Just Not Old Enough

As the new school year rapidly approaches, I find myself in a quandary. For the past three years, I have been lucky enough to have two different families who were willing to pick my boys up from school and watch them until I can pick them up. I can’t pick them up from school because they get out almost an hour before I do. When you add in my drive time, the boys usually have about an hour-and-a-half to enjoy playing with friends before I pick them up and rush them off to homework, cub scouts, sports practices, Braille tutor, and whatever else we have going on during the school year. The boys love this set-up, as it gives them time to decompress after school, they don’t have to do their homework right away, and they get to see their friends.

This year though, I am in a quandary because neither family will be able to bring the boys home this year, for a variety of reasons (mostly because their eight-grader graduated and is off to high school). I have spent the past couple of weeks, frantically trying to find someone who would be willing to watch my boys after school. The problem I am running into is that most carpools/pickups have already been established and my boys just aren’t old enough to walk home and stay by themselves. My oldest will be a fourth-grader and his brother is starting second-grade. I think my fourth-grader could stay home by himself, but I am not comfortable with him being responsible for his brother at the same time. So, now I am stuck trying to find someone to watch the boys after school. The problem is most of the families in the boys classes already have pickup arrangements set and have had them set for years. They don’t have room for my two or their after school schedules are too hectic to be able to help. It doesn’t help that I don’t know what our after school schedule is going to be like yet.

Now, the boys’ school doesn’t have an after-care program, but neither of my boys wants to go to after-care. They have been filled with horror stories about the after-school program and are adamant about going home with friends. Unfortunately, finding friends who have the room, the time, and the willingness to bring them home is the challenge. I have found parents who can cover a couple days a week, but I am still searching for coverage for the other three days.

So, I ask, how do you get your children home from school? I am open to suggestions.