Jump to content

Recommended Posts

has this been 'done' yet.... apologies if so!


but would be grateful for your tips on how you manage school pick ups and drop offs when you have both parents working FT and no family help.


i will of course investigate flexible working but my job is very much an in-the-office sort of job so its not ideal.


how do you manage things?

Convex, this is not easy but doable. It depends on how willing both of you are to make compromise with the "job". I have friends who manage by doing morning and evening shifts - they only see each other at hand overs and weekends.If you both work on a fix 9-5 --- find a nursery that is close to your work. I see some parents on my way to work - at 6:30 am getting on the bus with their toddlers. You can take turns on early morning drop offs and pick-ups too. Sometimes someone has to do the sacrifice. Or as a last resort get a childminder for the crucial 2.5 hours before you get home from normal work hours. Whatever you do - don't push the stress on yourself to be supermommy/daddy if you cannot. It is okay to get help .

Hi


We are in a similar situation although I don't work Friday's. Basically, we have a childminder in the morning, my husband drops the kids off at hers at 8am then heads to work. Our kids (5 and 6 yrs) then go to Afterschool club Mon-Thurs until 6pm and I pick them up from there. But, not sure if your school is the same, the waiting list for Afterschool club is long so I suggest getting your name down as early as possible. Holidays seem to work out OK, especially now Nimble Arts have extended their hours from 8-6. Hope that helps!

Hi Convex, I would suggest you contact the primary school your child is going to and find out if they have a breakfast club and afterschool club. As Vick mentions above they can be very popular and you therefore may need to put your child's name down for September. There are also places outside schools that offer wrap around care, it may be worth asking the primary if they know of any that drop off and pick up from the school.

Renata

There's a real disparity I think in the extent to which schools support working parents with wrap around care. Our closest school (in Lambeth) had no after school club on site and the breakfast club only starts at 8.30am (one of the reasons we didn't apply).


At our boys' school, they are in breakfast club from 8am and ASC til 5.45pm and the school also runs a holiday club at Easter and in the Summer. The school's approach has been to expand the provision to meet growing demand in the years we have been at the school.


Convex - if the school has a year long waiting list for ASC, could you (and other parents in the same boat) ask the school what plans they have to expand it to meet the demand that clearly exists (assuming there is the necessary space)?

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • The issue must be everywhere at the moment. I was visiting a friend last week in Bermondsey, think we were walking  down Linton Rd & we dodged 7 dog poos. It was disgusting. 
    • Thanks for your message — I actually took the time to look into what CityHive does before posting my original comment, and I’d encourage anyone with questions to do the same. Yes, the Companies House filings are overdue — but from what I’ve gathered, this seems likely to be an accountant or admin issue, not some sign of ill intent. A lot of small, community-based organisations face challenges keeping up with formalities, especially when they’re focused on immediate needs like food distribution. Let’s not forget CityHive is a not-for-profit, volunteer-powered CIC — not a corporate machine. As for the directors, people stepping down or being replaced is often about capacity or commitment — which is completely normal in the voluntary and community sector. New directors are sometimes appointed when others can no longer give the time. It doesn’t automatically mean bad governance — it just means people’s circumstances change. CityHive’s actual work speaks volumes. They buy most of the food they distribute — fresh produce, essential groceries, and shelf-stable items — and then deliver it to food banks, soup kitchens, and community projects across London. The food doesn’t stay with CityHive — it goes out to local food hubs, and from there, directly to people who need it most. And while yes, there may be a few paid staff handling logistics or admin, there’s a huge volunteer effort behind the scenes that often goes unseen. Regular people giving their time to drive vans, sort donations, load pallets, pack food parcels — that’s what keeps things running. And when people don’t volunteer? Those same tasks still need to be done — which means they have to be paid for. Otherwise, the whole thing grinds to a halt. As the need grows, organisations like CityHive will inevitably need more support — both in people and funding. But the bigger issue here isn’t one small CIC trying to make ends meet. The real issue is the society we live in — and a government that isn’t playing its part in eradicating poverty. If it were, organisations like CityHive, The Felix Project, City Harvest, FareShare, and the Trussell Trust wouldn’t need to exist, let alone be thriving. They thrive because the need is growing. That’s not a reflection on them — it’s a reflection on a broken system that allows people to go hungry in one of the richest cities in the world. If you're in doubt about what they’re doing, go check their Instagram: @cityhivemedia. You’ll see the real organisations and people receiving food, sharing thanks, and showing how far the impact reaches. Even Southwark Foodbank has received food from CityHive — that alone should speak volumes. So again — how does any of this harm you personally? Why spend time trying to discredit a group trying to support those who are falling through the cracks? We need more people lifting others up — not adding weight to those already carrying the load.
    • Well, this is very disappointing. Malabar Feast  has changed its menu again. The delicious fish curry with sea bass no longer exists. There is now a fish dish with raw mango, which doesn't appeal. I had dal and spinach instead, which was bland (which I suppose I could/should have predicted). One of my visitors had a "vegetable Biriani" which contained hardly any vegetables. Along with it came two extremely tiny pieces of poppadom in a large paper bag.   This was embarrassing, as I had been singing Malabar's praises and recommending we ordered from there. The other mains and the parathas were OK, but I doubt we will be ordering from there again. My granddaughters wisely opted for Yard Sale pizzas, which were fine. Has anybody else had a similar recent poor (or indeed good!)  experience at Malabar Feast?
    • Another recommendation for Silvano. I echo everything the above post states. I passed first time this week with 3 minors despite not starting to learn until my mid-30s. Given the costs for lessons I have heard, he's also excellent value.
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...