Anonymous wrote:Where do you live that a 7th grader can’t walk home from the bus at 3pm safely?

But the answer is to keep sending them to school after care or babysitters until you feel like they can be home alone?

There isn't any middle school aftercare nor the possibility of hiring a babysitter. Our district doesn’t offer that. Clubs end early. My kids would be home alone for up to 3 hours, more if we’re in traffic. We do not know anyone to babysit. We haven’t been in our neighborhood for a decade and have cultivated deep connections. Like in many places, people generally keep to themselves. We hired a nanny before but that was when the kids were much smaller and she came through our pre-k.

Where do you live that a 7th grader can’t walk home from the bus at 3pm safely?

But the answer is to keep sending them to school after care or babysitters until you feel like they can be home alone?

From 4th grade on, they went to school and came home on their own and stayed at home until a parent arrived - usually about an hour.

Anonymous wrote:How old are they? It's weird you won't list their ages.

An eleven or twelve year old should be able to walk or take the bus and stay alone for an hour or so.

At that age we encouraged after school clubs plus taking the late bus home. Kid did three clubs so was only home alone for a little bit three days a week. The other two days I felt fine leaving him for a couple hours.

They’re 10.5 and 12.5. We live off a busy street, and it’s generally safe but we’ve had our share of cop cars driving around for more than standard patrolling. So, this isn’t exactly a Leave it to Beaver neighborhood. My kids have already seen someone get handcuffed. We’re not far from a major highway, either.

And yes, working a hybrid schedule was quite helpful when all I needed to do was let my kids into the house and tell them to start their homework, not do a Supermom costume switch into my secret pinafore while on the clock. It would be nice if my org was still even a tad bit flexible, but alas, it is what it is. So yep, the easiest option- let me drive home early to finish the day at home— is no longer in reach. Maybe laying all my cards on the table with my boss would help.

How old are they? It's weird you won't list their ages.

An eleven or twelve year old should be able to walk or take the bus and stay alone for an hour or so.

At that age we encouraged after school clubs plus taking the late bus home. Kid did three clubs so was only home alone for a little bit three days a week. The other two days I felt fine leaving him for a couple hours.

Anonymous wrote:The people I know in this situation have after school Nannie’s or au pairs

Op here. Considering our salaries, I’d quit before getting an au pair or nanny. My take home after paying for that kind of support would be about $2k. I can find a much less demanding part time job for that net take home.

The people I know in this situation have after school Nannie’s or au pairs

We don't have a school bus or a safe walk home. I've been working a very early start day in order to make it for pickup, but if my employer stops allowing that we will pay for aftercare (which is just loosely supervised study hall).

My 4th grader has successfully gotten himself off to school in the am when needed (not daily) since halfway through 2nd grade. I have not needed to pay for care for him since we moved here. I do pay for before care for my 1st grader. I am home by the time they get off the bus in the pm.

We have an au pair. She takes them to after school activities and helps with homework.

If your kids can't be trusted to come home on their own, than they are not, by definition, too old for afterschool care. Why are you asking this question right before school starts? Youve had all summer to figure it out.

Fwiw i trust my 9 year old to be home alone for up to an hour each day. But all kids are different.

How old are your kids?

My 5th grader stayed in his elementary school aftercare program through the end of 5th grade. He'll come home and be by himself until his older sibling gets home or I get home. A few days a week he will probably do an afterschool club, so then he's hardly home by himself.

If I wasn't comfortable with that, there is an afterschool program at our middle school and at the Rec Center across the street.

We did practice the walk too and from school, and he has a key and knows where the spare key is in a pinch. Most of his peers will be doing the same thing, not many people use the after school programs.

SACC was the answer.

What kind of childcare have you found since you've returned to the office? My kids are too old for daycare and nannies, too young to let themselves into the house and be trusted to not fight or have good street sense to protect themselves while walking home. If you're in a similar situation, how have you found childcare or other ways to keep them in a supervised situation? I'm looking at afterschool clubs, but they all don't go to 5 pm of course. We don't have any relatives nearby, they're all several hours or a plane ride away. We don't know any neighbors well enough, either, to ask if our kids could sit on their porch doing homework (that's how my mom managed things when she went back to work when I was 11. They were very close with our long-time neighbors back in the 80s and they were reliable and kind, I don't even think they took money from my parents/)