I gave up full-time work as a teacher six years ago, just before the birth of my third child. Four years and another child later, I was faced with a big decision regarding childcare and a decision that so many of us have had to and will have to face. Our local school isn’t great, so my then five-year-old son was attending a big town school, which is a good school with an excellent reputation. But nine months in the school had turned my gorgeous happy little boy into a quiet, nervous little soul who was always coming home covered in bruises and was so scared of going to the toilet in school that .. well you can imagine!
My then nearly four-year-old was due to start in the following September five days after his fourth birthday. After a weekend in Wales with the in-laws, my five-year-old refused to get into the car as he said he didn’t want to go back to school. Crunch time – I am not someone who makes rash decisions, but I knew we had to have a rethink.
So both boys are now in a lovely little village school, they are getting a fantastic education and most importantly they are happy! The eldest, now seven is a changed boy. He is happy, confident and loves life and school (and has no issue with toilets). I have no doubt that we made the best decision, but the offset of this decision meant that my plans to go back to teaching were put on hold. Childcare before and after school is a real problem in this area and so I have to be chief taxi driver back and forth several times a day! But for the sake of their happiness, I don’t mind.
When I was chatting to the Head teacher a couple of weeks ago, she told me that a number of parents had been emailing and phoning her about the lack of childcare facilities in the village due to the local childminder giving up and asking what she intended to do about it. Some had become quite irate when she said there were no immediate plans to put before or after school clubs in place. The village is small and the school only has around eighty-five children and there are a variety of clubs on every school night until four o’clock, which for a school with such a small staff, is amazing. However, in spite of this, the parents are putting real pressure on the head teacher and taking the matter to the governors.
I was quite incredulous. I know how frustrating it can be trying to find childcare but we choose to have children and we choose where to send them to school. I have made huge financial and professional sacrifices in order to send my children to a school and I am happy to do so, knowing that they are happy, secure and flourishing in that environment. It is my responsibility to look after my children before and after school hours and not the schools. Maybe I am the only one…
I completely understand how you feel. I too am a teacher by profession but have been home with the kids for most of the past 2 years. The before and after school times are, and always have been, tricky areas. My girl’s school has recently started a breakfast club and are introducing an after school care club next month. For me that is great as I will possibly look for work next September when the youngest starts school. The school did it as a trial run and it has grown and has helped people return to work (especially those, like me, with no family support locally). Yes schools are not responsible for our childcare issues but they are they definitely help when provided! And the school makes some money too! Glad your little one is much happier now x
Found you on lovenewblogs x x
Thank you for your comment – I know that school clubs are a godsend and of course it is much more convenient, rather than having to ferry them between settings! Maybe I will get back to teaching some time in the future. Good luck with going back to work.