FTWM & school aged children

So i am a long way off from DS going to kindergarten (he is one) and i know a lot can change from now and then. But thinking about it, i become very stressed! We hopefully will have another child, how do you bring your children to two different places (daycare and school) worry about before / after care for school aged children, and then figure out how to take them to after school activites / get homework done??? It honestly seems impossible! Again i know i have time to figure this all out and i guess when you don't hae a choice you make it work, but i just need to know its possible to do it all!

Re: FTWM & school aged children

I know that certain districts will transport the child for you. In Plainview there is daycare at the JCC and a bus will take your children to school from the daycare and back. Hope this helps!

FTWM & school aged children

Our daycare has before/after care and transport (but, I think the school that DS would go to has transportation there as well since it's in our district and there are busses there constantly).

Luckily, DH has a flexible schedule but, I'm also thinking of asking some neighbors who stay at home for assistance (for $$) as well since we don't need the same days each week.

Our district only has 1/2 day K as well!

FTWM & school aged children

Well i only have one but even so, I think I gave this some thought with my house situation. Her school is closest to our HOME. That way we drop her off before we go to work. Right now in preschool its anytime between 7am to 8:30am. School starts at 8:30am. Kindergarten is different. She will have to be at school by 7:20-7:40 as school begins at 7:40am.

If we had more than one, the older one in regular school would be dropped off first then the younger one. Especially as our grade school and preschool are half a block from eachother its simple.

Both preschool and kindergarten have afterschool care. Preschool aftercare ends at 6:30pm. Regular school aftercare ends at 6:30 as well. Generally I can get to AJ around 5:15-5:30pm, if I'm not working. If he's picking her up its closer to 6pm, since he works until 5:30.

Guess if we had more than one we'd reverse and pick up the younger one first if she/he was walking so she/he could walk into get the older one. If not walking, then I'd get the older one first then the smallest.

Afterschool stuff. Well even with ONE that is hard. We alternate schedules for who does what and when. Its a juggle to be sure. With more than one I think it would be more so, but I guess like everything you get used to it.

I'm one and done. But if my sister ever needed me to take her daughter while she was at Sea, I'd be a two girl house. haha poor hubby would be so seriously outnumbered!

Re: FTWM & school aged children

thanks for the responses. Luckily we have full day kindergarten - for now. I know that could change as districts struggle financially. I know the school has before / after care and there is a daycare in the area that offers afterschool as well....i think both stay open until 6pm. It just really stinks, i wish i could be there for after school or have more flexibility - i don't want my DS to miss out on activities and stuff b/c mommy is always working

FTWM & school aged children

There's always activities that they miss out on. AJ loves dance and gymnastics but we can't afford them (and they are IN HER school) then there's the fact *I* want her in piano or karate classes but even if I had a bucket of cash I can't manage the schedule.

Just part of life. I don't let it bother me. She doesn't 'miss' anything in my opinion. I didn't have those things and I dont think I missed anything.

I spend time with AJ on crafts and art. We take her to the zoo, aquarium, museums on weekends. I take a Mommy & Me day off here and there to just take her out to the library, play on a playground, eat some ice cream and giggle.

I loved the days when I was little and my dad would take me out of school to go bowling at the alley on base LOL. I remember it vividly. Ironically I dont remember much of my dive team practices. well....Other than I was there and the last time I went when I had an accident and passed out face down in water.

We try to so hard to be super mom.
When I think our kids are more than happy with just 'mom'

Mom loves you
Mom is willing to read that book another 5 times
Mom loves building forts with you in the living room
Mom will let you brush her hair and put clips in it
Mom will help you paint a pirate boat
Mom will hold you if you cry or feel sick
Mom doesn't mind watching Finding Nemo (again!)
Mom serves you up some veggies and we nibble on carrots together
Mom will share a spoon of ice cream

Mom doesn't have the be anything more than just Mom. I think we all lose sight of that sometimes trying to give our children as much as we possibly can (even me). But there's no crime in giving them all of that. Just as long as we remember what they need and want most... is Mom

JMHO

Re: FTWM & school aged children

I am a PTWM now and I work from home but all of that is still hard the days I work.

I have a DD in K, a DS in daycare (3 days) and a DD in daycare (same daycare/days).

On the 3 days the 2 little ones go to daycare, I usuallyget DD1 to the bus stop (7:40) then come back and get the two little ones up and dressed and then get them to daycare by around 8:30. THen come home, clean up from the mornign rush and start my workday.

DD1 is in gymnatics (friday night) and dance (Sat mornings). I want to start DS in an activity but he needs to wait a little longer, mature a little more.

Homework with DD-I try to get that done before we pick the other two up. Otherwise (and on the days that I am home with DS and DD2), we do homework after the others are in bed at night or right after the bus if they are still napping.

It's tough but not because we work moreso because we have 3 kids to attend to. I can't just focus on one of them.

What has helped is getting organized and getting a schedule down and not over scheduling the kids and your family. I knew that DD1 could not handle a mid week activity so we skipped girl scouts this year. I really want no more than 2 activities per kid and I want to bundle them with mutliple kids in the same activity.

Re: FTWM & school aged children

Our school has a before and aftercare program in one of the schools and they provide transportation there, also there is a local daycare/preschool that does the before after care also that is also on the bus routes.