Help Me Decide - AM or PM Pre-K next fall

[sarahmae1]

I need help deciding if I should send my ds (4yrs.) to AM or PM pre-k next year! Right now he goes to preschool on Tues. and Thurs. afternoons from 12:30 - 2:30pm. Next year we have a choice of sending him either in the morning (8:30-11:00am) or in the afternoon (12:30-3:00pm) both would be MWF.

We are not morning people, but eventually we will have to be getting him up for school in the mornings. Right now we normally don't get out of bed until 8:30 - 9am or so, and aren't really 'ready' until after 10am. So it seems like afternoons might work better for us currently.

However, I'm thinking that it might work better for ds2 to have his nap(s) if we do the morning class. It might also help get us on more of a routine to our day, rather than the go w/ the flow type days we have now. None of us like getting up early though, and we all tend to stay up kind of late at night so that would have to change as well if we did mornings.

We only have 1 car also, so on days when we need the car before Noon we all have to get up and drive DH to work. On days when we don't need the car until after Noon DH can almost always come home at lunch time and we can bring him back to work and have the car then. We may or may not have a 2nd car by next fall, but most likely not.

What do you think? WWYD?

[AngelBee]

Afternoons!!!

I had the same dilema last year. I put dd in AM and ds in PM.

She is late almost every class!

[sarahmae1]

Anyone else? I wanted to post this as a poll but couldn't figure out how.

[KermitMissesJim]

My friend who is a K assistant said the afternoon class learns more. They've had time to play and be at home before coming to school, and are ready to settle down.

[LiamnEmma]

I'd go with pm if I were you. I'm a morning person, but that's me. You'll now have this additional year to start working toward the earlier morning wake up for first grade. Plus it's possible that ds will be tired from school and homework and will go to bed a tad earlier anyway, kwim? But with your current lifestyle and preferences, I'd go with the one more year of leisurely mornings and savor it!

[chel]

I'm not a BTDT but my dd will be doing 1/2 day K next year. It's based on neighborhoods so I don't have a choice. Things I've thought of were with afternoons hopefully the roads won't be as snowy-icy (I'm moving from the southeast to the midwest so I have alot of concerns about the weather). We also wake late (8-9) so while afternoon K would be easier to make, I'm afraid we would never have time for erands or fun activites as we would wake late, have enough time to get ready for school but not much else and then by the time afternoon school dc has had a full day and is tired, cranky and soon it's time to get ready for dinner. It's colder in the mornings so while afternoon school would be easier to drive to, it doesn't leave that much warmth or sunshine in the winter to do much else before or after school.
After reading all this it seems I'm in favor of mornings as my family might be more productive. In the op case though I wouldn't want to deal with taking my DH to work (I don't know the time envolved though).
best of luck

[lauren]

Sarah, just wanted to tell you that when you start a new thread, scroll down under "additional options" and you will see where it says "post a poll with this thread." Hope that's helpful.

To me, it sounds like your heart is leaning toward afternoon pre-K. If you enjoy the mornings with your child, go with it. You don't need to practice getting up for a whole year to get ready for K. A week or two will do the trick!

[sarahmae1]

Thanks for your responses. I tried checking the little box that said to make a poll but no options showed up or anything?

I AM leaning more towards the afternoon class, EXCEPT for I am worried about my ds2 nap time. He really needs a lot of sleep, but I am assuming that by next fall he will be only taking 1 nap per day. I am concerned that a nap from 12:45-2:45pm will not be long enough for him and then he will be cranky. That is one of my biggest reasons why I can't decide. If we did the morning class, ds2 could nap as long as he wanted in the afternoons.

[CarrieMF]

Here when they are 3 they go to mornings and when they are 4 they go to afternoons. Naps aren't an issue for us as my kids stop napping at 18months or earlier.

[lauren]

hey sarah, I just tried it--see my nonsense thread 'test poll.' You have to submit the thread before it will ask you to fill in the info for a poll. Try again if you'd like!

[Irishmommy]

Mornings!! I much prefer them both for the child and the mom! And I've had kids in both.

[Soxfan Mom]

It's got to be bad karma to contradict an IrishMommy the week of St. Patrick's Day, but I have to go with the opposite nonetheless. Teachers at two separate nursery schools have told me the afternoon classes are their favorites. The children are more awake and cooperative and generally in better moods, so they say.

I think my daughter is going to be in AM K next fall, which will be a shock to my system.

[TiredX2]

I AM leaning more towards the afternoon class, EXCEPT for I am worried about my ds2 nap time. He really needs a lot of sleep, but I am assuming that by next fall he will be only taking 1 nap per day. I am concerned that a nap from 12:45-2:45pm will not be long enough for him and then he will be cranky. That is one of my biggest reasons why I can't decide. If we did the morning class, ds2 could nap as long as he wanted in the afternoons.

Does DS2 fall asleep in the car? If so, there would be a good chance he could fall asleep on the way home (so around 12:35) then sleep THROUGH preschool and not wake up til 3pm. Do your kids take really long naps or would that be enough do you think?

I don't like pushing the "rush" earlier than needs be. This year DD has been taking classes in the morning (9, 9:30, 10:15) and we all love days w/out class so we can sleep in, cuddle, read in bed, etc...

[sarahmae1]

Thanks everyone for your responses.

Originally Posted by TiredX2

Does DS2 fall asleep in the car? If so, there would be a good chance he could fall asleep on the way home (so around 12:35) then sleep THROUGH preschool and not wake up til 3pm. Do your kids take really long naps or would that be enough do you think?

My baby doesn't normally fall asleep in the car like DS1 did. He wouldn't be able to sleep all the way until 3pm either because I would have to get him up at 2:45pm to go and pick DS1 up from preschool. (When I pick him up off the bed he would wake up as well.) Right now he does sleep a lot and take long naps compared to DS1 at this age, so that makes me think that it wouldn't be enough for him.


Anyway, we decided to go with afternoon pre-k for next year because I think it will just be easier on all of us, to not have to wake up early and rush and all of that in the mornings (at least until we have to). I am still concerned about the baby's naps, but I just hope that everything will work out. Thanks again.

[Kirsten]

Just saw this and see that you have decided but thought I'd put my thirteen cents in anyway...

Definitely afternoons!!!!
You are not morning people.
You'd have to take dh to work (which means EVERYONE up, cleaned, dressed, fed)
Your leisurely mornings would be gone - and why not keep those as long as you can?
You already have the afternoon school schedule.
Baby may adjust and fall asleep in the car - or take two shorter naps. My baby falls asleep in the car when we take dd2 to preschool. When she was smaller, I could transfer her and she'd still nap inside. Now she doesn't transfer as well but will sleep for a long time in the car so I bring bills to pay or birthday cards to write or even just a good book.

Good luck with next year - it will work out fine.