Daycare in DC that will take 13-year-old during holiday break?

[Anonymous]

Desperate for childcare for my 13 year old. We are in Takoma Park.

He is suspended from our after school program and we’re scrambling for coverage.

No, we cannot afford a nanny and we don’t qualify for assistance.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Winter sports camp during the day? Something like HoopEd?

[Anonymous]

Send him to a relative's house? Southwest he is old enough to fly by himself.

[Anonymous]

13 yr old should be old enough to be home alone, no? Or he's not responsible, hence he was kicked out of the previous care? Can he stay home for a couple of hours, and you can hire a HS student for like $15/hour?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:13 yr old should be old enough to be home alone, no? Or he's not responsible, hence he was kicked out of the previous care? Can he stay home for a couple of hours, and you can hire a HS student for like $15/hour?

He cannot be home alone. No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Winter sports camp during the day? Something like HoopEd?

We will look into it. Thanks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Send him to a relative's house? Southwest he is old enough to fly by himself.

If he stayed with anyone in our family he’d come back addicted to meth.

[Anonymous]

Hoop Ed is a good suggestion.

[Anonymous]

You mean a winter break camp. Try silver stars, agility, or movement in Rockville if you can get him out there.

[Anonymous]

Is he naughty and you really need him to be supervised?

Are there security issues in the neighborhood?

Is there a bus that takes him home/can he be latchkey?

I think 13 is old enough to be at home alone if he is well-behaved enough. Some kids act out at aftercare because the environment is rough.

I would set up a Zoom call and ask him to do his afterschool activities in one room with a camera live feed you can check on. He can grab food, use the bathroom, etc. with privacy. But generally should be in the designated study/play space. It might seem a bit dystopian but look at it as a consequence. And if he likes being home alone he might be more relaxed and better behaved and not care.

My kids loved home time during covid. That was the breakpoint for both of them with aftercare...my oldest through 8th grade and youngest through 5th.

I realized from covid that my kids really put up with a lot at aftercare. It was better than endless videogaming for their bodies and minds but also socially stressful. My younger almost got kicked out do to a running beef between him and a bratty little girl that neither would stop.

Apologies if this isn't helpful. Just wanted to say something because 13 is on that cusp of being o.k. alone unless likely to do bad things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Desperate for childcare for my 13 year old. We are in Takoma Park.

He is suspended from our after school program and we’re scrambling for coverage.

No, we cannot afford a nanny and we don’t qualify for assistance.

Thank you!

Why was he suspended? How do you think a daycare will handle a 13 year old?

[Anonymous]

I don’t want to sound rude, but please don’t try and put your troubled and suspended 13-year-old in a daycare with little kids. It’s not fair to the little kids or to the daycare staff.

Maybe you didn’t mean daycare, but that’s what my reply is directly to. Look for karate day camps in that type of business that has kids his own age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is he naughty and you really need him to be supervised?

Are there security issues in the neighborhood?

Is there a bus that takes him home/can he be latchkey?

I think 13 is old enough to be at home alone if he is well-behaved enough. Some kids act out at aftercare because the environment is rough.

I would set up a Zoom call and ask him to do his afterschool activities in one room with a camera live feed you can check on. He can grab food, use the bathroom, etc. with privacy. But generally should be in the designated study/play space. It might seem a bit dystopian but look at it as a consequence. And if he likes being home alone he might be more relaxed and better behaved and not care.

My kids loved home time during covid. That was the breakpoint for both of them with aftercare...my oldest through 8th grade and youngest through 5th.

I realized from covid that my kids really put up with a lot at aftercare. It was better than endless videogaming for their bodies and minds but also socially stressful. My younger almost got kicked out do to a running beef between him and a bratty little girl that neither would stop.

Apologies if this isn't helpful. Just wanted to say something because 13 is on that cusp of being o.k. alone unless likely to do bad things.

He needs supervision and to be kept very occupied. ADHD and will get into trouble without structure.

Not a bad kid, sweet but immature.

Was suspended for eloping and hiding from staff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t want to sound rude, but please don’t try and put your troubled and suspended 13-year-old in a daycare with little kids. It’s not fair to the little kids or to the daycare staff.

Maybe you didn’t mean daycare, but that’s what my reply is directly to. Look for karate day camps in that type of business that has kids his own age.

He’s aged out of any daycare program.

But they did take him when he was 12 and he did fine because they kept him busy.

[Anonymous]

There are quite a few good sports camps that will definitely keep him moving. Hoop Ed is one of the less expensive but also high quality ones.