afternoon preschool

[Cumberland]

My girls just got off the waiting list at one preschool, after not getting in to another after being on the list since NOVEMBER. This kind of stuff really doesnt happen down here in Georgia. Anyways, they got the afternoon preschool. Afternoon preschool does not exist in Georgia and I am trying to figure this one out.

Has anyone had their kids in afternoon preschool? When do they nap? One takes an afternoon nap, and the older one has restarted the enforced rest time in the afternoon. I feel like afternoon school would really not be in sync with us. I used to go in to work in the afternoons and i always felt like i couldnt get anything done in the AM bc there wasnt enough time before I had to get ready for work.

[peggyfromwastate]

Re: afternoon preschool

I haven't done it, but I think for afternoon preschool you don't have a nap. You (mom) get the "easy" time of the morning, a more relaxed schedule then, and when the preschooler is getting restless, it's off to preschool to let the teachers deal with it there. We do have an afternoon preschool option here, and I would have done it had it been the only thing available, but I understand your concern. It just depends on how attached to nap time your kiddo is, really. Plus I'm guessing it's only 2 or 3 days a week? That makes it easier.

A benefit to afternoon preschool: the stores, and mall, are already open. For the morning shift, they don't open until about 1 hour into it, not leaving much time to get shopping done.

Re: afternoon preschool

I did it (by choice - I am NOT a morning person). Either they don't get a nap, or they take a late, but shorter nap.

Re: afternoon preschool

A friend here did an afternoon preschool for her non-napping daughter. One downside was that her daughter was in preschool while we had the afternoons free. But if you have friends (or she has friends ) in the afternoon preschool it might not be so bad. Do they have a morning option that is full? If you take the afternoon slot would you be a higher priority to move into an am spot if one opens?

[houseelf]

Re: afternoon preschool

I agree that how well your DD does without a nap is the pivotal question.

Nonetheless, I have heard that afternoon programs have small class sizes.

Kelly

[Flynn]

Re: afternoon preschool

We do afternoon pre-school for DS. He's three and hasn't needed a nap since he was two and a half. Sometimes he takes one since he only goes two days a week this year but it's anything but "needed."

I love afternoon pre-school for younger kids who don't nap anyway. The afternoon is always harder to fill for me with fun/educational stuff than the morning. He has FUN and gets to be without his sister (his best bud) and I get time with both of them alone since the older kids have a.m. school (DD). Some of my friends think I'm nuts because my kids are never at school at the same time and won't be until first grade...but it works for us.

It was a bit of a transition in the beginning. DS was pretty tired at first -- but it's all worked out and he goes from 12-2:30 twice a week. His bedtime on days he goes to school is NEVER past 7:30 -- he's TIRED! Next year he'll have the same schedule just three days a week, then when he's pre-K, he'll go in the morning four days a week. I think it's important for the pre-K kids do do morning pre-school because it sets a precident for the following year when Kindergarten is every day and 98% of the time it's in the morning -- but that's my personal bias.



ETA: An aside on Kelly's thought about smaller classes -- before Christmas break DS had 4 kids in his class including him, after Xmas it's up to a whopping 7. It's the perfect first time school experience for him.

[diggitydot]

Re: afternoon preschool

DS was in afternoon preschool, too. Even though he still took naps until he began preschool, he did just fine without them. He was just a little sleepier in the evenings and a couple times fell asleep before dinner. But in all, he did just fine and had a blast.