After school activities?

[Minstrel]

Do you collect from them? I started at the beginning but I don't want to do them anymore! None of my mindees currently do them but if asked i will be saying no. I initially felt pressured to collect from one as he had already started it whilst i was on holiday. I wasn't warned (even though parent must have had to sign child up for it in the previous half term!).

However, I feel hypocritical because my own son does one, one day a week. I justify this because he is the only one i collect at his school and so our school run is just broken up into two parts rather than backing up on ourselves.

How do you find parents are with no after school club options? I feel mean but its too much at the moment and soon i will have two more little ones that will need feeding before they go at 5.30pm.

[The Juggler]

I don't do them. I also have to provide tea by 4.45 and some of the clubs don't end until 4.30. It's not fair on the other midnees really

[Ripeberry]

Most clubs around here finish at 6pm, so it depends how long into the evening you work. Would it even be worth it?

[Minstrel]

Most of them finish at about 4.30pm-4.45pm and the children all go home between 5pm-5.30pm. Its just all the hassle of getting everyone home and then back out again , especially in this weather where it takes 10-15mins to get all shoes coats, gloves, hats etc on.

I just wondered if i was being particularly mean or awkward by saying no?

[Tina O]

I wouldn't collect from afterschool clubs, otherwise you spend your afternoon dragging kids from one establishment to another, and as long as you are honest with the parents can't see a problem with saying no, afterall if a parent thinks you are 'mean' because you won't collect from afterschool I would ask them about themselves, working and leaving kids with a childminder(heehee)

as for your own son, we need to make sure our kids life is balanced as well as the mindees so why not let him go to his afterschool club. If anyone has a problem it's their problem not yours xx

[crazyhazy]

I probably would, although not had any enquiries yet so it's not come up. But I live next door to the school so it would only take a few mins to collect them anyway but if I was further away it would depend on how many other mindees I had and what time the clubs finished etc.

[Blackhorse]

I have done it for short term things like a 3-4 week long club once a week. but really it was a pain and I wouldnt do it constantly.
it really messed up the afternoon and from one school pick up we had to go to the next school to do the after school pick up which mean LO was out at 4 rather than at 3. well there was no point going home from the one school because we would have just gotten into the house by the time we would have to leave again...so we went straight to the school and spent the time waiting there....went for walks if the weather was nice or waited inside looking at the other kids' arts and crafts that were displayed etc...

If you talk to the parent and make them aware of the timing issues. needs of other kids etc then I dont see how they can think it is unjustified.
if I only had one after schooler I would do it probably but not with a couple...to much driving around ....

[Minstrel]

I agree if i only had one then i probably wouldn't mind but after easter i'll have my own two (6 and 3), 2 after schoolers, a 3 yr old and a baby. Too much to be in and out the house esp. as i'd have to walk 15 mins each way as too many for the car.

[little chickee]

I would not collect from after school club. They would be finishing right around the time that i want to be preparing tea etc and would find it a nuisance.

I thought the idea of after school club was that they kept the kids until the parent collects after work.

IMO parents have the choice to choose a cm or after schoolclub - i dont see the point of doing both. If a parent wanted me after school it would have to be directly after school.

[singlewiththree]

I would not collect from after school club. They would be finishing right around the time that i want to be preparing tea etc and would find it a nuisance.

I thought the idea of after school club was that they kept the kids until the parent collects after work.

IMO parents have the choice to choose a cm or after schoolclub - i dont see the point of doing both. If a parent wanted me after school it would have to be directly after school.

She means an after school activity. My DD does ballet but I have my dad pick her up otherwise we would just get home and have to turn round and walk back again!

[huggableshelly]

nope as I picl up 7 afterschoolers meaning we have to walk home, by the time i got home then back up the school for 4pm we would all be late and dont fancy standing in the playground for 45 mins waiting either.

Only one parent has ever caused issues, she booked her child in for football after asking me if I would pick up and i had told her no. I then told her as she has booked him in she must be there to pick up, school called me telling me the child had been left in school and could not attend football without parental supervision, so told the school his mother should be there she booked him in not me, the school told me that they called his mother and she told them to call me!

I did go and pick him up, refused to supervise his football due to having other mindees and from then on if she wasnt there i picked him up and took him home meaning he misses his football but saves me walking 6 to and fro to pick up. I feel bad but i'm not a slave to anyone.

yay more waffle!

the short version is NO lol I will not pick up from after school clubs.

[terrydoo73]

My parent informed me a couple of weeks ago that her eldest who is going to school in September has been signed up for afterschool club at the same school. I was quite relieved actually as didn't fancy having to do the school run every day - once for her daughter and then for my own daughter an hour later as I live 6 miles from the nearest school and it would mean getting my other mindees in and out of the car constantly.

My question though is as she will be only 4 and for the first month getting out at 12 then in until 2 after that - what an awfully long day for her if she stays there until 4.30 pm!

I put my foot down this year too as regards nursery collection. I was being expected to collect the child from a nursery again 6 miles away at 11.30 every morning which resulted in no toddler group attendance and would have meant no morning naps. I would then be coming in and rushing to get the mindees down for sleep and preparing lunch!!

My own daughter is turning 9 this year and will now be entitled to some after schools clubs from Easter on. I have encouraged her to attend these as it definately gives her something that she does on her own and hopefully develops her own interests and abilities. She does come home normally on the bus which passes our lane at 3.45 so if she stays for a club I would be collecting her at school at this time and therefore gets home just 10 minutes later!

It is really up to yourself - I went into childminding to suit my child and her needs. I wanted to be at home for her every day and have really enjoyed the past number of years helping her with homework and listening to her chatter. I always keep this in mind when people come and ask me to look after their children and would make it quite clear to them that she comes first not them! Harsh maybe but they have to think of their own reasons for going out to work and how their children will fit in around this!

[little chickee]

She means an after school activity. My DD does ballet but I have my dad pick her up otherwise we would just get home and have to turn round and walk back again!

Ah i see - crossed wires. Still i think the answer would be no. All my school age kids (3 of my own and 1 mindee) come home on the school bus so i dont have a school pick up so i would be disinclined to then put 5 kids into the car to collect another from school - defeats the point of the kids coming home on the bus if i have to drive up to school anyway.

[Minstrel]

yes sorry i wasn't clear- i meant activities that the children go to for an hour or so after school, not the childcare clubs that some of them run.

I must have felt it in my water when i wrote this post cos mum rolled up this morning and told me child has a club now which requires a later pick up. I said no but she kept going on and on so i've said i'll do it for 2 weeks just to give her time to make other arrangements.

I can't believe she has put me in this position especially since we have been here before! :angry:

[mushpea]

I dont collect from them anymore, i used to agree to them as i had to collect my children from them so saw it as a comprimise if i collect minded children but not anymore, its to much running around, my children still go to clubs but my partner is now able to collect them as he works nights and gets up about 2pm.

[caz3007]

I dont do them. Some of my afterschoolies have done them in the past, but the mums have never asked, they have made alternative arrangements. One lad did chess club and his dad collected him, she still paid me, cos she said she would need the place when it finished or if it was cancelled. Never asked cos she knew it would be difficult for me. I do have fab parents and they dont take me for granted :jump for joy:

[ChocolateChip]

I do, but lucky for me I only live around the corner from school, so it's not too much of a problem.
Also at the mo all my older mindees go to the same one, so I actually get paid to still have them and don't have to collect until 5! :D

Don't think I'd do it if we were further away though, and had to keep getting everyone in and out of the car