Childcare for school going children

detoxkid

Excuse my ignorance but what do people do childcare wise when children start attending primary school? I have two children under two. The eldest is in creche and the other a newborn. I'm on maternity leave but back to work and unfortunately I have to work much as id love to stay with them. I can't imagine work will be particularly flexible for school pickup at 1.30 etc when the time comes. Do most people use an after school service for this? I think the slow realisation that I'm going to spend most of the time I have with my children paying someone else to mind them is suddenly dawning on me

lazygal

Child minder or au pair around here. That and using annual leave or parental leave to fill in the gaps.

contrary_mary

I'm in a similar situation with a 20 month old in crèche and a newborn. Our crèche has an after-school club and they collect from a number of local schools, so I'll probably use that for the first few years. After that I'll have to figure something else out as I think they'll be too old to be happy going to that. We'll also have to figure out something for before school as we both leave early for work. All I know is that the expense of childcare isn't going to reduce for a long long time! I'd love to be able to organise some sort of part-time working but it's not an option at the moment - maybe in a few years the situation will have changed.

How Strange

We use after school In crèche and it will suit is probably until my son goes key first class and then we'll have to look at an after school club or a childminder. The crèche does the drop off and pick up and he goes there on school holidays. It works fine now but it's a short term solution to a long term issue

pwurple

Options around here are:

After-school clubs or activities + Camps for school holidays.
Creches which take older children after school.
Childminder
Au pair
Relatives (parents with flexible hours, grandparents, older siblings, aunts/uncles etc)

We had creche and my mum for a while, but my 4 year old hated going back to creche with the babies when she was a 'big girl' going to big school, so we switched to au pair.

How Strange

pwurple wrote: »

We had creche and my mum for a while, but my 4 year old hated going back to creche with the babies when she was a 'big girl' going to big school, so we switched to au pair.

This is exactly how my son felt about doing after school in the crèche he's been in since 6 months. We don't have an option to change at the moment.

yellow hen

How Strange wrote: »

This is exactly how my son felt about doing after school in the crèche he's been in since 6 months. We don't have an option to change at the moment.

I think it's very much the norm... I've seen it with all my nieces and nephews. I dread it to be honest as not working is not and won't ever be an option (short of winning the lotto!)

DSN

My son & daughter in after school at the crèche they 8 & 6 & really don't like going now. Its just 3 days a week though for them. I work from home otherwise I'd look at getting someone in 3 afternoons a week. I think the worst is the school holidays They hate going during their holidays. my husband takes some parental leave to cover some of the days I work. & we use up holidays for other breaks where poss. as I say I think the ideal is get someone into the house with a car who can bring them to activities etc. you might find a mum with kids in college or something looking for few extra €€

Sunny Dayz

It's not much fun when the kids get older too. My son is collected form school by my mum and looked after until my husband finishes work so that's two hours per day, 4 days per week (I finish early on Fridays). But lately for days off school and holidays where neither of us can get time off he has to go to his gran's and moans about having to get up early, about having to spend the day there. He's too young to be left at home alone.

pwurple

yellow hen wrote: »

I think it's very much the norm... I've seen it with all my nieces and nephews. I dread it to be honest as not working is not and won't ever be an option (short of winning the lotto!)

Is a childminder or aupair an option yellow hen? We are finding it great at the moment. Our au pair is such an absolute dote, we are mad about her altogether.

yellow hen

pwurple wrote: »

Is a childminder or aupair an option yellow hen? We are finding it great at the moment. Our au pair is such an absolute dote, we are mad about her altogether.

Yes an au pair would be. At the minute we're in no mans land as our son is potentially ASD and if that's the case might need home tuition so I'd want to be home anyway. We're lucky in that there is a market for student digs where we live so in thinking that digs alongside a little part-time work will be enough to allow me stay home. Who knows what the future holds!

Millem

I wish our local school would do an after school club until 4 my niece does it in her school. It would be a great little business! They do have a morning club €5 per morning for an hour
My timetable changes so could collect him once a week at least and granny once too. I would defo need aftercare 2/3 days.

I don't know what to do when the time comes....send my guy to school beside our house where I pay aftercare in a crèche/minder etc or send him to a fee paying school beside my work where they do aftercare by the hour? School starts at 8.15-2.40. So aftercare would be to max 4pm 3/4 days a week. I reckon the fees plus aftercare would come to the same as aftercare and morning club in crèche/minder. But I am afraid he won't have his friends nearby

I will need to decide next year as they start school at 3 in fee paying one I am trying not to think about it tbh
I might try him out in it at 3 and see how he gets on? The can't guarantee they are accepting ecce either