I stopped taking care of school agers long ago. Then I had a child age out and his younger brother started so I kept the older child last year on days off/early outs. He grew up here and it wasn’t a problem..it made me forget why I stopped taking schoolagers.

Then COVID hit. A lot of my clients started working from home and when they finally came back went to part time schedules. I lost a few children when parents lost their jobs and the only people looking for care were looking for schoolage care. I ended up with 2 going in to kindergarten (older 5), 2 1st graders and a second grader. Now I remember why I stopped taking schoolagers. I remember almost every minute out of every day.

They are wonderful on their own and even with each other sometimes however, they bicker so much. I constantly here “you aren’t my friend if..” statements. They talk like they are standing next to a noisy train. I don’t understand what the deal is. They are all shouting everything they say. Attempts to curb a t work for 5 minutes and then they’re back at it. The constant loud voices and bickering is wearing me thin. Then there is the toys (made for younger children) that have been broken, the constant attempts to run and horseplay indoors and inability to do one activity for more than 5 minutes. I want my 2 and 3 year olds back. Give me the “terrible” twos over the “sassy” sixes and sevens any day.

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