After School Pick Up

Is this really a question?? Play it by ear silly mama! You are a working mother!! what a lucky little girl to have this situation. You walk when you can and you pick up when it makes more sense. Enjoy those afternoons no matter what :) it's a win win situation...

Updated

Is this really a question?? Play it by ear silly mama! You are a working mother!! what a lucky little girl to have this situation. You walk when you can and you pick up when it makes more sense. Enjoy those afternoons no matter what :) it's a win win situation...

Hi J.-

First, please do not beat yourself up regarding the before and after care! My daughter did daycare at the school, in K it was before and after because of the short days. My daughter is totally well adjusted, happy and smart! It's OK to pick her up a little later and have a nice walk (you can decompress on the way there)....enjoy the time you can before it is too cold!

Take care!

Do both. Walk every other day.

i would do the walk while you still can before the weather gets to cold. make it your bonding time. asking about her day and maybe make it an adventure on the way home.

No need to worry about people judging you... do you know how LUCKY you are to have BOTH of you working?
There are many of us educators who didn't get a classroom this year after layoffs.
I'd say walk while the weather is nice. Soon enough you'll have to pick her up from school due to snow!

The first few days, I would pick her up. Kindergarten is exhausting, even for a child who has been in full-time childcare before going to K. I don't know what it is about being in school that drains them, but for some reason a few hours at school (my kids were tired even after a half-day program and they weren't nappers) is more tiring than 8-10 hours of daycare. So I would plan on picking her up at first and then you can see what her energy level is like. If she is bubbly and full of energy when you pick her up, then you can consider walking but if she gets home and collapses on the couch, you'll know that she just needs to get home and recharge a bit and then maybe you can take a walk before or after dinner.

Don't beat yourself up about before and after care - lots of us have to do it and they all do just fine!

I haven't read any other post, but I would say, as long as it is daylight outside the walking would be good for all of you, exercise, heart healthy etc. Once the time changes, wouldn't you agree, you are not as visible walking in the dark, so driving may be best. Here in New Hampshire, with the time change it starts to get dark around 3:30pm +/-. When I first moved here that was really weird to me. In the middle of summer daylight starts in around the same time in the am. I thought maybe I was in Alaska. :)

P.S. Also the walking time could make a difference in her homework time in the afternoon. That could be a factor too.

Good luck with your decision.

I would want the pleasant walk at the end of the day, at least as long as it's not snowing/raining/freezing out.

If you have to park and walk into the kindergarten to sign your daughter out, it may be faster to walk from home than to try to find parking near the school while all the other parents are also looking for near-school parking.

The walk, even if it's a short one, would be good for both of you. It shows your daughter that you value exercise, that you value your time with her, and it's a good way to decompress after school and talk for a few extra minutes on the way home.

If you take your son with you on the walks, it'll be good for all three of you.

I hope this helps!

i didn't like my kids being in daycare either, and we too had to make it work. nerts to anyone who is too stupid to get that.
i love the idea of the daily walk. you could vary it too, or start picking her up when it gets wintery (does it get wintery where you are?)
but that walk will give you magic time to talk and skip and catch up. home is wonderful and always will be, but when you're there you have other distractions. this will be time just for you guys to be together and talk and laugh and look at leaves and caterpillars and clouds.
:) khairete
S.

Walk as much as you can, especially when it's nice. A walk always puts everyone in a better frame of mind :) Plan dinner which are easier to prepare so you stress less, and enjoy being outside with your daughter!!

Weather permitting, I would opt for the walk. Exercise, plus focused family time that isn't being interrupted by toys or television or making dinner. There's plenty of time during the winter when this isn't an option, so make the best of it now.

Frankly, I think you have a great schedule for two working parents. I plan to go back to work eventually and hope I can work something like that out. As far as your actual question, I wholeheartedly vote for the walk. That time together is priceless (you will learn so much more about her day than you would otherwise), plus you're getting exercise, and modeling for her that it's good to get exercise. And you have a backup plan for bad weather, evening commitments, etc. Go for the walk and enjoy it. She will remember it very fondly and so will you.

Do you have the option of trying both? Then you could chose what you like the best... my guess when the weather starts to get colder or is unpleasant you will do car anyway, so maybe doing both if you are up for it (you may be too tired for the walk, or want to save the time, 30 mins is a lot if you plan on making dinner and getting the kids to bed at a certian time).

Congrats to your hubby :) Thank you for teaching :)

Hi
I would def do the walking thing. Not only is it great exercise but you can both talk about your day. I am lucky enough to be able to walk my daughter to school in the morning as our home and my work is reasonably close. Then we walk home after I pick her up from after care. Enjoy it while it lasts as there might come a time when its not cool to walk with mom. Not that it will stop me. I am the embarassing mom who stands and waves until she is literally out of sight, and she better wave back or she will hear all about it later. haha. x