Before and after care?

[Anonymous]

Wondering how common it is for kids to be enrolled in BOTH before and after care? We are planning for just aftercare but I am increasingly nervous about juggling drop off with DH and our two kids (one in a DC charter and one in daycare) with one car and work schedules. When I think of doing beforecare I feel so much guilt... that would be a long day for our PK3 DS.

Am I overthinking it or is my gut right and I should find a way to make it work without beforecare?

[Anonymous]

I do it and it is less than ideal but fine.

[Anonymous]

Lot's of people do it. They'll be fine.

[Anonymous]

My kids are at school for 10 hours a day. It is just the way it is. They complain when I tell them it is time to leave aftercare, so I don't sweat it.

[Anonymous]

Some parents stagger work times, but if you can’t, it’ll be fine. A long day, but kids adjust. We didn’t always use before-care, but we paid for it just for peace of mind just in case we needed to use it (early work mtg, etc.). And kid didn’t mind in PK3 and legit loved it by PK4.

[Anonymous]

Youngest is in before and aftercare Prk3 (oldest went to a school that only had aftercare before switching schools for K). Prk3 complains about leaving aftercare when we pick her up. She's fine with before care, especially because she loves routines which most kids thrive on. And before care ends up not being that long, with the transition to their actual classrooms. Whatever you do, pick a consistent routine and it will be fine. And have a snack in the car for the drive home...that helps to prevent post-school meltdowns till they get home (and sometimes prevents them altogether)

[Anonymous]

If you are getting worried about it, put in a post-lottery application for your IB school. You'll probably get in and you'll have a shorter commute.

Another option is rather than before/aftercare, hire someone to drop off or pick up your kid from school. You won't be caring for them but it will be more one-on-one. You might even be able to find a SAH parent at the school who could pick your kid up and then you'd pick your kid up at their house.

[Anonymous]

We use both before and after care. My pre-K3 child doesn’t mind and it makes commuting less stressful.

[Anonymous]

Our school has breakfast starting at 8:10 and DD usually wants to be there for that because it's one time she gets to socialize with friends in other classes. She is enrolled in aftercare and most days, she is in aftercare until at least 5. On the days I pick up early, probably half the time she is annoyed and wants to stay because she has friends in aftercare she only sees in aftercare.

It was hard when she was younger (now in 3rd grade) because like you said, it's a long day, but for us, the difference between 8:10 and 8:30 is the difference between me getting to work on time and me being late. During aftercare, she does her homework, so when she is home (usually by 5:30), there is nothing hanging over her head that she needs to work on and she just gets to relax.

[Anonymous]

It's pretty common. We stagger drop off and pickup, but the only way for both of us to get off work at a decent hour (meaning that we get off in time to have some family time in the evening) is to drop off by 8:00 am.

[Anonymous]

At my kids' school, I don't know how many families use both, but we do. There are a ton of kids there for before care, and even more for after care. We don't always make before care---by kids have been sleeping in---but when we do, the day goes better for EVERYONE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids are at school for 10 hours a day. It is just the way it is. They complain when I tell them it is time to leave aftercare, so I don't sweat it.

Yep. If I pick up even 5 minutes early my kids complain.

[Anonymous]

I can't imagine a 9, 10, 11 hour day for kids under 10. If I were you, OP, I'd enroll just in case, but try to not use it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We use both before and after care. My pre-K3 child doesn’t mind and it makes commuting less stressful.

Having a hard time believing your 3 year old doesn't mind spending 3 hours a day with you, most of which are get ready, dinner time, and bed time.

[Anonymous]

We use beforecare just to avoid the dropoff parking and traffic cluster. Well worth it as 15 mins of beforecare means I can start my work day 30 mins earlier.