Here's the Tiny Empress snacking away on her Valentine's Day lunch at Pre-school. Which is what I need some help with (pre-school, not lunch) from those of you out there who have done this, or are doing it now.
The time has come for us to pre-register for pre-school next year which has left Jeff & I with something of a dilemma: 5 half-days or 3 full days?? Currently, Ten goes 3 half-days...but next year we start gearing up for Kindergarten...so which will do her (and me) more good?
Factors to consider:
Cost The difference in cost between 3 full & 5 half is only $10 so cost is not really a consideration - except that it obviously costs more per hour for a half day than a full.
Academics According to her teacher, academically 5 half is better, because there is only 1 session (everyone starts in the morning, no one starts in the afternoon) the academics are all in the morning- after nap it's more art, story time, and play- not that there isn't educational value in that too.
Stamina Public school Kindergarten is usually a half-day. Private school Kindergarten is usually a full day. If she stays at this school for Kindergarten, she has the option of 5 days at 5.5 hours or 10 hours. Will she build enough stamina and gain enough focus from 3 full days to transition into 5 days of harder work?
Time The full day option is really meant for parents who hold a full-time job- it provides roughly 12 hours of child-care. We'd never use the 12 hrs. The earliest I'd take her is 8, and I'd probably pick her up by 4 (unless I was working). We can extend her 1/2 day...for $6 an hour...but that adds up very quickly- for an extra 3 hours daily you'd end up paying more than if you put her in full time!
Mom If I get Ten to school on time and I pick her up right at time I net about 3 hours of personal time per school day. This is enough time to maybe do some errands or housework or go to the gym or sneak in a nap if I'm sick or breakfast with a friend/get facial/shop for self. I can't go far, and I can't work. 5 half days would allow me to spread the necessary things out so I could work in a little more me time- but I still couldn't go anywhere far or work....and I still have Ten at home every afternoon. 3 full days would let me hold either a 2nd part-time job, work lunch shifts at El Torito or do office temp work...but I still have 2 full days at home with Ten.
This is a tough decision. I see merit for both options, and both will force Ten to adapt to a different schedule and learn to be independent. Both benefit me too- just in different ways. Any comments or advice from those who have done it or are doing this now will be a huge help!!
6 comments:
I know my child wasn't ready for full days--even in Kindergarten.
Go by your daughter's personality- will she be okay with all day? Or will she melt? My daughter melted.
I'd opt for 5 half days since that will get the routine of being somewhere every day of the week.
It's a tough call- just trust yourself.
at my daughter's pre-school, all of the teaching is in the morning. the afternoon is just nap and play time. so if your pre-school is the same, tenley would get a lot more out of 5 half days.
I'm an occasional lurker who couldn't resist commenting on this topic. I would go with five half days; I wouldn't want to miss out on two days of the morning's academics. My daughter's preschool also offered something called Adventure Afternoon which went until 2:30, so two days a week she stayed until 2:30 to eat lunch, learn a bit more, play, and build her stamina. Maybe you have something similar, or she could go to an afternoon gymnastics, music, etc. class to extend her day. We have full day kindergarten, and the transition was an easy one both for my daughter who is now in kindergarten and her older sister.
As a lurker but also a preschool teacher - the main thing here is what are the academics??? Will she learn the same thing in 3 full days as she will in 5 1/2 days??? Our school is only a 3 day program and we are 9 to 2. Yes they still take naps but even in kindegarten they still take naps. The important thing is if you are thinking about private school is to check and see what their requirements are for her to start, then check you preschool to see if she will learn what she needs. As a preschool teacher - if you have the option let her stay home a few days - let them be a child as long as possible. Once they start a 5 day program then its over they are in a 5 day program till they graduate high school. Our K4 class learns what they need for public and private schools. To enter a private school they have to test and we have yet to have a child not get in a school that they have chosen.
From the mother point of view, I would rather 3 full days and keep a couple of mornings for play dates and just fun time in the mornings around the house.
Good Luck with your decision!!
aaah, Michelle...now the real "fun" begins...sort of....
the Preschool that Catie went to and Meigan is finishing at, was a MWF program from 9-11:45 when they were 3, and when they are 4, they can go from 9-1 on Mondays, 9-2:30 on Wed. with an afterschool program and Friday is 9-12, no after program.
2 1/2hrs. is NEVEr enough time...I'd barely go to the gym, shower, maybe do an errand and pick up...
when Catie went to kindergarten, it was either a morning or afternoon program and that was a bit over 3hrs. too...
Meig starts Kindergarten in August...how nuts is that??!! and she'll go hopefully in the afternoon from 11:50am-3:05pm...
we have friends whose kids went from our preschool into a 8am-2pm kinder program...it was rough at first for them...but they got used to it..
amazingly so, the kids seem to adapt to thses schedules...
do what feels right for you!!!!
Kristin
Catie & Meigan's Mom
go for the 5 half days- we are doing that now and i think it will get the boy ready for everyday school faster- kindergarten is full day here (florida) and NO NAPS- not even a rest period- it is all academics- with a 20 min recess......and it is public school.....times are changing!
Meg
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