I'm no help since we have an early start 7:45 so the bus picks her up at 7:15 and then I head off to work. We use on-site after care through the school but we had to sign up back in March to get a spot.
Have you ever used Care.com for babysitters? We haven't had any luck since we live in a small city but maybe your area has regular sitters that check and are looking for a gig? Start a posting as a back-up plan if you don't get into the school program? I can't believe they don't have the numbers figured out already! The late start time for work wouldn't work for us either.
Not to be the negative voice here, but I thought school was bad last year with the early releases (every freaking Monday) and the random days off. I can't believe how late all of the summer camps start here and how early they end. 8:00 am - 3:30pm, when do I work? That was a major shock to me this summer. They are supposed to have aftercare until 6pm, but when we got him at 5:00pm there were only like 3 kids left (out of 150).
Same here phdmomma. I don't know how we would do any of the summer schools or camps when the kids get older because we have no way to get them there or back. Our summer camp for kids to age 10 is 7am-6pm and she is always one of the last kids at 5pm too. I don't get it but this board makes me feel better about it. The other two are also one of the last kids at daycare too. They are always happy and I have a hard time getting them to leave so I try not to worry about it.
I'm no help since we have an early start 7:45 so the bus picks her up at 7:15 and then I head off to work. We use on-site after care through the school but we had to sign up back in March to get a spot.
Have you ever used Care.com for babysitters? We haven't had any luck since we live in a small city but maybe your area has regular sitters that check and are looking for a gig? Start a posting as a back-up plan if you don't get into the school program? I can't believe they don't have the numbers figured out already! The late start time for work wouldn't work for us either.
I haven't used Care.com in a while. Last I looked, sitters on there seemed to be running $20-40/hour... which is.. yikes.
I'm no help since we have an early start 7:45 so the bus picks her up at 7:15 and then I head off to work. We use on-site after care through the school but we had to sign up back in March to get a spot.
Have you ever used Care.com for babysitters? We haven't had any luck since we live in a small city but maybe your area has regular sitters that check and are looking for a gig? Start a posting as a back-up plan if you don't get into the school program? I can't believe they don't have the numbers figured out already! The late start time for work wouldn't work for us either.
I haven't used Care.com in a while. Last I looked, sitters on there seemed to be running $20-40/hour... which is.. yikes.
Today, I feel like quitting my job and being a nanny in California.
Not to be the negative voice here, but I thought school was bad last year with the early releases (every freaking Monday) and the random days off. I can't believe how late all of the summer camps start here and how early they end. 8:00 am - 3:30pm, when do I work? That was a major shock to me this summer. They are supposed to have aftercare until 6pm, but when we got him at 5:00pm there were only like 3 kids left (out of 150).
Yep. I get Ds at 5:45 and he’s one of a handful left. He doesn’t seem to mind usually. Ours goes from 9-3 but the before care starts at 7:45 and after goes until 6. It’s the same during the school year too. I don’t know how all of these families can do 9-3 while working. VBS is even worse as they don’t have care options and it’s like 9-12 so we’ve never even considered it. I also don’t know how anyone can have a SAHP here.
We’re like mellym and kindergarten starts at 8, and we can drop off at 7:45, so we don’t need before care often. We do have a morning babysitter (one of our kids’ former preschool teachers) come a few mornings a week, since DH leaves for work before the kids wake up, and I travel a couple days a week. She gets all three kids to school (two of them are within walking distance) on some days. I pay her $20 an hour. Her husband is military and they will be redeployed at some point and I’m already nervous about finding someone else who I trust who is also willing to come to my house at 6 am.
We also use aftercare everyday through the school and it’s pretty loosely organized but DD loves it. This year, before care was included with full time aftercare, so we used it a couple times. Next year you have to pay separately for before care so we didn’t do it, but there is a low drop off rate if we end up needing it here or there.
Not to be the negative voice here, but I thought school was bad last year with the early releases (every freaking Monday) and the random days off. I can't believe how late all of the summer camps start here and how early they end. 8:00 am - 3:30pm, when do I work? That was a major shock to me this summer. They are supposed to have aftercare until 6pm, but when we got him at 5:00pm there were only like 3 kids left (out of 150).
This is a common problem here too, though more folks use aftercare. There are a few camps truly local and a lot that run buses to a less populated area. Our camp bus picks up at 8 or so but returns at 4:30. I use a college or HS to meet the bus most days. I am just not done with work that early. I could use the camp with the best hours but sadly the programming isn't very good. My friends say its an OK filler camps between other programs but the kids get very bored if they are there all summer.
I think the greatest challenge for childcare has been elementary school. Daycare is designed for working people. Middle schoolers can spend time alone in the house after school and be OK with me working from home on random school closures. I feel like I spend huge amounts of time planning for days off during the school year and summer.
Yeah camp here is 8:30-4. And aftercare is $$$. Luckily the aftercare covers all half days and days off school, but it is pricey for the per diem and sometimes I just take off work. However, there was one week where their enrollment was too low and the canceled the program (the week between Christmas and NY). Luckily DH was working from home because I still had to work. Not sure what we will do this year, but I had better plan on them being closed that week too, I think.
Not to be the negative voice here, but I thought school was bad last year with the early releases (every freaking Monday) and the random days off. I can't believe how late all of the summer camps start here and how early they end. 8:00 am - 3:30pm, when do I work? That was a major shock to me this summer. They are supposed to have aftercare until 6pm, but when we got him at 5:00pm there were only like 3 kids left (out of 150).
And DS was pissed about that...being one of the last kids. Like a river of tears, so I have been trying to rearrange things to make it work. But I will be relieved once school starts again.