Anonymous
Post 01/22/2026 22:16     Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think late mornings are less disruptive than a 2:10/2:40 end time to schools. No one in a regular job can end work at 2:30 to get their kids. You'd have to work shift work or part time to make that schedule.

I think we could make schools better if they ran 8 hours a day. Kids scores aren't exactly great these days, so maybe everyone could use an extra hour of tutoring


And even more recess.

The problem, if you've ever worked a public facing job, is if you are open to the public 8 hours, a single staff shift is going to be over 8 plus "lunch break." That's why a lot of places are only open 7 hours - time for setup, opening, and closing within one shift. Places with longer hours tend to have extra staff and everybody's part time but overlapping.

I know teacher lunch is inconsistent and I believe they're FLSA exempt by default, but I think the length of their day is a serious consideration here.


Do teachers get free lunches? I’m in a similar role where I’m hourly and we have to work 8.5 hours.

I don’t want teachers to be the ones working longer hours. Extra recess would likely fix a lot of disciplinary problems and longer lunches. Also more specials classes. My kids don’t get language or an instrument, both of which I had in elementary school.
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2026 22:10     Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:In our district school (elementary) starts at 8:20 (doors open/bus arrives at 8:00) so I put dc on bus at 7:40 and get to work by 8:05. Dh is not involved at all in the morning routine; he starts work at 6. But then he is able to meet the bus. So I guess our answer is to stagger schedules.


This would be my ideal schedule, our ES doesn't start until 930, with 9am bus pickup. So beforecare it is, we stagger schedules but meetings may start at 9 or 930 so doesn't work to not start the commute until then.


That is crazy late. Is this some sort of Montessori with lots of rich SAHMs/"retired" dads?

Our kid's school starts at 8:30am. Drop him off at the drive-thru at 815am and he hangs out with other kids in the gym. Can drop off as early as 730am if you pay for before-care.

930am is just really weird.


In FCPS, half the ES schools start at 8:30 and the other half start at 9:30, for bus reasons. This was a factor when we chose where to live, because 9:30 is untenable.

To your snarky comment, private schools in my area start at 8:00, or earlier for certain specials, because parent convenience carries more weight.


This is not accurate. The latest school start time is 9:20 and there are not that many of them. My kids' school actually starts at 9:15. Our bus comes at 9:00 and DH and I stagger our work from home days. When we both have to be at work, we ask a neighbor whose child is in the same grade if they can watch her for 30 minutes in the morning and bring them breakfast (muffins, donuts, coffee cake, etc.).
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2026 21:58     Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
I am lucky that our bus comes at 8:15 for a 9:00 start. I am able to get into work on time. My DD hated after care. I was usually able to flex my hours but not always. I looked at the school's bus map and found a high schooler that lived near one of the stops. She watched DD in her home. I only needed 45 minutes to an hour and that was perfect with her schedule and was cheaper than after care because I didn't pay for holidays/spring break, etc. The babysitter is now in college and DD is old enough to be home for a little before I get there.
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2026 21:58     Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
We adjusted our schedules to stagger - so DH goes in super early to get home for dismissal at 4:05, and I handle drop off at 9am. I pay the exorbitant express lane fee to get to work around 930/940. Our SACC before care has a waitlist.
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2026 21:48     Subject: Re:Elementary drop off and working parents
Anonymous wrote:We are a small single lane neighborhood of 45 homes in MoCo. One neighbor who lives steps away from the bus-stop at the entrance of the street, provides before-care from 6:30 am till bus comes.

She has three kids. Before care consists of - sitting in her family room watching TV until the bus comes. Oh, she is an immigrant. Does not charge anything. She has the phone number of the school, bus depot and the driver.

She will ask the kids if they have had breakfast, tells them to finish their homework if they have work left, and she will ask them to check if they have their lunchbox. She will lend rain ponchos, coats, hats, umbrellas - to the kids. She has a covered porch and she also keeps water bottles in a cooler and snacks for the delivery people during summer.

She is a gem.


Wow she does sound like a gem. What a sweet woman to help keep kids safe and well cared for in the before-school hrs.
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2026 21:26     Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
Anonymous wrote:I think late mornings are less disruptive than a 2:10/2:40 end time to schools. No one in a regular job can end work at 2:30 to get their kids. You'd have to work shift work or part time to make that schedule.

I think we could make schools better if they ran 8 hours a day. Kids scores aren't exactly great these days, so maybe everyone could use an extra hour of tutoring


The 5 and 6 year olds in my school are completely melted down by dismissal. Schools don’t need to force march young kids through more hours of school just because that’s how many hours their parents have to work.
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2026 21:20     Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
Anonymous wrote:I figured out this stuff when I was in my 20s and saw my friends suffering.

So I waited until I was in my 40s to have kids . I was the boss by then and could set my hours.

It is amazing to me how people don't think ahead.


While there were times where managing child care was very difficult, it was worth not risking age-related infertility or birth defects, as well as having more years with my kids. But, hey, different people have different values.
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2026 21:06     Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
Anonymous wrote:Our local elementary schools start at 9am.

We tried before care, but it was almost empty and kid found it depressing. Too young and too far to walk to school on own (no bus).

How are working parents handling this? Do they get to work around 930/945? Have a crazy short commute so 845 drop off and get to work by 9? Hiring nannies or local grandparents for mornings?

My career has definitely suffered by being the morning drop off; somedays I dont get until 10 which hurts.

Spouse and I divide up the drop offs and pickups. The school door opens at 8.40. We drop off sharp at 8.40. It takes me 15 minutes to drive to my office, about 30 min for spouse. We then do our 8.5 hrs from the time we get in. The parent who doesn’t drop off does pickup. My kid goes to aftercare so we don’t do before care.
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2026 20:50     Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
Anonymous wrote:I work in the government and we have to do 8.5 hours in the office, so getting in at 9:45/10 would make life miserable because I’d need to be physically in the office until 6:15/30, which wouldn’t allow me to get my kids from aftercare, which ends at 6. So……. Before care it is! Nowadays my kids schools start much earlier, thankfully.


Right but does it make sense to blame elementary schools for the unfortunate reality or Elon?
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2026 20:48     Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
I work in the government and we have to do 8.5 hours in the office, so getting in at 9:45/10 would make life miserable because I’d need to be physically in the office until 6:15/30, which wouldn’t allow me to get my kids from aftercare, which ends at 6. So……. Before care it is! Nowadays my kids schools start much earlier, thankfully.
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2026 20:31     Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'm a Grandparent and babysit frequently. There is no way I'd find it reasonable to be relied on daily for drop off just because my Grandchildren don't *prefer* before care


This is partly why it is so hard for parents today

Grandmothers were our evolutionary leveling up: https://humans.sciencearray.com/grandmothers-evolution-greatest-innovation

But now they have their own lives and cant be bothered to help their offspring thrive


Is that you, JD?
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2026 20:25     Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
Anonymous wrote:I think late mornings are less disruptive than a 2:10/2:40 end time to schools. No one in a regular job can end work at 2:30 to get their kids. You'd have to work shift work or part time to make that schedule.

I think we could make schools better if they ran 8 hours a day. Kids scores aren't exactly great these days, so maybe everyone could use an extra hour of tutoring


And even more recess.

The problem, if you've ever worked a public facing job, is if you are open to the public 8 hours, a single staff shift is going to be over 8 plus "lunch break." That's why a lot of places are only open 7 hours - time for setup, opening, and closing within one shift. Places with longer hours tend to have extra staff and everybody's part time but overlapping.

I know teacher lunch is inconsistent and I believe they're FLSA exempt by default, but I think the length of their day is a serious consideration here.
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2026 20:22     Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We use beforecare and if our kid finds it boring she deals with that.


Sure, but there are like 15 families in our 700 student elementary using before care — what are they all doing?


It probably depends on what kind of demographics your school has. At our school beforecare is always full. I don't think you could get a spot right now if you wanted. You might have a school with more SAHPs or where more people can afford a nanny or where more people do shift work that means they work different hours than school offers. IF you're a middle class, two income household, though, beforecare is the standard, at least for our school.


This - you’re either much better off than the vast majority of school families or not nearly as well off. Or a school with a very small walk zone relative to the student population, so most kids take a bus.

What’s the after care situation?
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2026 20:18     Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
Anonymous wrote:I figured out this stuff when I was in my 20s and saw my friends suffering.

So I waited until I was in my 40s to have kids . I was the boss by then and could set my hours.

It is amazing to me how people don't think ahead.


My friends were definitely not suffering due to elementary school pickup times when I was in my 20s.
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2026 20:14     Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
Anonymous wrote:I figured out this stuff when I was in my 20s and saw my friends suffering.

So I waited until I was in my 40s to have kids . I was the boss by then and could set my hours.

It is amazing to me how people don't think ahead.


There are also plenty of reasons not to wait. That can be viewed as"thinking ahead" by some as well.