and then she has gone off telling tales to him grandma too he's 7 ffs! He had been dealt with at School took his punishment and that was done with and I have obviously dealt with him at home also. But he doesn't need a childminder and grandparent sticking their nose in and bollocking him too. He ended up bursting into tears when I spoke with him last night poor kid had clearly heard enough. So I think for this reason I might be bringing his leaving date forward.

Why do you not want to start them asap if both are showing disinterest?

is it because you feel you need to stay loyal to your child minder ?

You and your bots have grown out of your childminder. I’d move them both to After School Clib asap.

This. Move them both to the setting with their peers. Not suprised they’re bored of childminder after all this time.

I wouldn't want a 10 year old to have the responsibility of getting themselves out at the right time and then locking up the house each morning.

Walking home is a bit better, but, in truth, at that age, although mine had keys and did let themselves in on an occasional basis, I wouldn't have been keen on them letting themselves into the house once it got to Winter, and being there for 2 - 3 hours on their own.

So I would definitely try and get them into breakfast club, and it depends how early you or dh get home in terms of after school care.

Oh, and my dc loved playing with babies or toddlers at Childminders after school sometimes, and the childminder was perfectly capable of differentiating activities for them when they were there, so not sure why they would be bored there.

Personally I’d do both breakfast club now and trial the going to school next school year. Some childminders prefer just under fives and only keep them on past that age for a couple years. I knew one childminder that had 8 as her cut off.

There is certainly an element of loyalty, I also don't want to totally uproot the boys as she has looked after them since they were tiny and so she is a big part of their lives, if they achieve something big etc she is someone they want to share it with so they definitely have a strong attachment to her as she does to them in all honesty. However, all the others that were there fr before & after school have moved on now and I just think they ae bored, they want to run about with their peers and play games etc before and after school more age appropriate she has some babies again now in the setting and the boys do love the kids and playing with them but sometimes they don't want to but it is all set up for the day for the younger ones which I understand I wouldn't expect her to aim it all to my boys for the sake of an hour in a morning.

Sorry guys to give abit more information on this, my 10 yo is actually only at home alone for 10 minutes in a morning I leave the house around 7.40 but my eldest is home until 8.10 when she leaves for school and DS then leaves at 8.20..... in the evening he usually has a chat with his friends for 10-15 minutes at the school gates and then walks home and sometimes pops into the shop next to school, he gets home for 3.45-3.50 and I am home at just after 5pm. For more clarity I work less than 5 minutes from home, myself and DH work together so both of us are available if needed and MIL and FIL live 2 mins round the corner and MIL also works just a couple of minutes away so one of us can get home very easily if needed. I have a ring doorbell so can ensure he is locking the door and as I said above I've turned the camera to living room facing which captures the full downstairs of the house so I can keep an eye on him, he has his phone and I have life 360 on there so can track him etc and do.

He is a very sensible boy and most nights he has football training so tends to come home, get changed for training then get a drink and a snack and just chill watching TV or plays football in the back garden until I get home. My neighbour works school hours and the neighbour behind is a postman they each know too that he comes home from school now so if they see/hear him in the garden they always pop their heads over etc too. I know I can trust him and he will be fine I think it's more me being a soft arse and hating the fact they are growing up, he was my first (eldest daughter is my DSD) so cutting the apron strings is a tough pill to swallow and then with my youngest I guess I want to keep him as my baby boy forever knowing he is my last LOL! Bloody tough this being a mum malarky the poor kids can't win with us hahahaha!