Elementary School Hours And Working Women

sanjuruby3 · Jan 19, 2018

Hi all,
my kid is still toddler but 2 more years to go but i am worried about future. How do working women manage with early hours of elementary school.
I have seen kids leaving at 7 and coming back at 3. Which is too early and if both parents working, its hard to come back home at 3. I have seen indian parents looking for after school care for couple hours or few days. May be they work from home a day or 2 and then for 1-2 they send to extra schools or hire someone.

I feel sending to after hour school is too much for that age specially after leaving home at 7. How do all working ladies manage?

peartree · Jan 19, 2018

Elementary schools in my school district start at 8.15 and ends at around 3 ish. She gets picked up by a van service to take her to after school. There is just no other way around, unless your employer allows a flexible schedule where you can match your child's school timings.

My daughter actually really likes her after school... even if I show up early to pick her up, she wants to stay until 6.30 which is pick up time. She asks me not to pick her up early!!

Naari · Jan 19, 2018

Dear OP, No other way, unless :

1. one parent works part time to accommodate the school schedules

2. One parent follows a work schedule of 6-2 and picks up kid at 3 & the other parent works 8-4 & drops off the kid to school. That way one can minimize kid’s time at school. Though I must say it can be pretty hard on the parent following early schedule. Also such schedules shd also work for the employer.

I agree with response above that kids love after school care, my Dd doesn’t want to be back either. Sometimes when I am back early, she asks me to go back & pick her up later.

Rihana · Jan 19, 2018

Near each elementary school, there are some options used by parents. These can vary from onsite afterschool in school campus, van service taking the child to afterschool, ladies who run home daycare pick up the child and take to their home, nanny picks up and walks/drives the child home.

Usually, one of the options works out fine. It can feel a little bad that child is out of the house from 7 or 8 am to 6 pm. Look at the advantages. The good afterschools provide homework help, some even provide supplementary work like worksheet. And some provide activities like basketball, science, music taught by other providers. Though these cost extra, parent need not ferry around child to that activity. Parent also does not have to deal with the hassle of arranging playdates as they have enough play time in after school. Home daycares are good in that child can take off shoes and relax, and the good ones are like a home away from home. At home nanny is also good as child can be at own home. Some nannies also do light housework.

There is more dispensable money when both parents are working. Generally speaking, children who go to afterschool become more independent from an early age. Two big advantages.

Lastly, it is often harder on the parent than on the child. Guilt eats up mommy while kid has a ball at the afterschool and does not want to come home early.

friscomom · Apr 3, 2018

I have been in a similar situation and felt that it was more advantageous for my child to be able to come home from school instead of staying at an afterschool care. I have worked it out with my manager such that I can leave my work place early enough to pick my kid up from school. I then work from home until my work for the day is done. My child has his snack in peace, has some unstructured play / read time and is also able to work on some extracurricular studies.
I realize that this is not possible for everybody, in which case you need to figure out which approach will be most practical for your family - whether it is hiring a nanny or evaluating afterschool options. But it never hurts to ask your managers for flexible schedules.

EverydayBloom · Apr 4, 2018

Dear OP,

My son school starts at 8.15 and ends at 3.30 in the evening, he goes to after care program in the school itself and i pick him before 6pm or earlier for 3days/week, the remaining 2 days each of us parents take WFHs and managing. This set up is working for us, as my son got used to daycares since his younger days. One of my cousin found a lady who gives after care to kids in the community until the parents come and pick them, she provides some snack and gives homework help too and charges the same prices as per market prices, this is working for them as well, as they dont have WFH options and picking up is not stressful either.

Hope this helps

lvarada · Apr 24, 2018

Dear sanjuruby3,
Yes its an issue. But the struggle is only for the first couple of months. After that the kids adjust and start liking the environment. I have just started after school care for my daughter and she likes it. There are lots of toys, things to do and if they want, the kids can do their homework (which isn't much in elementary) or read books. Its the working mothers who have the guilty feeling!