What if you have a morning child who gets afternoon kindy?

[girlsmamma2]

Ok, ladies. I need help getting my mind around how I schedule next year. My oldest is going to kindergarten next year and just got afternoon kindy. ALL of her girlfriends from her preschool class got AM (and unfortunately we cannot change since we are opting into this particular school on an open enrollment basis so we are fortunate to get in in the first place). But I will have her sister going to the same school on T/TH for preschool in the morning. So on two days of the week, I have one going in the morning, have to find a place to hang out and have lunch for 45 minutes until I take my oldest to kindy. I also will have 15 month old.

So, we are all kind of morning people, like getting up and getting moving and doing our day. I swear I've been trying for three days to figure out how our day will flow and I worry about doing things before like errands or library that will tire her out.

How did those of you whose first pick WASN'T afternoon handle your child and day so as not to wear them out? Her siblings can be early risers too so that will be interesting.

Any tips?

[lauren]

We have full day k-garten, so I can't speak from personal experience. It does sound like a challenging schedule and I think you will end up getting to know the school very well next year! It sounds like you should plan for the little one to somehow get her nap in during the middle of the day transition. Stroller or baby jogger? Perhaps that 45 min. could be a good refresher for you to walk and let the baby sleep. It also sounds like you might have some quality time with both the preschool child and the k-garten child on opposite ends of the day. Just trying to look for the positives!

[mmace]

Honestly I don't think it would hurt to call the school secretary, explain that your little one will be there in the mornings and that your littlest one is sooo little and naps in the afternoons, and see if there is anything at all that can be done about switching you to mornings. It doesn't hurt to at least ask!

I had a similar schedule a couple of years ago - I had to pick up my boy from morning K five days a week at 11:00 10 minutes from my house, then drop the one I baby-sat at afternoon Preschool three days a week another fifteen minutes further away from my house at 12:30, and I had a two year old. That was such a busy year!

Hope you can somehow get it worked out so that your scedule is smoother!

[taz925]

Just plan for food and let the rest fall where it falls. I spent alot of time waiting around in cars reading while someone napped. It really does work out but it just not a really fun year. We sometimes did picnics or did takeout or went to different places to eat so we were not driving all the time and rushing about. We were lucky to have a shopping center right across the street to get pizza or bagels.

I also suggest you explain your situation and see if you can get into mornings, maybe another mother had the opposite issue and would switch. It does not hurt anything to ask.

Doreen

[girlsmamma2]

thanks so much for your replies! I think I'll go in there today and ask. And on top of that, 5 of her preschool classmates are in one particular morning session. She is in the afternoon because we are out of district for this school and they are in. We got in through a lottery so they consider us lucky to be there, kwim? I honestly don't think I have any shot at morning. But I was thinking of having picnics when the weather is nice, we have a pizza place near but it entails getting everyone out and in and out and in. I guess we'll just have a picnic in the car while we are talking about what my 3 yo did that day. naps aren't too much of an issue for us, my 11 mo and 2.5 yo mostly take their naps in the car anyways since we are usually on the go.

The waiting will definately be a pain and going back and forth, but mainly I'm worried about not doing too much or too many errands in the morning so I can't wear her out, so she can make it through the day. I will think of the positives though, that's good advice. I know at our home school we probably would have gotten AM, but this is the school she's gone to preschool in and she is most comfortable in, so it was a hard choice. It's hard to know what to do in these cases. I'm sure she'll get used to the routine it's just getting home at 3:45 seems sooo late. But it's what we have so I have to figure out how to make it work!

thanks again!