School finishes at 1 p.m… so what happens next?

When you move to Greece with children, one aspect of everyday life can come as a surprise: school finishes early.

Depending on the school, the child’s age and the school schedule, the day may finish around 1 p.m., 2 p.m. or 3 p.m.

For families coming from other European countries, the difference can be significant. In France, for example, a primary school day can continue until 4:30 p.m.

On paper, finishing school early might sound rather nice.

But in the real life of working parents, another question quickly comes up: how do you make it work?

1 p.m.: your child has finished. You probably haven’t.

And that may be the real issue.

You need to be able to leave work or interrupt your working day, pick up your child, organise lunch depending on the schedule… and then think about the whole afternoon ahead.

When both parents work, the equation becomes even more complicated.

Who picks up the children?

Who can actually be available at 1:30 p.m.?

What happens between the end of school and 5 or 6 p.m.?

And most importantly: how do you balance your child’s schedule with your working life?

For expat families discovering this rhythm for the first time, it can take some real adjustment.

But ultimately, whether you are an expat or not, the question is much the same when the adults in the family are working.

So, what do children do in the afternoon?

Sports, language classes, music, grandparents, a babysitter, time at home, playing, homework, going out…

Every family finds its own balance.

And these long afternoons can also be a wonderful opportunity.

Because once the practical side is sorted out, this time can become much more than just a few hours that need to be “filled”.

It can give children the opportunity to play, create, spend time with other children, take part in activities, discover, experiment and learn in a different way.

Perhaps that is the real challenge:

finding an organisation that works for parents while making this time genuinely meaningful for children.

How does it work in your family?

This is a question we are particularly interested in at Micro Cosmos, because it was one of the reflections that shaped our project from the very beginning.

So we would love to hear from you.

What time do your children finish school in Chania?

And, most importantly…

How do you organise the rest of the afternoon when you are working?

Family? Activities? Babysitter? After-school programmes? Sharing pick-ups between parents? Working from home?

What works well for your family? And what is still difficult to manage?

We would genuinely love to hear about your experience.

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Looking for meaningful ways to fill your child’s afternoons? Discover Micro Cosmos activities and workshops, where after-school time becomes a time to play, explore and experience.