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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

If you work FT(or did while DC at primary school)...please tell me how you managed it all - drop offs, pick ups and - gulp - holidays.

23 replies

tigana · 27/05/2009 20:06

That's it really.
I'm trying to work it out and it is making my head hurt and increasing my 'mummy guilt' tenfold at the moment.

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TheFallenMadonna · 27/05/2009 20:16

DH drops off at 8.40. Occasionally uses breakfast club (from 7.40) if he has an early meeting. I pick up from after school club. Fortunately I'm a teacher so holidays are sorted . DH has to take the odd day off for INSET days. DH gets to go to plays and sports days. Unfortunately I'm a teacher so I don't...

cory · 27/05/2009 20:16

I think a childminder would have to be the answer. Preferably with a network of other childminders willing to take over when she is ill or on holiday.

hf128219 · 27/05/2009 20:18

Goodness it's tricky isn't it? My dd is only 16 months and I have already thought about it. I am lucky as I can work term-times only but we would also have to get an au-pair.

ssd · 27/05/2009 20:18

I think it must be harder working full time when the kids start school, the logistics must be a nightmare, esp. if you have more than 1 child

its the 13 weeks holidays that are impossible

Original poster

tigana · 27/05/2009 20:22

Yup.
We already do quite a bit of juggling as DH often works away and can't do the 'nursery run' each afternoon...and people keep saying "oooh, things will get easier when he starts school" and I keep thinking "Um. No." and wondering what planet they live on.

OP posts:

hf128219 · 27/05/2009 20:24

Tigana - that's the thing for me too. DH is in the army and spends a lot of time away - that's when I spend too long on here!

hercules1 · 27/05/2009 20:27

Use a childminder for drop off and pick up. I am a teacher so holidays not a problem either.

Original poster

tigana · 27/05/2009 20:30

I think I might have to do some flexible working hours, like starting earlier in the morning (yikes! am not a morning person!) so I can finish earlier and be back in time for end of after school clubs (1/2 hour commute) but then, when DH is away I will need to do drop offs too...so that won't work then...oh bugger...too many variables!!

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TheFallenMadonna · 27/05/2009 20:33

When DH is away it is a nightmare. The great thing about being a teacher is there's no issue with holidays. The bad thing is there's no flexibility. If I have to do the drop off to breakfast club I have to pray that the traffic is moving and it is absolutely down to the last minute. I hate it.

LupusinaLlamasuit · 27/05/2009 20:33

We have three kids but pretty flexible jobs which are close by. But still we have to throw money at the issue: after school club and playschemes in the holidays. A bit of sharing pickups with DS' friends parents helps too.

Pawslikepaddington · 27/05/2009 20:40

Ok, for someone that has to work on BANK HOLIDAYS too (that was awful!)-you need an afterschool club (generally cheaper than a childminder), or if you need a childminder in the mornings use her for afternoons too. You need to set aside half an hour during breakfast or bathtime to go through reading with them, as they are too tired after they get home usually. Holidays you need good holiday care (book 8 weeks in advance-i.e. during the previous holiday as they book up fast!) that runs 8.30-6pm. You also need to save continuously, as holiday care can be up to £40 a day. It can be done however, even as a single parent!

happilyconfused · 27/05/2009 20:41

I can't believe I actually muddled through the primary stage. I had a mix of me or Dh doing drop offs (when he was not off on a trip), used the early morning club, pick-ups were a mixture of myself or grandparents - maybe using an after school club to grab an extra half hour. Holidays were very expensive as we used a mix of clubs.. I found that as the dcs got older they did not want to do all the clubs but I had moved into teaching by then and now do not have to worry about the holidays.

LupusinaLlamasuit · 27/05/2009 20:52

Yes, holiday clubs are expensive. We pay the same as a fulltime nursery place.

MollieO · 27/05/2009 23:38

Wraparound care at school and holiday club. This week holiday club is costing me £150 for 4 days.

Quattrocento · 27/05/2009 23:44

Well it wasn't easy - especially as I don't have the sort of job where wraparound care helps. Getting back by 5.30 is frankly impossible.

We muddled through like this:

Drop-offs
Mondays & Fridays my responsibility
Wednesdays DH's responsibility
Tuesdays & Thursdays - our lift-share

Pick-ups and after school care
Mondays - me
Tuesdays and Thursdays - either an aupair or a lady we pay (currently a lady we pay)
Wednesdays - DH
Fridays - Grandparents

School holidays
We go on holiday or use annual leave (covers about seven weeks)
Grandparents (about four weeks)
A lady we pay or an aupair (about six weeks)

See what I mean about muddle?

Original poster

tigana · 27/05/2009 23:45

oh god, happilyconfused...I hadn't even thought about factoring in the "homework" aspect of it!

Thanks all.
Now, please can you just reassure me that your DCs are fine going to breakfast/afterschool/holiday clubs...[guilt]

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Original poster

tigana · 27/05/2009 23:46

Quattro - I suspect we will muddle through too. It is our way!

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Quattrocento · 27/05/2009 23:48

The DCs are completely fine with it, honestly.

Also as well as homework there might be some after school activities? The term logistical nightmare doesn't even begin to describe the network of information sessions/tennis/swimming/football/cricket/hockey/choir stuff

KathrynAustin · 28/05/2009 08:31

I think about this A LOT! I only work days a week, but the issue is still relevant.

DS1 starts in Reception in September and we will be using the after school club for 3 days a week, DH will change his work hours to do drop off every day and I have negotiated taking some/all of August off as my annual leave won't cover all hols/half-term etc.

I'm sure we'll be using holiday clubs too....

Not looking forward to the chaos!

GillL · 28/05/2009 11:17

I think about this a lot too. I'm currently working full time but I'm able to work from home 3 days a week so I'll be able to do the school run. I'm hoping I'll be able to persuade dh to work at home the other 2 days but he has meetings away sometimes so he won't be able to do it every week. We'll probably have to find a local childminder. I may be able to rely on my sister sometimes (who lives down the road from the school) if she's still unemployed. All this is only til the end of January though. My job is temporary til the end of October and then I'm back on consultation for redundancy. My company is very flexible on working hours so if I have to get a job with another company then we'll probably have to use a childminder all the time, which I don't want to do. The school is very small (18 per year group) and I haven't seen any information in their prospectus or web site about breakfast clubs or after school clubs. I'll probably end up feeling the 'mummy guilt' too tigana (even more than I do now).

breeminor · 28/05/2009 13:34

I work full time with a DS in reception and one at nursery. Nursery was a breeze, it was much easier when they were both there!!

I was off work for the first term DS started which was very good as I was able to do the drop offs and all the socialising, playdates etc! I am now back full time and I am using a combination of Chidminder for the drop offs and pick up 3 days a week and the after school club for the other 2.

We have also tried the school bus and the breakfast club, but we have finally settled for the CM doing the drop offs. (Rather expensive option)

The CM helps him with his reading and I try and get him to read as part of the bed time routine as too.
I was working in the city and it was really manic and virtually impossible to do either drop offs or pick ups. Now I am local and it is working better, but it is still a rush.

I am hoping to get to a point where I can do at least one drop off and pick up a week so that we can organise some playdates and I can have some contact with the school. DH travels a lot so can't really plan around him.

For the summer hols we are planning to combine a weeks holiday, summer camp and grandparents.....

As far as DS is concerned he does seem to be rather tired when he goes to the After school club and I think it is too long a day for him. He was very happy with the morning club and going on the school bus in the mornings too.

Guilt levels are high at the moment, but needs must I tell myself.

I did meet a FT working mum whose DS is in Year 8 and has used varying combinations over the years. She reassured me the DC are okay long term!!

soopermum1 · 28/05/2009 13:43

sticks hand up to 'mummy guilt'

DS goes to breakfast and after school club at a local centre, they then walk him and the other kids to school. not ideal especially when he seems to chuffed on the odd occassion that i can take him personaly to and from school

in holidays, DH and I just take turns being off with him. DH's turn this week and they both seem to be really enjoying it. granny sometimes helps out too but this involves her either flying down or me flying up with him and dropping him off for a week or a car journey half way for the drop of and pick up.

as i said, not ideal, but stable and all planned out. understanding boss is a good factor in all of this as well

neversaydie · 28/05/2009 14:24

The very easiest arrangement we had was when we employed a part time nanny, who also had a job as a TA. She was available at the times we needed her, and she was absolutely fantastic with DS.

Now - DH works 2 full and 2 short days a week (in theory) so he can pick up from school 3 days a week. I work term time only, with some days from home so I can pick up after school. Plus after school club 2 days a week (more if I am away for a long work trip).

In fact, I tend to pick up a lot of the slack even in term time (I travel a fair bit, but have a lot of flexibility when I am home.) DH consequently feels hard done by when I am away (because he has to stick to his contracted hours). On the other hand, I love having the school holidays off, although I am working my socks off this month and next so I can be free for July and August.

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