Are school pick ups/drop offs a must?

**teacherinwales** · 20-04-2011, 11:33 AM

First of all, thank you for answering my questions as I consider childminding. This forum is very, very useful but also raises other questions.

Q: Is it the norm for childminders to pick up and drop off, and I'm assuming there's no additional charge for this? Would it affect a CM's popularity if he/she decided not to do this?
... Are friends/relatives usually able to be the taxi service?

The reason I ask is, if I were to CM, I would be doing it alone.
I have a small car (to take children on school run with me).
The schools are 10mins+ drive away so it's not a trip or walk around the corner... and petrol is not cheap now is it?

I'm already thinking of the practicalities. I have a garden and there is a lovely park behind my house so using my car to get out and about wouldn't be a must, although I appreciate a change of scenery is always good.

Thanks again.

**snufflepuff** · 20-04-2011, 02:29 PM

I don't do before/ after school. I used to but it was a nightmare. I won't do it again until my son is in school. I am limiting my income by not doing school runs but that's fine by me! I don't tend to get many enquiries for before/ after school anyway so it's not been an issue.

**messyplay** · 20-04-2011, 02:40 PM

Just depends if you get a 3 or 4 year old that wants school cover when they reach school age . Parents like to remain with same minder so not upsetting their child

**manjay** · 20-04-2011, 02:54 PM

I think there are lots of variables on whether minders offer school pick ups or not. I have my own school age children so I would be doing the school run anyway. Although I do now limit the amount of older children I care for. All my schoolies that I have now I ahve looked after for a good few years and there is no way I would be saying I couldn't offer care once they start school. However if I was still minding when my youngest goes off to high school I may then reconsider if I want to continue with school runs. Some areas also have fab before and after school clubs which you may find it hard to compete with. WAG provides funding for free breakfast clubs and most schools take advantahge of this. I can't compete with free care

I know there are lots on here who don't because it suits them and that is why this job is ideal! You set your own rules

onceinabluemoon · 20-04-2011, 05:19 PM

As others have already said, it is completely up to you what you do. I do school runs now but didn't to start with as I didn't mind school-aged children then.

You may find you get less work but you may not, it depends on so many other things, for example, some parents of little ones may be glad their children are not being woken up to go on school runs others may want you to pick their LO up when they reach school age...

**teacherinwales** · 20-04-2011, 05:41 PM

Thanks for the replies. Obviously it would be a different matter if I had a child coming up to school age - I couldn't turn that child down then just because he/she starts school... but I have a small car at the moment and I'm not in the position to be able to upgrade any time soon.

"some parents of little ones may be glad their children are not being woken up to go on school runs" - very true.

**PixiePetal** · 20-04-2011, 06:10 PM

I used to do school runs - walking with my own children anyway

when my last child left primary school I did not take on any schoolies and current ones were told I would be stopping. I wanted to be indoors for when my own got home from school, they are my priority.

I now mostly have pre school age children - there is a good after school club nearby or other CMs who will pick up, I choose not to and it is great for me

**teacherinwales** · 20-04-2011, 06:36 PM

That's interesting to know, thanks for sharing. I suppose with breakfast clubs and afterschool clubs there is less need for CMs to do before and after schools times anyway.

**Mickey Mouse Clubhouse** · 20-04-2011, 07:19 PM

I don't do before and after school I used to for about 4 months and it just wasn't for me so just stick with the little ones and I haven't found it to limit my business. I do nursery pick ups and drop offs but havent done that for a couple of years.

**tulip0803** · 20-04-2011, 07:26 PM

It is your business and you can choose what you want to do. I only do school pick up one day although I have a child at the school. Our breakfast club is free so that is used in the mornings but the afterschool club is rubbish - not everyday, cancelled at a moments notice, less than 2 hours and they seem to spend a lot of time watching videos

**Cammie Doodle** · 20-04-2011, 09:47 PM

I don't do school pick ups, but we do pick up from the bus stop (which is just around the corner) where school bus drops the children

**mushpea** · 21-04-2011, 05:48 AM

I pickup and drop of 4 school children at 2 different schools plus my own son,, the schools are all withing walking distance of each other and my home, I dont mind doing this because its only a copule of hours after school and in the holidays only 2 of them come and 1 of them is now thinking of using a holiday club due to cost,, I think its nice to have that break each day of going out to the schools, it also keeps you incontact with parents and the school itself, my son will be going to hight school sept 2012 and my daughter is already there so not sure when current mindes leave if i will carry on but then if im honest I like the extra income each week.

**kittyzcool** · 04-05-2011, 11:35 PM

If you don't mind me asking mushpea how do you handle school pick up from 2 different schools? I'm just registered and wondering about the logistics of picking up from different schools with the same pick up time

**grindal** · 05-05-2011, 07:57 AM

I no longer offer school drop off or pick ups from school. I take DS1 to school and thought it would be an easy way to build some extra income into my earnings, but it did not work out at all. I tend to look after little ones, and DS1 and 2 like having the frredom to play in the front room or their bedrooms depending on what the little ones are doing. When I had an after schioolie I found that he and DS1 argued so much they could not be left in a different room. May just have been a personality clash but as far as I am concerned not an experience I want to repeat.
I still get enquiries about before and after school care, but just say I am full. Never been a problem apart from one parent who phoned and said I had to offer school collections and drop offs if I was a childminder!!

**donnamarie2** · 05-05-2011, 10:04 AM

Originally Posted by zoe marsh

If you don't mind me asking mushpea how do you handle school pick up from 2 different schools? I'm just registered and wondering about the logistics of picking up from different schools with the same pick up time

Hi zoe, I do 2 different schools as i was desperate for work they are about 5 minutes drive apart so not walking distance .
They finish at different times although only 15 minutes difference and it really is a push getting through traffic etc , if they are late out.
The child i pick up goes to afterschool club till 4.15 as i wasn't going to risk being late for my own children and the other child i mind.
I'm going to do the other school till the summer and then just the one my children go to .
Unless the schools are really close i would say just to pick up from 1 as it's not worth the stress and hassle doing 2.

**kittyzcool** · 09-05-2011, 12:33 AM

Thanks for your help - I've been thinking about it and it is seeming like its going to be too difficult!

**flowerpots** · 09-05-2011, 05:46 AM

i do school pick ups from 2 different schools, my dh (assisstant) does one and i do the other 1, i can imagine that when my children go to high school (long time yet) i wont offer pick-up's anymore

**kindredspirits** · 09-05-2011, 06:35 AM

i don't do school pick ups - mainly because i don't get a lot of calls for them these days and I can't see the point in dragging out all my littlies for 1 so never bother to take them on.
i much prefer it - i find after schoolers a lot harder work because i only have up to 4 year olds at the minute so the toys are geared towards that age group - when my son who is 4 gets older i may consider doing them again even though he won't be going to school as he would benefit from the interaction.

**Chimps Childminding** · 09-05-2011, 01:07 PM

I don't "take on" schoolies, but wouldn't refuse to have children I had looked after from being babies. We are lucky in that our first school has a bus service which runs directly from the school to our estate, and the only stop it makes is here. The bus stop is literally at the end of my garden, so although I do (at present - soon stopping) take children to school I get them to catch the bus home as you need to be parked outside school so early in order to get a space its just not fair on any littlies I may have with me.

As from June, we have a mindee returning who will also be going to this school, so we will put her and my current mindee on the bus in the mornings as well. Just didn't like the idea of my current mindee having to go on her own, as she only started school in September, so it seemed a bit much for her to take in.

**Rubybubbles** · 09-05-2011, 01:13 PM

I have always done school runs but have got to a point now (finish end of May) where my last family are moving with their school age children(1 day a week!) I am not taking on more school age children as this works out better for me! My eldest is now at boarding school and my youngest will be starting next year.

I find the lo's easier to look after

But it really depends on the mix of kids you have! I have been know to walk a good 45 mins to school, I don't like to drive