OT: If your child goes to after school care......

[DawnM]

I have just gotten a job offer, but I would work in the Middle and High schools that get out at 3:30pm. My kids would go to the Elem. that gets out at 2:15. By the time I pick them up they will have been in after school care for almost 2 hours.

I don't know why I am stressing about this, but I am. I worry that the day will be way too long for them. I worry that the day will be way too long for ME! LOL!

Questions:

1. How long are your kids in after school care?
2. Do they seem to enjoy it?
3. Do they get homework finished there?
4. Do they complain about having to go when other kids get to go home?

Thanks,

Dawn

 

[Keara'sMom]

Hi, and congrats on the job offer!

My dd10 has gone to her elementary school's after school program since kindergarten (two days per week that year, and three days since then). I'm fortunate to work only three days per week, so on two of the school days each week she comes home right after school.

She has enjoyed the afterschool program because she gets to play with her friends. They have time to do homework, and I always (repeat, always) encourage her to get hers done, and sometimes she does--more often than not. That is great, since she can chill out and have family time instead of doing homework when she gets home. I usually pick her up around 4:30.

This year (fourth grade), she's complaining a little about the program, saying that there's not enough to do, etc... I think next year we'll cut her back to two days per week and allow her to come home to a neighbor's house one day.

Good luck with everything!

 

[debster812]

DS goes to aftercare. It's run through our local YMCA and is a great program. They start out in the cafeteria, but have access to the library, gym, outdoor fields, etc. DS will sometimes do his homework, and sometimes not, it just depends on how busy we are.

He's been a day-care baby since he was about 16 months old, so he's always had long days, so that really does not phase him.

Several of his pals also attend, so he doesn't really mind going, when others get to go home.

 

[penguin087]

I know all kids are different but my son loved the after school program he went to in 3rd and 4th grade. He would actually get mad if I picked him up too early. Ours was held at our school but run by the local YMCA and was staffed by college kids for credit. I can't say he got a lot of homework done but I was home early enough that it wasn't an issue for us. The kids were always free to do thier homework if they chose.They mostly had them outside running around and playing games. When it got colder they would watch movies or play games in the gym. There was plenty of supervison and plenty to do.

 

[budbeerlady]

My DD is in after school care 2 days a week, Tuesday and Thursday. School gets out at 3:15pm, after care goes untill 6pm if needed. I usually pick her up around 5:30 as I work untill 5. We call it "Kid Camp" at our house, she is too old for "care" at 6 in her mind.

She really likes it, she walks down the hall to the room, they put their stuff away, have a snack and then it is quiet reading or homework time for the older kids. Then at 4pm they start to play or watch a movie.

DD loves it, there are only 10 kids in her group (k-2nd) but she loves playing instead of sitting on the bus. I pay $11 a day for her to go there.

 

[Darcy03231]

My kids had a great after school progam and just loved it. Sometimes DH would go to pick them up on his way home and they would tell him to have me pick up later, they were having too good a time to leave!

 

[perdidochas]

I have just gotten a job offer, but I would work in the Middle and High schools that get out at 3:30pm. My kids would go to the Elem. that gets out at 2:15. By the time I pick them up they will have been in after school care for almost 2 hours.

I don't know why I am stressing about this, but I am. I worry that the day will be way too long for them. I worry that the day will be way too long for ME! LOL!

Questions:

1. How long are your kids in after school care?
2. Do they seem to enjoy it?
3. Do they get homework finished there?
4. Do they complain about having to go when other kids get to go home?

Thanks,

Dawn

My kids are in after school care from about 2 to about 4. They enjoy it. It gives them a chance to play with their friends. They have the homework option, but we have asked them not to--we help them with homework. My kids don't mind. They sometimes complain that we pick them up too early. It's not like school--it's much less structured, and gives our kids a chance to play with other kids.

 

[Worfiedoodles]

My ds9 has been in after school care since K-1 (age 4). He loves the after school program. It is run by some of the teachers, and the kids all do their homework before they can play. We still check it when we get home, but the bulk of the work is done. He is in afterschool from 2:15 to about 5, so almost three hours.

DS is an only, so this is a great opportunity for him to play with other kids without a structured play date. He loves being there, and having fun with his friends. He has never complained about being there -- perhaps because it's all he knows. DH and I both work full-time, so he has always been in some form of care.

On the occasions when I'm able to pick him up early or he doesn't have after school, all he wants to do is watch tv -- so I don't think he's missing much by being in a program that requires him to interact with other human beings!

My mom was a SAHM and I was an only who came home right after school. I think I would have been happier with other kids to play with and activities to do.

By the time your kids get settled, do their homework and eat a snack, most of the first hour will have passed. Then they have an hour to play with their buddies. They might really enjoy it...alot depends on the way you present it to them. If this is a great opportunity for them, they will be excited. If you feel guilty or like it's not a good thing, they will pick up on that right away...

 

[tammy1210]

My ds has been in AFC for two years now - Kindergarten almost killed me - he had always stayed with a babysitter and gone to preschool, but the thought of him being at school ALL day has always bothered me - having said that, however...

1. How long are your kids in after school care? 2.5 hours
2. Do they seem to enjoy it? Yes - he always has fun - now, if given the choice he'd rather be a "walking student", but he's never complained about it, and a lot of his friends are there as well.
3. Do they get homework finished there? Most of it - things like his AR book we do at home, and in K I actually asked that they not let him do his homework there because they didn't help him enough and we'd just have to erase everything and re-do it at home!
4. Do they complain about having to go when other kids get to go home?
No - he has asked about being "bus student" before - but that's not possible for us.

Good luck - it's a hard decision to make, but I do think the majority of the programs are good - and sometimes, we just don't have the option NOT to do it so you do the best with what you've got!

 

[shelly3girls]

My kids went to after care before we hired a nanny to care for DS. They loved it! In fact they often ask to stay just so they can play with their friends. It sounds like you will be picking them up around 4:15. That is plenty early enough to get them home and have a relaxing evening including a nice dinner.

 

[deedeetoo]

My kids go to afterschool care until about 5:30. They get on the bus in the morning at 8:00 so altogether its 9.5 hours.

I don't think this is too long, but it depends what you're used to. My kids have been going to full time day care since they were infants. When they started school it was a change of place, but not a longer day. It might take a while for your kids to get used to it, but I think they'll be fine.

BTW, my kids love the after school program. They get to play with their friends for 2 hours til I come get them. They also have snack, sometimes do crafts, on Fridays they watch a movie.

My oldest is in 3rd grade and does some of her homework there. She never does all of it. They try but they just don't have the staffing to give a lot of attention to each child so if its easy, she does more, if its hard, she comes home with less done. My youngest is in kindergarten so he doesn't have any homework yet.

 

[aimeeg]

Hi, I was an Before and Aftercare childcare Director before I had children. Aftercare can be a really fun experience. It just depends on the program. The staff will make or break the program.

The kids will have snack, homework, chillout time, playtime (indoor and outdoor,) and guided activities. It also helps to have friends in the program. The children that have the hardest time are the children who are picked up at 6:00 when aftercare closes. It is a long day. The school day is a long day and add a couple hours to it. There is also a huge turnover in childcare staff. Childcare employees make very little money and it is a very demanding job.

All that being said personally I will never put my children in aftercare. I know everyone has different circumstances but, I would rather have my kids home afterschool. I would just be really picky about the program and demand quality from it.

 

[susykt4]

DD is in first grade and loves the YMCA aftercare program at her school. She doesn't have much homework so she rarely does it, but when she brought home a huge folder of work when we returned from our Feb Disney trip one of the aids helped her finish MOST of it! She enjoys the extra time playing with friends and they do a variety of crafts and occasionally have nutrition or other fun classes by the 4-H extension.

DD occasionally complains about having to go, but of course she occasionally complains about just about everything!

 

[powellrj]

we have used afterschool care for years and I agree it can be wonderful and it can be awful. The best programs we have used have been through churches. The 1st one had their own van they used to pick kids up at the schools and took them back to the church. It was wonderful because they kept the kids really busy with lots of fun things always going on. It was run by college kids that had lots of energy! It closed because they lost the contract they had with the church and we were really sorry to lose it.

The next one we used was another church that had a private christian school along with child-care. It was a good program that used the staff from the school so there was lots of homework help and they had really good supervised free time. It was a good program but it was too expensive.

We then went to the afterschool program offered at the school. The only good thing I had to say about it was she had lots of friends to play with. She attended a year and I signed her up during the summer for the next year. She shows up on the first day and don't let her in the room because they could only find where she had paid, not where she had registration forms. OK, common sense tells you if I paid, then I filled out the forms to register. They don't just take your money and marked you paid without the paperwork. Because of this they made her stand outside the door and wouldn't even let her in to sit at a table or call me to come and take care of things. I go in at the end of the school day to see what the problem is. They make ALL the kids sit at quietly tables while they look into where the paperwork could be. When I saw all those kids sitting at those tables for OVER AN HOUR while the director was on the phone and going through her files for DD paperwork, that was enough for me. She started coming home and staying with her DB who is in high school. They never did find her paperwork and they "couldn't" refund the fees. I know I could have just filled out new paperwork, but after I saw how poorly it was run I felt she was better off at home with her DB.

 

[crisi]

My kids are also in aftercare. They get out of school at 3:30 and picked up at 5:00. Like others, they usually (not always) get homework done, play on the playground, play games, do crafts.

If they take the bus home, they are on the bus until 4:00 - which they do on days I work from home.

 

[DawnM]

We would be using the after school care AT the school. As a teacher I would get a 60% discount on after school care in the same district.

I guess we will just have to see how it goes. If I take this job, I don't have a choice. the kids will have to go. Hopefully they will only be there 1.5 hours to 2 hours, but I really don't even like that.

Thanks for all the responses. I am hoping for the best.

Dawn

 

[margiemc]

My DD10 has been a daycare baby since she was born!

That being said, she is currently in the aftercare program at the pariochial school she attends. School is done around 2:30 and my DH usually picks her up around 4:50 or so. It is run by some of the teachers at the school. They have time outside to play, as well as a "quiet" homework room. She will usually get most of her homework done there. This year, they started offering art classes on Wednesdays ($5 a week, only pay on weeks you want to work on whatever activity they have). She likes it because she is an only and a lot of her friends are there. Every once in awhile, she will complain about staying, but that's usually when her friends have left early. They have all sorts of toys and games, as well as a DVD player for movies and a Playstation! I am very comfortable with leaving her there.

 

[crisi]

Oh, to expand on "do they like it." Yes. My daughter in particular has no children her age close by, so when she comes home afternoons she is usually on her own (my son is a year older, the next door neighbor two years older than him - the neighbor will play with him, but my daughter is just young enough to often get left out - not always, but a few hours of play will end in tears). And my son would rather play with the boys at after school care than the neighbor - who is, after all, a girl.

 

[DawnM]

Ok, well, I accepted the job today. It starts next school year. SO.....I am going to enroll the kids at the local elem. school and get them in the after-school program for next year too.

I am hoping for the best. My 9 year old has some social immaturity, but hopefully he will adjust and not act out and get into trouble. I have some thoughts on how they can handle it if he does (he loves drawing and art so he can have his sketch book and stuff available to do on his own if they need to give him a time out.)

This is hard for me. Silly, I know.....many children do it all of their years and they were fine in preschool full time.

Dawn

 

[swillis]

My kids have been in daycare, then before and afterschool care for most of their lives.
The before and afterschool care they have generally liked. They liked it more when they were younger, than as they got older. It depends on the program. Our school's program is run by the YMCA. And it's ok. I have seen much better programs. The experience your kids have will depend on the counselors. Some are fantastic, and some are just there to collect a paycheck at the end of the week. Not to say that they do anything dangerous, or inappropriate, they are just not as interactive, or fun.

Bottom line for me however, is the before and after school care programs are not an option for my kids. They never have been. I have to work full time, so they have to go to the programs. It's just a part of life for us.

They will do homework with your kids, but if they are only there for 2 hours, then you might prefer for them to just have fun, let off some steam so that when they get home they will be ready to endure more school work. That's how I have always preferred it.

Good luck!