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Is after care too much for a kindergartener?
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Anonymous
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Our elementary school has exactly one aftercare option, but it's a short walk over. The counselors from the local arts program walk everyone over after school. DS's day is 8-6. He did OK with this for kindergarten.
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Anonymous
| Another kindergartner (one this year and when my now entering 4th grader was in K) - who loves after care and hates when I pick up too early! I have kids at 2 different schools in 2 different states so the younger always gets picked up first... and hates it! Sometimes by the end of the week, everyone is tired... but usually it is from too much fun! My older is in Arlington public schools - fantastic extended day program! The younger in an independent school - very different, but equally wonderful program. Good luck! |
Anonymous
| This thread is a bit old and has been well responded to already, however, I feel compelled to offer my two cents. The answer to your question, of course, depends on your child. I see many posters saying that their child loved the extra time to play with friends and so forth. MY child would have loved that extra time too, but it would not have been good for him. He found all day kindergarten exhausting ... the full schedule of projects, academics, and mostly, social interaction just really took it out of him. He was incredibly cranky at home as a result and was sound asleep each night at 7:30. Having some "downtime" in the late afternoon was very helpful for him, even though he typically went outside in the neighborhood to play with other kids similar to what he would do during extended day. The dynamics were just a bit more relaxed and he could opt out or stop earlier if he wished. |
Anonymous
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My reaction to the question was: 7 AM to 5:30 PM for a five year old? Are you insane?
I guess I'm the one out of step because no one else seems to think that's outrageous. I would quit my job and move to West Virginia before I'd make my 5 year old be away from her parents for 11 hours a day. |
Anonymous
Yes, I agree, PP. It seems like far too much time away from the family. |
Anonymous
| OP here. Thanks for the replies. We decided on two days of after care a week only. One day DH leaves work early, the other day I hleave early, then one day with a sitter at home. |
Anonymous
I suspect that is not all that uncommon. Think about it; lots of people have a 45 minute commute. Then you work 8.5 hours. Then 45 minute commute home. Right there, that's 10 hours assuming no traffic delays. And that's for a job that requires no overtime... |
Anonymous
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It is a long time, there's no doubt about it, but that's life sometimes.
Our son's about to start kindergarten and he's definitely had his share of 10 hour days at times. This past year, it was more like 9 hours between preschool/daycare. We're lucky because we live in Arlington and our commutes aren't so bad (one of the reasons we live here) For kindergarten, he's looking at a 9 hour day, from when the bus picks him up to when we pick him up from after-care. The up-side is that the adjustment to kindergarten won't be nearly as hard as it is for kids who've been away from their parents for less time. Plus, his preschool last year went until 2, so the whole full-day kindergarten thing won't be a big deal for him either. I don't pretend it was always ideal, but we at least work jobs with pretty set hours and have had evenings and weekends to devote fully to him, rather than have work interfere. |
Anonymous
| Don't 3 and 4 year olds in full-time daycares or preschools with parents working full-time jobs often go for 10 hrs a day? Is kindergarten all that different that it suddenly becomes too much to handle? |
Anonymous
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