Do Kids WANT to Go to After School Programs?

My kids always went to afterschool programs. It gave them more time with their friends, time to make new friends, help with homework and some kiind of fun activity. When they would come home I would go over their homework, more like a review and talk with them about their day. It was a great experience because they learn so many things about effective communication, team building, study habits, and different sports opportunities. My kids loved going to after school programs.

Yep. My son was in before and after school care when I worked full time and he HATED it. He said he wished I could stay at home "like all the other moms". So when my daughter was born my husband and I sacrificed and worked things out so I could stay home with both kids. Now when my youngest started Kindergarten, she begged me to let her go to the Kids-Club after school "just like all the other kids". Just can't win. :-)

i look at it like this,my kids Want to eat icecream for all three meals of the day. Doesn't mean it's a good thing. You have to do what is right for your family and your child's personality. Are there other ways your kids could spend time with friends that would be more of a middle ground, I think as much as we try to excuse it, being in a stimulating environment all day long is not the best for kids. just my 2 cents take it or leave it.

I'm thinking you may be confusing what you're calliing "after school clubs" with school-based child care.

My good friend's daughter, whom I know well, loves her after-school "school aged child care" program. It's essentially day care for the period from the end of school until working parents pick the kids up after work. They do a lot of crafts and field trips and playground things and the girl sometimes gets peeved when a parent comes early to pick her up because she was really into whatever they were doing at the time!

I hope you're not confusing what amount to school-based day care programs (like the one above) with short-term, specific clubs and classes and activities that schools sponsor -- such as chess club, dance classes, athletic classes, robotics club, language learning club, etc. Our school does things like that (though it's before school, not after, due to our school's late-starting schedule). These things are there for the kids to develop their interests and try out something new and different for six or eight or 10 weeks --these are not child care time for parents. These programs are so popular there are waiting lists to get onto them because kids want to try them out or continue doing activities they enjoyed or want to do things with their friends. I'm a SAHM who picks up my child from school by car and if she is involved in an afterschool activity I'm thrilled because it means she's being engaged and challenged and is there by choice. These aren't every day, all year long, like after school child care, though.

We homeschool now, but when we were in traditional school I can only think of one program that one of my kids loved (involved building stuff with Legos). Otherwise both of my kids wanted to bolt out of school the minute the bell rang.

I'm not a huge fan of after-school programs, but do acknowledge they serve a valuable purpose when there is no good alternative.

Personally I think it's good for kids to have some quiet and free time at home.

JMO.

My daughter loves her after school program. She is irritated when I pick her up instead of letting her go!

It depends on the child. Both my girls hate going there, they need their down time after school in a quiet place. Their best friends both love going there, but both those girls are more outgoing and wilder and thrive in the busy social "zoo" that is the after school program. For us it is in a large gym with some side rooms, so most kids play sports in the gym or some do some crafts or sit-down stuff (handheld games) in the side rooms. But I hear it is always noisy, and after a 6 hour day in school my kids need to come home to a quiet house. I would let her try it and see if she likes it. My girls DID like the after school clubs that only meet once a week for about 8 weeks in middle school, like the gardening club and the dance-dance-revolution club.

My neice (age 9) liked certain DAYS of the after school program. On Wednesdays, her teacher would allow her to help her grade papers, and my neice liked that. So on those days, she'd ask to NOT get picked up early. So I think it depends on the program and on the kid.
(btw - after reading Leigh's answer: My neice is in an afterschool day-care type of program. I think they play games, have homework time, a snack. I'm not sure. But I know they don't do chess club or karate or anything).

Yes! My oldest is about to enter 1st grade and my youngest pre-K. I have been a SAHM for the past 6 years and am contemplating returning to work this fall. When I spoke with my girls about it and told them that they would have to go to after-care, they were very excited because they would be with friends there. It did put me at ease about it - but it remains to be seen how it will turn out...

My son loves after school taekwondo.
His friends are there and he has a chance to get some homework done before he gets home.
I can't tell you how much easier that makes the evenings go!
Once the work is done, we can relax and enjoy some fun.

One of my 3 that have been in school wanted to go. But she homeschooled until middle school. So it was totally about friends. Only she used it as a chance to sneak out and meet boys and we had to stop letting her go. I wasn't even working at the time. She kept telling me she needed the help with homework and she liked the games they played and her friends. Hmmm...

My nephew likes it a lot. He's a popular kid and loves hamming it up a bit with his friends. At his afterschool care, they have a snack and playtime (the boys usually do basketball or "hockey" on the pavement, then they have time for homework (with assistance if needed), and my brother pays a little extra for my nephew to do the Spanish classes that aren't provided during school hours (elementary school) but are an option afterschool. By the time Spanish is over, they are there to pick him up. He really does love it.
As another mom said, this is NOT the same thing as after school "clubs" as you mentioned in your post. In middle school I was in student council, beta, track, volleyball, basketball, and softball---those were seasonal sports and once a week (or 2?) club meetings. In highschool I was in Spanish club, yearbook, FCA, softball, soccer, track, and the debate team. Again, obviously not childcare but I would have flipped out if I wasn't able to be involved in my interests, especially my softball and soccer. Of course I loved it. These days there are "camps" that can pick children up at school. In Texas, I know my son's gymnastics school (among other things: cheer camps, band camp, etc) would send a bus to the elementary and middle schools to pick up children that were enrolled in that, and provided programs for the after-school crowd whose parents weren't back from work that early. I think that would be awesome as a childcare alternative if needed (and the child had a say in something he/she was interested in).
All in all, it depends on the child's personality, temperment, and individual interests whether they'll like something or not.

I had to leave my daughter in aftercare for 2 years and she hated it. This past year, she was in school an hour later so I was able to pick her up everyday right when school let out. Guess what? She wanted to go to aftercare:-)
I think it depends on the aftercare program (do they have activities or is basically just a babysitting service), the child and if any of their friends are attending.
Between homework and other activities, I really didn't have the time (or need) to put her back in aftercare, so I didn't. It's another one of those things that there is no one "right" decision, just what is right for your child.

My older daughter loved it

Yes, kids love it because they get their snack, get the homework over with along with the other kids and "Get to" play with their school friends.. And not just 1 but lots of them..

If they go home.. they do homework alone, they may not have neighbors to play with .. It gets dark earlier so families tend to get home and stay more inside till bed..

It depends on the child.. But I know our elementary after school program was always full and the neighborhood Gymnastics Club was also always full of the kids.. They had an indoor pool too..

My boy is only 6 and school offers after school care. I would only use it when I knew I wasn't going to make it to school on time, so maybe twice in 2 years. Towards the end of the school year he asked me a couple of times to go to after school care because a, b or c were going and had some gaming device they were only allowed to play after school. Being we have to pay $20 for this service if it is used, I told him no! Yes, he was disappointed. The school also offers after school clubs a couple of days a week. He didn't want to go at first, but a couple of the clubs he started to like. They change the clubs each term so I thought it was a good way to meet kids not in his class and learn a little extra. I don't think I'll be sending him back because to me the parents were using it as a "babysitting alternative" and there wasn't much learning or fun involved. Another reason is - by the time I picked him up at 5pm, got home through the traffic (only 25mins) I had to be super organized to have dinner ready, do any homework - nightly spelling and reading, practice piano, bath and do our own story reading, that it was just too much for him and me - I was feeling like a drill sargent! I have a 2 year old too.
In short - he was disappointed at not being able to go, but on the other hand he likes not being "marched" from one thing to another at home. He does enjoy the downtime and just being able to do his own thing at home - including a bit of games and tv! With the warmer days we could go swimming or the park after school. If I left him in school till 5pm everyday we'd never get any "family time" together - which is important too. Being they start school at 8.20am and wouldn't leave till 5pm or 6pm? That's a long day for young kids!

I stay at home and pick my kids up from school everyday. My daughter is always asking to go to the after school program at her school. I haven't let her go yet. I tell her there is no reason for her to go since I am home. I promised her at the end of this past school year that she could go a few times this upcoming school year.

When I was working at an elementary school, the kids would BEG their mothers to go to the afterschool program. They get snacks, do their homework with their classmates and a "cool" adult and play games when they are finished!

My daughter (3/4 at the time) liked after school care from her pre-school. She liked being able to go out to the playground again and color and just hang with friends. She hated the am daycare before school started since she had to be with the young kids and couldn't do 'big kid' things.
Talk with other parents of after school kids. They can tell you what they and their kids think of it. I suggest that since I ended up taking my daughter to a ballet class on Sat since the one offered during school I heard had a bad teacher. Never know what you'll hear until ya ask! Good luck.

My kids love their afterschool program. They get mad when I do have to pick them up afterschool.

my niece actually told her mom not to get her early because she enjoys it so much...my kids are used to me picking them up. they would hate to stay after. however, they want to be homeschooled now. that will come a little later, but not now. if i was a little late picking up my son, he would get upset. but if it's what a kid is used to and that's all they know. of course they will like it if it's a good quality after school care.

Good question... I wonder about this too and think it may depend on the child. My oldest begs to go. I let her go after K some bc it was a very short day and her bff was going. 1st grade was a longer day and she still begged to go sometimes. I'm not home though - our nanny is home after school. Maybe if I was the one home it'd make a difference though likely not as she's all about her friends. My youngest is more of a homebody and not nearly as social as my oldest so I dont' think she wants to go. Our next door neighbors children both go 5 days a week and apparently like it though the times I've picked them up, the daughter is thrilled to leave early with me. Finally, my friend said when she picks up her daughter, the friends often beg to leave with her. So it seems a mixed bag. I bet it depends on how long it is, how often, whether there are other kids to play with in the neighborhood at home, and what kind of kid the child is - super social or quiet... Curious to read other answers though bc I wonder about this too.

My kids go to aftercare because I have to work. There have been times that I have been able to get out of work early, so I will pick them up early and have occassionally been greeted with "Mom, why did you pick me up so early?" So of course, that tells me they were having fun and did not want to stop what they were doing.