We have an au pair for all the reasons stated. When you add in summers too, it works out well financially.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder this all the time. My niece goes to high school from 7:30-2:30, which is ridiculously early to get to school and to get home.

But a high schooler doesn't need her mommy walking her into the school or picking her up. Take the bus or walk or get a ride from a friend.

Kids always try to mooch off my DCs and I say no. It's amazing how much nerve parents have. Plus there are rules driving non-sibling kids in the car.

School is not childcare. It is school.

You need to arrange for childcare during hours and on days in which school is not in session.

Anonymous wrote:
If commuting takes over 30 minutes, that means we have either very little time to cook dinner or little family time before we actually go to bed.

Ideas? Thanks

This last part of your question is true, whether you have a school aged child, or an infant in daycare, isn't it?

DC 1&2 catch bus at 7:25am Hubby takes DC3 to school by 7:45 am. I go to work at 6:50 am get off at 3:30 pick up DC3 by 4:05. DC 1&2 go to after care until 5:30 I do pick up. Hubby comes home by 6 pm.

Sports can start as early as 4:45. It's a royal pain to get there in time.

Before/Afte school programs and staggered start times with DH.

Kids' school is 8:30-3:30. DH and I work FT and so I drop off at 7:30 (to get to work at 8) and I pick up at 5:00 (leave work at 4:30.) DH's work is in the opposite directions, so he only picks up 1-2x/week.

Our elementary school in MD goes from 9:15 to 3:30. My husband and I work 8:30 to 5, each with about a 30-minute commute. Our school has before- and after-care available from 7 AM to 6 PM for a cost (~$500/month for five days of before and after). Our child goes to a different daycare for before- and after-care instead, which does school dropoff and pickup. I may start staggering my work schedule a day or two a week to work from 6:30 to 3 in order to do pickup and have more time at home in the afternoon.

Anonymous wrote:I wonder this all the time. My niece goes to high school from 7:30-2:30, which is ridiculously early to get to school and to get home.

But a high schooler doesn't need her mommy walking her into the school or picking her up. Take the bus or walk or get a ride from a friend.

DD's school starts at 7:50 a.m. I have to be at work at 8:30 a.m. We leave for school at 7am, and I get to work 10 minutes early.

Her aftercare goes until 6pm, but she can sign herself out. I work until 5 (used to be until 5:30 which made it hard to get to her before 6pm) and now usually have her sign herself out at 4:40 and take the train to meet me near work and then we go the rest of the way home together.

I wonder this all the time. My niece goes to high school from 7:30-2:30, which is ridiculously early to get to school and to get home.

I have a 3 year old in preschool- we pay for before and after care components at his preschool. He can go from 7am to 6pm. We also have a 5 year old in school down the street- she goes from 9am to 3.40pm, with early dismissal Mondays at 1.10pm. We also pay for before and after SACC through her school.

I telework 50% of the time and work 6.45am to 3.15pm. My husband does all the drop offs and does have the kids at their respectiver schools at opening times. I'm able to pick up the little guy at 3.20ish and the kindergartener right at 3.40pm on my telework days (school is across the street for us) and around 4ish on the days I'm in the office.

Most public schools have a before/aftercare program that you pay for.

I'm trying to get an idea on how parents are able to drop their kids off and get to work and pick them up on time. How do the full time working parents do this? It seems working hours are from 7am-6pm. What is the earliest you can drop you kid(s) off in Elem School, Middle/junior HS and High School? I think some schools have after school programs at the school -are these additional costs? How about extra-cirrucular activities like sports, music, other interests-how do you fit all that in?
What times does public schools in VA and MD start these days? And what time does it end? Something like 9am-3pm?? If I have to be at work at 9am, I can't possibly pick up at 3pm if I'm working FT.

If commuting takes over 30 minutes, that means we have either very little time to cook dinner or little family time before we actually go to bed.

Ideas? Thanks