I'm already so scared of the 'first-grade wall' that I went to an information session for a private after-school care program
My eldest daughter will be a first grader next year.
I've been worried about the 'first-grade wall' lately.
Honestly, even though there's still a year to go, I'm terrified...
We are a full-time dual-income household.
That means after school,after-school care is our lifeline.
But the biggest crisis would be
'I don't want to go to after-school care'
—the future where everything falls apart with just those words...!
So,
even though I thought it might be (quite) early 😅
I went to an information session for a private after-school care program.
I visited two places this time.
When I actually heard what they had to say,
they were almost complete opposites.
1. Large sports gym-affiliated private after-school care
The first place I went to was an after-school program run by a large sports gym.
As expected, the facilities here are well-equipped.
There are plenty of swimming and sports-related lessonsand
my impression was that it would be good for a child who likes to move their body.
However,the fees are way too high.
In addition to the enrollment fee, lessons cost extra.
Furthermore, the costs for long school holidays go up significantly.
During summer vacation, even if you send them three days a week from the morning,
it exceeds 100,000 yen...⁉️💸
And another thing that concerned me was thatthey only provide pick-up service three days a weekpoint.
The days they come to pick up children from the elementary school they are scheduled to attend are limited.
(Probably because there aren't that many kids)
Their stance is that you can come on other days, but you have to handle the pick-up yourself.
Also, since it has to align with the days of the lessons,
it's hard to use unless the 'day with the bus' and the 'day for the lesson they want to take'
match up perfectly.
Overall, while it was well-organized,
it felt a bit formulaic.
2. Privately-run after-school care
The next place I went to was an after-school program run by an individual.
At first, I wasn't sure about this place.
But after actually hearing them talk,
it seems they can offer flexible support
that can be adjusted to fit the circumstances of working parents.
They can handle pick-up and drop-off five days a week.
Saturdays are also fine.
The fees are reasonable,
and it was at a level that is realistically worth considering.
As for points of concern,
video games are allowed during free time
extracurricular activities are fixed by day of the week, so there's a possibility of having to do something she's not interested in when rescheduling
and things like that,
but even including those, I had a good overall impression.
My daughter's current nursery school is also quite small,
so the atmosphere feels like an extension of that,
and I thought it might be a good fit for her.
Gathering information lightens the anxiety
Honestly, I was expecting more from the larger chains,
but you really don't know until you hear them talk in person.
What was good about going to the information session this time was that
how much it will cost (during normal times and long school breaks)
the realistic range for pick-up and drop-off
the characteristics, limitations, and scope of support for each facility
all these things became clear at once.
Instead of just spinning my wheels thinking,
“I’m so anxious, what should I do?” 😩
I was able to simulate a typical day
and see things clearly enough
to think concretely about “what to do.”
The first-grade wall is supposed to be a while away,
but I feel like it has already begun.
But, just by gathering information for now,
the anxiety feels much lighter.