Working Moms - dropping off and picking up YOUR kids?

My older daughter will be in f/t kindergarten next September; my little one will be in the 3 year-old class in daycare. I'm trying to plan ahead and the logistics are already making me crazy.

How do you handle pick ups and drop offs to school? Even if you get bussing, someone has to be there to meet the bus, right? My DH and I are both teachers and need to be out of the house early. (Right now, we're out the door by 6:50). I have no idea what time a kindergarten day starts, but I assume it's much later than that. I work in NYC and get home after she would (usually around 4:30). His hours vary. What do you do?

Message edited 10/8/2014 9:28:41 AM.

Re: Teacher Moms - dropping off and picking up YOUR kids?

I don't think this issue is specific to teachers.

DH and I both have to leave pretty early too....usually out the door by 7 at the latest. We've been paying for pre-care the past 2 years. Last year, DS was in Pre K half day in the am, free through the district and my ILs picked him up.

This year they still pick him up at 3:05 and go to their house or my SIL house so he can play with his cousins.

I may consider SCOPE in the future for after school, but right now they enjoy seeing him for a couple hours in the afternoon. I get to him by 5:15/5:30...

I see on the FB mom groups SAHMs often offer to help out with drop offs and pick ups too so that's another idea if you can't use family.

Re: Teacher Moms - dropping off and picking up YOUR kids?

I have family doing my before and after care right now but in the future I am hoping to find a SAHM who lives in my neighborhood to watch my kids before and after school. For me it's only 40 minutes in the morning and about 5 in the afternoon, but it's still a challenge.

Re: Teacher Moms - dropping off and picking up YOUR kids?

Posted by MorningCuppaCoffee

I don't think this issue is specific to teachers.

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Re: Teacher Moms - dropping off and picking up YOUR kids?

Posted by MorningCuppaCoffee

I don't think this issue is specific to teachers.

Message edited 10/8/2014 9:29:26 AM.

Re: Working Moms - dropping off and picking up YOUR kids?

No worries.

Re: Working Moms - dropping off and picking up YOUR kids?

Check to see if your school district offers before and after care. Mine starts at 7:15 a.m.

If that's not early enough for you, you may want to check out Care.com and have someone come to your house in the mornings and put your son on the bus. If they can come back in the afternoon for your son, that would be great. (Plus, maybe you can work our an arrangement where they watch your son on the school holidays too).

Our neighbor across the street uses care.com. Her hours vary and her husband is NYFD, so his schedule changes a lot too. They sometimes have a few people from care.com on rotation to work around their schedules.

Working Moms - dropping off and picking up YOUR kids?

Most schools offer before and after care.

Working Moms - dropping off and picking up YOUR kids?

I go in late so I can get DD on the bus. On the days I work late her bus drops her off at daycare or our sitter gets her from our bus stop. Our bus stop and daycare's stop on the same bus route so it helped make it less confusing for her. I would look into before and after care at the school. For K-2 our school has it in the school for the older grades they do it at the Y. Good luck!!

Re: Working Moms - dropping off and picking up YOUR kids?

I go in later so I wait with DS at the bus stop and drop my 3-year old off at nursery school. Pick ups are done by whoever is watching them that day, the babysitter or my in-laws.

Re: Working Moms - dropping off and picking up YOUR kids?

I'm assuming since your a teacher you don't have the option of flexible hours but K in my district starts early (IMO) and I drop DS at school by 8am. I know most schools have before and after care. My parents are his caregiver on the days I work so they just pick him up after school.

I'd see about local SAHMs. I'm sure your child will make friends with some of the kids that have SAHMs so that would be nice that they'd be familiar with the kid and you'd get to know the parent.

Re: Working Moms - dropping off and picking up YOUR kids?

does your district offer before/after care? If not I would try going the SAHM route.

Re: Working Moms - dropping off and picking up YOUR kids?

I am a single working mom who commutes to the city. You can make it work

My district does not provide before care, obviously my job let me push my hours back a little bit.

My DS goes to latchkey after school and then I hired a high school student who picks him up from latchkey and keeps him until I get home from work.

I would think that you could probably ask around in your neighborhood and find someone who can do the bus deal and put them in latchkey/afterschool in the afternoon

Re: Working Moms - dropping off and picking up YOUR kids?

For the days we dont have someone, we do before and after care.

I would look into early, and at least get your dates of when enrollment opens bc ours is first come first serve and it fills up fast!

Re: Working Moms - dropping off and picking up YOUR kids?

Just as an aside we do pre care at the nursery school that holds the public school Pre K contract.

DS gets a bus to his elementary school.

While I heard the aftercare on the school grounds does fill up quickly, he would also have the option to bus back to the nursery school site if needed in the PM.

Re: Working Moms - dropping off and picking up YOUR kids?

Re: Working Moms - dropping off and picking up YOUR kids?

Mine does before and after care at the daycare his brother still attends, so it makes my life easier.
I also have to catch a 7:15 train, so I need a drop off before 7am. - and I pick up at 6:00

I drop him off, he eats breakfast there in the morning, gets on the bus, to school - gets on the bus, back to the daycare (they only do this for my district though, they don't bus to other districts) has a snack, they help him w/ homework (unless I ask otherwise) and he plays with his crew until I pick up -

it's a long day, but they're used to it having been in daycare - and I like it, personally because there is no guesswork, it's the same routine every day - (well, my parents pick him up earl on Mon/Tues but the routine is the same) No guess work for him, no extra stress .......no one getting sick, or going on vacation so I need a fill in at the last minute .........for me that peace of mind and added convenience is woth the price

Message edited 10/10/2014 11:43:18 AM.

Re: Working Moms - dropping off and picking up YOUR kids?

Re: Working Moms - dropping off and picking up YOUR kids?

Two years ago, we sent the kids to a daycare center that did before/after care. They serviced a few of the local elementary schools and would drop off and pick up.

Now, they go to a neighbor's across the street for before and after care. They walk over around 7:30 as DH and I leave for work and she will take them to the bus stop at the corner around 8:40. She picks them up at 3:45 and we pick them up around 5:30-6. She's a SAHM mom and her youngest is a sophomore in HS. She watches a few other kids who live on our block.

On the days that they have off, I will either WFH or send them to my inlaws for the day.