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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

How do working mums cope without aftersch clubs for secondary school

24 replies

LucyJones · 14/07/2009 16:35

Was watching the news earlier and it was saying that children shouldnt be left on their own until they are 14.

I know there is no legal requirement but what happens when the child first starts secondary school at age 11 and they obviously are too big for afterschool clubs and childminders.

Do they just become latch key kids and what about the long school holidays? If you work full time and say get 2 weeks off, partner if you have one gets 2 weeks off what happens to the other 2 weeks?

OP posts:

GrapefruitMoon · 14/07/2009 16:39

Most I know are left on there own in term time until parents get home - neither parents nor children are too keen on this but what else can you do? Sometimes there are clubs after school they can go to which uses up some of the time. I suppose in holidays you could try to do swops with other parents or try to find a holiday club that caters for their age...

Original poster

LucyJones · 14/07/2009 16:41

I suppose they would be on their own for about 2 hours intul we got back from work
and in the holidays they could stay with grandparents for a bit

OP posts:

Tortington · 14/07/2009 16:41

after travel and gossip with friends mine get back at 4.00 - i get home between 5 and 6

although this doesn't apply to me now - it did

mumblechum · 14/07/2009 16:43

Most secondary school have a lot of afterschool activities, mainly sporty ones. If your dc don't like sport I suspect you'd be a bit buggered though.

Remember that even without afterschool activites, assuming they come home on the bus it will be 4.20/5pm before they arrive home so not a massive length of time for them to be home alone.

As for school hols, there are usually activity clubs (again, mainly sports based) in the hols but they often only run 10 till 3 which is a bit of a bugger.

Original poster

LucyJones · 14/07/2009 16:47

so it is the done thing to let an 11 yr old be on their own for a couple of hours

makes sense really cos they have to get back and from school alone

OP posts:

TheCrackFox · 14/07/2009 16:51

14!?!

FFs I had a job after school at 13.

What organisation is stating that DCs shouldn't be left alone until they are 14? The Cotton Wool Association.

Fennel · 14/07/2009 16:54

As a perfectly happy (and responsible) latchkey kid myself from the age of 8, I don't see 11 year olds up as needing childcare. My older two are only 9 and 7 but already come home from school alone and are getting quite good at looking after themselves - I am sure that in a couple of years they'll be fine without constant adult supervision.

In our jobs we can work from home a lot though which does make it easier for semi-independent children. Also we have 3 so they can look after each other, it won't be too lonely.

Original poster

LucyJones · 14/07/2009 16:54

lol

OP posts:

Original poster

LucyJones · 14/07/2009 16:56

It's interesting isn't it, a woman who left her kids with a 9 year old was cautioned by the police and it was put on her record just because she nipped to the shop and left them for a matter of minutes
but then some 9 year olds walk their 7 year old siblings home

maybe they should make laws so everyone knows where they stand

OP posts:

LovelyTinOfSpam · 14/07/2009 17:06

Was the 9 year old looking after 15 under 2s or something really silly though lucy?

Agree that 14 is stupidly old to still have to have someone looking after you the whole time. Do you know who has said this?

Northernlurker · 14/07/2009 17:09

Our holiday club takes children up to 14. In term time dd1 will come home by herself on the days I finish early and on the other days she's going to meet me at work, have a drink and do her homework then we can leave together. When she is a little older and more used to the whole thing I will allow her to come straight home but I don't want to get straight in to that in September.

piscesmoon · 14/07/2009 17:11

I don't know where they get the 14yrs from-a 13/14 yr old isn't going to want a CM or a sitter.

JohnDory · 14/07/2009 17:12

mine will just come home
he already is left alone in the house

PartirMaTerre · 14/07/2009 17:15

DD has been a latch key kid since year 6. She started going to after school club in Year 6, but hated it and was by far the eldest there. We was sensible enough to walk home (about a 5 minute walk from school) and I trusted her once she was there. I get home about 6 - 6.30.

Tbh she is very sporty and has clubs most days, she usually is at school until about 5.

She is going into Year 9 in September and this has always worked very well for us. The only downside is that she tends to raid the cupboards when she gets in famished from sport, so she ends up swiping all the goodies. Apart from that though, all is good.

During the hols she goes to stay with my mum as I don't like to leave her all day, every day at 13.

That statement is silly, most children from the age of 10 are ok to leave on their own for a couple of hours.

GrapefruitMoon · 14/07/2009 17:16

How did your ds1 fare with secondary school place JohnDory (am I remembering correctly that there was some tutoring or something going on?)

May need advice from mothers of boys in near future when trying to decide for ds1 about secondaries!

JohnDory · 14/07/2009 17:34

yy we were in
champers was drunk.
thanks for remembering

GrapefruitMoon · 14/07/2009 17:35

Is it all boys or mixed?

JohnDory · 14/07/2009 17:45

boys unfort.
CAT me and I can tell you wot i know

elvislives · 14/07/2009 18:10

All the secondary aged kids of the women in our office (mine included) walk from school to the office and wait for their mum either in their car or in the public waiting area. I found if I started at 8am that gave the DSs time to walk to school and not be too early. They turned up at 4pm ready for me to leave at 4.10pm. (school kicks out at 3.40)

I was babysitting (a 2 yo) at 14

scienceteacher · 14/07/2009 18:14

They can do afterschool clubs and homework in the library.

GrapefruitMoon · 14/07/2009 18:14

Ah all boys is what I need go find out about - only realistic option here as mixed oversubscribed. Not sure if I can cat - will try later

roisin · 14/07/2009 18:20

Ours can do afterschool clubs or homework clubs or just work in the library.

But most have a key and just come home. As they have a bus journey to make, they're often home much later than from primary anyway. ds1 is now out of the house c. 7.55 - 16.25 even when he doesn't have an afterschool club.

5Foot5 · 14/07/2009 20:00

What TheCrackFox said.

What idiot is saying 14!!

I know a great deal depends on the kids themselves but DD has been letting herself in after school since she started secondary nad is then home alone for 1 - 2 hours.

There is a sort of youth centre place over the road from her school which I suggested she might like but she was adament she wouldn't.

Some days in the holds now she has the day alone - though I like to check what she is going to do, who woth and where. She is 13.5yo

piscesmoon · 14/07/2009 21:34

Not being being left at home alone until 14yrs and can get married at 16yrs is mad!

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