stupid question about hours

mcs1505 · Jun 9, 2008

I'm not a parent and obviously don't know your kids but you might be surprised how responsible they can be. I know I got myself and my little sister on the bus when I was 12 and my mom had to be at work.

Could your neighbors maybe just keep an eye on them while they wait for the bus to come?

allthingsbright · Jun 9, 2008

I also find the hours inconvienent but realize most places of business have hours that dont coincide w/ school and children's schedules. Thats why I pay for before and after school programs and my husband and I alternate taking/picking up the kids depending on when I work (he works full time 40 hrs a week and I work 3 twelves). It has worked out ok but does add an extra expense. Sometimes we have a schedule snag and that when family ends up helping out!

wonderbee, BSN, RN · Jun 9, 2008

Maybe you might want to look into some alternatives to hospital nursing. It might put your mind at ease. Home health is a good alternative.

BrnEyedGirl, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN · Jun 9, 2008

I work nights 7p-7a,...I get home about the time my 13 y/o daughter has to leave for school (she walks). Her Dad leaves very early for work,..she has been getting up and ready,.even packs her lunch, for about 3 yrs now. You might be suprised what your kids are capable of once they get used to the idea.

clhRN2b2010 · Jun 9, 2008

Park and Rec- before school care. DH leaves very early, but is home when school lets out. Although before school care doesn't open until 7am-will be tight. Looking into making arrangements with another before school mom to drop them off at 6:30 at her place. maybe we swap or we can watch hers after school for a bit?

I'm really having faith that things will come together.

queenjean · Jun 9, 2008

My 13 and 10 year old have been getting themselves up and ready for the last three years. DH wakes them up, and then heads to work. They get themselves ready, do their chores and make their own lunches. Oldest dtr rides her bike to school, and leaves before I get home. In inclement weather, she makes arrangements with a friend's mom to catch a ride (I drive on days I don't work and we have nasty weather). Youngest goes to school later than oldest, and so I get home from my 7p-7a shift in time to take her to school.

bcyogi · Jun 9, 2008

My husband leaves for work at 5am and I will have to leave (starting work as an RN at the end of June!!!) at about 6am.

My mom retired a couple years ago and lives about a 2 minute drive from me. She has offered to come to my house at 6am and read my paper and drink my coffee while the kids get up and ready themselves for school. My kids are going into the 5th and 2nd grade at the end of summer, and they are pretty self sufficient in the mornings.

She will drop them off at school a little after 8 and have the rest of the day for herself. My husband is home from work in time to get them after school.

As for the summer, well we will be juggling many different things so the kids don't get too bored at grandmas for 6-8 hours a day. We have a Recreation Center program that takes the kids bowling, swimming, to the movies and has activities at the Center as well, so they will be spending time there after my mom gets them up and going in the morning.

Without her willingness to do this, I don't know what I'd do with my kids so early in the morning. I hated the thought of getting them up at 5-5:30 to leave the house by 6, and childcare that opens before 7 is hard to find.

Hope you find an option that works for all of you!

ZooMommyRN, ADN, RN · Jun 9, 2008

My 12, 11 & 9yo have gotten VERY good at getting to the bus stop on time, my dh & I would get them up at 6am and their clothes were laid out for them the night before, school lunches paid for in advance, most days he doesn't leave untill after the bus, but a few times he has earlier days, I'll be working nights from now on so they'll still have to get themselves on the bus as the busses run quite early and I most likely won't be home before they come. Set up a scheduele with a points system for things like turning off all the lights before leaving, doing a few small chores after school and reward them with something on your days off, 10 & 13 should be able to let themselves off the bus (altho if they are anything like mine you'll have days wondering if your house looks like something out of Lord of the Flies with one tied up and the other dancing around lmao) Sometimes the chance to be responsible is all kids need to get that dormant gene out of hiding lol

queenjean · Jun 9, 2008

... if they are anything like mine you'll have days wondering if your house looks like something out of Lord of the Flies with one tied up and the other dancing around lmao) Sometimes the chance to be responsible is all kids need to get that dormant gene out of hiding lol

I totally agree. 99% of the time my kids feel like it is "us against the world" when they are home alone together. They are nicer and more helpful towards one another than they ever are when one or both of us are home! I appreciate it. They really rise to our expectations, and I think it's nice to give them the opportunity to take on that responsibility in small increments.

DH is home most of the summer (teacher) but when he's not, they are old enough now where I can sleep while they stay home. Basically they have a list of chores they need to accomplish, and then a list of things they can do while I am asleep. If something is not on the list, they know not to ask until I am awake, then we can discuss adding it to the list. We don't have TV, though we do have netflix, so they don't veg in front of the TV all day, but are allowed to watch one movie a day if they've done all their chores. We don't do video games at our house, either, so that's another thing we are lucky not to have to regulate.

Kids are pretty resourceful and responsible, if you expect them to be. We are very clear with our kiddos about how we expect them to act and what we expect them to do in certain situations (like staying home while I'm asleep, or getting ready for school when both parents are gone). Then we reward them with things like additional freedoms, a little extra cash to go to the movies, whatever. We definitely tell them frequently how much we appreciate how responsible they are. We are blessed.

Imafloat, BSN, RN · Jun 9, 2008

My husband and I both worked 12 hours shifts for a year. He worked 4 days on then 4 days off, so his days off always shifted and mine were varied also. We have 4 kids, the oldest was 16 and the youngest was 8 when this schedule started. There were days we both worked that the kids had to make their own dinner, I usually had dinner prepared, they just needed to heat it up or they had TV dinners. It wasn't an ideal situation, but there wasn't anything we could do about it, we had to work and we had no family nearby. All the daycare centers closed at 6 pm and we both worked 7-7.

Thankfully my hubby is on a normal schedule now. This summer there are days that the kids will be alone until hubby gets home from work at 4:30, but they are older now, the oldest is 17. I think this experience has made all of my kids more independent.

Fun2, BSN, RN · Jun 9, 2008

Many 10 y/o's and 13 y/o's are responsible enough to get themselves to a bus stop, or walk to school if close enough. (Maybe a phone call to make sure they get out the door ok by you, a spouse, relative, friend????)

Does your children have friends in the area? Maybe a buddy system will help ease your mind, or maybe a neighbor could drive your child (children) if heading to the same place.

A little bit of gas money might get volunteers, even though they are heading to the school anyway!! :)