[FelixMom]

What are the logistics like?

my oldest is 7 yrs old, and I let him stay at school for lunch, plus after school care for 3 days/week so I don't always have to pre-empt his younger siblings' naps to pick him up at 3:30pm.

But in a few years time, they'll all be at school, and I have to pay for all this supervision. Currently it costs us $75 for lunch at school every day, plus afterschool supervision 3d/week. Multiply that by 3, even with a nominal discount for siblings, and it's still a lot of money.

Do I resign myself to not being able to do much until the youngest is in school full-time at Gr.1? Kindergarten is half days, and I would prefer not to have to leave them a full day unless there is a ton of financial pressure on us. Daycare for the remaining half day is provided at the school for a fee.

It seems that by the time I drop the kid off in the morning, I would barely have enough time to do a nominal amount of housework and cooking and then it's time to bring the troops home to eat, re-ship them back to school. Come home. Clean up. Go pick them up at 3:30pm.

Right now, I have the leisurely pace of doing whatever I want with the younger kids until 3:30pm two days of the week. The other days, DH picks up DS1 after school, and dinner is ready for all by 6pm. I run my sign language classes and the local BWing group during the week along with random playdates and going to the park when it's nice. Would hate to say goodbye to that when DD starts school in Sept 2010...

TIA for your advice

 

[mamaluvspirates]

When my oldest was in grade 3 and my son was in kinder, I dropped them off in the morning and then had 2.5 hours until I had to pick up my kinder at lunch. It made for 3 trips to the school in a day, but...not much else I could do. I just learned to be really efficient with my time for that year. Oldest child stayed at school for lunch for a fee.

Lunch fees can be expensive, and personally, it upsets me a bit. Our school gives 40 minutes for lunch, so not enough time to walk home and eat...so we have no choice but to pay $120 for the 2 kids to stay at school.

The problem our school is having is: they have to pay a good wage for lunch supervisors (parents) because it's really hard to find someone who is available during the day, who doesn't have a younger child that they have to bring with them. So unfortunately, the lunch program costs money and with more than one kid in school, it can sure add up fast!

Hope that answers your question, because I guess I'm not really sure what it is that you're asking LOL!

 

[kay4]

I've never picked my kids up for lunch. I've gone to school to eat with them (and taken my 4 yo) but never brought them home. I have 3 in school, 1 in one school, 2 in the other. Next year i'll have 4 kids in 3 different schools! They all leave for school at about 7:20 and my oldest walks to the elem school and meets me and the other kids and we walk home together. I have almost 8 hours home with just the 4 yo.

 

[SAHDS]

OP, once all of your kids are in full-time school, you won't need to pay for after-school care (although, if it's affecting the LOs' naps now and you don't want to pay for the after-school care, I'd adjust their sleep schedule) and you can send lunch for much cheaper (and it will be much healthier).