Anonymous
01/21/2026 12:10
Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DH and I both flexed our schedules. I went in early so I could leave early enough to pick up from aftercare. DH went in later after dropping kids off at school and then worked later.
I think most of the parents we know did some version of this. Those who can't use the before-care.
And, yes, PSA for working parents looking at buying a house. Zero value in being walkable to an elementary school. But we're walkable to the HS and MS and that is awesome.
Agreed. Walkable to an elementary school is awful. We are like 5 houses down from our school, on the same side of the street. My kids are not allowed to walk home alone until 4th grade, even if they're together or with their older sibling. I've adjusted my work hours to be there (telework), but occasionally I have meetings and it would be nice if they could come home by themselves. Everyone I know has a bus stop that's further and those kids are allowed to just walk home alone- why not my kids?!?!?! I absolutely would not buy a home near an elementary school if I had to do it over. Buses also give you an extra 30 min on each side, which really helps school hours match work hours.
The bolded is absolutely insane. I would be fighting tooth and nail against this. What are people smoking?? When I was a kid, close by KINDERGARTENERS walked to and from school without parents. A THIRD GRADER can't walk home with her fifth grade brother, five houses down, no street crossing??
Honestly, I'd reach out to Lenore Skenazy (the Let Grow woman who fights for childhood independence) and get her help fighting this. Absolutely obscene. No wonder all the college kids are anxious. Eight years ago they weren't allowed to walk down the street!
I'm so sorry you're dealing with this.
Anonymous
01/21/2026 11:58
Subject: Re:Elementary drop off and working parents
Check with your neighbors and the parents of your kid’s friends. See how they manage and maybe do a ride share. Is there a karate center or daycare that does before care with school drop off?
Anonymous
01/21/2026 11:30
Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:We use beforecare and if our kid finds it boring she deals with that.
+1
Seriously. Your kid will be bored, so what. Before care is exactly how you deal with elementary school drop off and working parents.
+2 read a book
Anonymous
01/21/2026 11:27
Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
Our school doors open at 8:30 for the 9 AM start. My spouse drops off at 8:30 on the dot and has a short commute to work.
Pickup at 3:30 is more of a challenge. We managed to find college sitters last year but this year has been a bust and we're reliant on flex schedules and telework. I work 6:30-3 two days a week to make pickup, with approval, and spouse finishes the day from home the other 3 days.
Pickup at 3:30 is more of a challenge. We managed to find college sitters last year but this year has been a bust and we're reliant on flex schedules and telework. I work 6:30-3 two days a week to make pickup, with approval, and spouse finishes the day from home the other 3 days.
Anonymous
01/21/2026 11:26
Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:But it’s extremely reliable. If it’s in your kid’s school you don’t have to worry about someone else transporting them. It’s all there in the same building. Use as much or as little as needed from week to week. It’s your spot. The make seemingly lifetime friends with the other playmates there. They work late and early and used to include snow days and teacher workdays. We never needed to search on care.com. The before care and after care was a given. Yes, it’s money out, but it was perfect coverage in the long run. Just pay it for elementary and keep the kids safe. Middle school starts a different era.Anonymous wrote:How much is before care? We only need 30 minutes of aftercare 3x a week and it's $400 a month for the county aftercare. Just another reason parents are broke.
2 kids. $400 before care and $400 aftercare= $3200 a month. That's insane. I'm glad others can just pay for it.
Or you get together with another family and split the days that the kids re walked to school.
Anonymous
01/21/2026 11:25
Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
Anonymous wrote:We use beforecare and if our kid finds it boring she deals with that.
+1
Seriously. Your kid will be bored, so what. Before care is exactly how you deal with elementary school drop off and working parents.
Anonymous
01/21/2026 11:22
Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
Before care is the only solution...either that or cutting down on your work hours and taking the pay cut during these elementary years.
Anonymous
01/21/2026 11:22
Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
Anonymous wrote:But it’s extremely reliable. If it’s in your kid’s school you don’t have to worry about someone else transporting them. It’s all there in the same building. Use as much or as little as needed from week to week. It’s your spot. The make seemingly lifetime friends with the other playmates there. They work late and early and used to include snow days and teacher workdays. We never needed to search on care.com. The before care and after care was a given. Yes, it’s money out, but it was perfect coverage in the long run. Just pay it for elementary and keep the kids safe. Middle school starts a different era.Anonymous wrote:How much is before care? We only need 30 minutes of aftercare 3x a week and it's $400 a month for the county aftercare. Just another reason parents are broke.
2 kids. $400 before care and $400 aftercare= $3200 a month. That's insane. I'm glad others can just pay for it.
Anonymous
01/21/2026 11:21
Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
Before care for many of my kids friends. Our bus comes at 8:30 or I can drop my kid at school at 8:40 as it opens then. My commute is short so I'm at work by 9 at the latest. DH goes to work at 6 am and is home by bus drop off at 3:45.
Many MoCo schools don't start until 9:20 because there are not enough buses so they split into two tiers.
Many MoCo schools don't start until 9:20 because there are not enough buses so they split into two tiers.
Anonymous
01/21/2026 11:21
Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
Anonymous wrote:DH and I both flexed our schedules. I went in early so I could leave early enough to pick up from aftercare. DH went in later after dropping kids off at school and then worked later.
I think most of the parents we know did some version of this. Those who can't use the before-care.
And, yes, PSA for working parents looking at buying a house. Zero value in being walkable to an elementary school. But we're walkable to the HS and MS and that is awesome.
Agreed. Walkable to an elementary school is awful. We are like 5 houses down from our school, on the same side of the street. My kids are not allowed to walk home alone until 4th grade, even if they're together or with their older sibling. I've adjusted my work hours to be there (telework), but occasionally I have meetings and it would be nice if they could come home by themselves. Everyone I know has a bus stop that's further and those kids are allowed to just walk home alone- why not my kids?!?!?! I absolutely would not buy a home near an elementary school if I had to do it over. Buses also give you an extra 30 min on each side, which really helps school hours match work hours.
Anonymous
01/21/2026 11:17
Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
But it’s extremely reliable. If it’s in your kid’s school you don’t have to worry about someone else transporting them. It’s all there in the same building. Use as much or as little as needed from week to week. It’s your spot. The make seemingly lifetime friends with the other playmates there. They work late and early and used to include snow days and teacher workdays. We never needed to search on care.com. The before care and after care was a given. Yes, it’s money out, but it was perfect coverage in the long run. Just pay it for elementary and keep the kids safe. Middle school starts a different era.Anonymous wrote:How much is before care? We only need 30 minutes of aftercare 3x a week and it's $400 a month for the county aftercare. Just another reason parents are broke.
Anonymous
01/21/2026 11:16
Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
We have older kids and an after school driver she works for another family in the morning getting their elementary school kids off to school. We found her on SitterCity.
Anonymous
01/21/2026 11:10
Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
DH and I both flexed our schedules. I went in early so I could leave early enough to pick up from aftercare. DH went in later after dropping kids off at school and then worked later.
I think most of the parents we know did some version of this. Those who can't use the before-care.
And, yes, PSA for working parents looking at buying a house. Zero value in being walkable to an elementary school. But we're walkable to the HS and MS and that is awesome.
I think most of the parents we know did some version of this. Those who can't use the before-care.
And, yes, PSA for working parents looking at buying a house. Zero value in being walkable to an elementary school. But we're walkable to the HS and MS and that is awesome.
Anonymous
01/21/2026 11:09
Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:We both work shift work.our friends stagger their schedules so one goes in late and the other one goes in early.
One friend hired a sitter for 2 hours every morning. Paying for childcare is part of parenting if you both work. Maybe see if a friend with kid at same school is interested in watching your kid ( for pay)
So they dont get hole until like 7pm? Thats part of what is impacting us.
We looked for a sitter, they are flaked after a month. No one wants these hours unless you are paying 40 hrs because it means they cant work many other jobs easily.
We already pay $400 for aftercare.
And we would happily pay another $400 for before care if it wasn’t so depressing, but Im sure they suffer from same problem of hard to hire people for those hours.
It would be simpler to just start school earlier. Even 30 minutes would be amazing.
I dont need childcare; my kid stays home fine by themselves even all day. I just need school to not actively thwart my work schedule.
920am?? That seems intentionally disruptive to working parents. Thats awful!
I agree with you. I wish school hours for everything were 8-4pm. Parents can either pick up or walk their kids and if they can't (because they're at work), they can choose aftercare. My entire school is within 2 miles of all homes, so I'm not sure why there's busses.
How old is your kid? Are they responsible? I know my 9 year old girl could get herself to school on time (and I'd check cameras to make sure she's on track).
Anonymous
01/21/2026 11:06
Subject: Elementary drop off and working parents
flex schedule. Mostly I do dropoff/pickup, sometimes DH