Don't forget aftercare often includes all the early dismissals, random off-days and depending on the program, week-long camps during school breaks.

Depends on your child. My oldest is very good at entertaining himself. He helps himself to an afternoon snack and then goes off to color, do puzzles, build with legos, etc. My youngest would demand my attention every second of every day so we will need to look into aftercare options when she’s older.

We have a rising K and are planning to have her come home on the bus rather than aftercare. She's pretty independent and can get her own snack (we have a designated shelf in the pantry/section of the fridge) and then play either in the backyard or playroom. She knows she can build read books, do legos, do puzzles, draw/paint, do play-doh, etc. on her own and it keeps her busy until one of us is done working. I think it's better than a super long day at school (her school starts at 7:30).

Our DD is often at aftercare for only an hour or so. Seems silly to pay for it, but in an era of rush rush rush, that time is critical to making our schedules work.

Plus she's there having fun and playing! If she were home with my husband (he's WFH more than I'm able to), she would literally be on her iPad or watching TV. So it's worth it to us.

Anonymous wrote:Only you know your child best. My kid is in pre k and comes home after school. He gets himself a snack out of the pantry and gets his ipad and plays Roblox. He does not bother me for another hour. He is not bored and I actually enjoy that he can decompress after a full day of sitting at a desk and working. He needs his down time. If you think your child will be bored or you wont be able to get anything done, then do aftercare. I personally, would not waste my money.

Your preschooler spends the whole day sitting at a desk working? What on earth???

We picked aftercare. It gives her a chance to play with other kids (only child), and the wfh parent the quiet time they need. Our school lets out at 220 and kid is home by 4 or 5 depending on meetings. When WFH parent is away on work travel aftercare is critical for us to function.

I’m guessing by 4th grade we’ll lose the after care if one of us is still working from home.

Anonymous wrote:For my social kid, I enrolled her in aftercare. For my adhd/anxiety kid, he came home and relaxed after school.

We only used aftercare on a drop-in basis, but this describes my kids exactly. Social younger dd loved going. Older anxious ds did not like it and preferred to be home.

Anonymous wrote:My k kid is at school from 7:30am to 6pm, includes before/after care on site. He watches TV at home once he gets home.

this is really sad. As he gets older you are going to lose your connection with him.

For our second grader, we do three days of aftercare and two days where he comes home at 3:15. I think it is a nice mix. And if I am really busy, I add a drop-in at aftercare. Not sure if your school has this flexibility, but it works well for us. I think it would be way too much asking for screen time if he came home at 3:15 every day.

My k kid is at school from 7:30am to 6pm, includes before/after care on site. He watches TV at home once he gets home.

I shifted my schedule. I now work 6:30-3 and pick up my K kid after school. Occasionally if needed I bring her home to watch tv while I take a late call or finish an email or task before we pick up my 3yo from daycare.

My kids are in K and 2nd. 2nd grader went to aftercare in K, then COVID. Current K kid thinks the day is already too long and so isn’t a good fit for aftercare. We always have 1 parent WFH and many days both parents do.
1) someone always needs to be available between 3-4 pm to pick up kids.
2) when they come home, they want a snack. It’s also a nice time to chat with them.
3) some days, I don’t get a lot of work done after 4pm. Some days I do.
4) 2nd grader is much more independent after school than the K kid.
5) We’re still discussing if they will go to aftercare in the fall. But if there were an option at a daycare where I’d already be picking up at 5pm, it would be a no-brainer for me.

I would not hesitate to keep her at home if she’s independent with basic skills. She can learn to entertain herself, that’s a good skill to have. Make a no tv after school rule and set up a play room or play area for her. Lay out a snack that she can make herself or just have easy to grab options on her level in the refrigerator. Tell her where she can and cannot play after school. Like can she go outside or does she need to tell you first? Just set clear expectations for her and she should be fine. Tell her if she needs you for an emergency it’s ok to interrupt.

An alternative would be to find a mature middle or high school kid in the neighborhood to come over and assist. This is a great first job for many kids that aren’t old enough to work yet. It would be much cheaper and she would get more 1:1 attention for homework or learning to do chores and get her used to having an after school routine.

You could also try to arrange your schedule to start work a little earlier if possible.

I’ve done a combination of these and really liked the independence that came from the first option. It really depends on the child though and how independent they are right now. You can practice expectations over the summer to make a smooth transition. Mine did well having the mothers helper option for k-1 and had them be independent thereafter.

Anonymous wrote:I would put them in aftercare - they get to play and will make new friends there, and you can finish your workday.

This!

I would put them in aftercare - they get to play and will make new friends there, and you can finish your workday.