[reezley]

Hi, I started a thread here this past weekend about trying to decide if ds could go to a great preschool we found where the catch is that they only do full days. I'm a SAHM, and ideally I wanted 3 half-days, but this place seems great, and is so close to us (walkable!), and may have 2 full-days (9-4ish, or whenever I pick him up) to offer, including starting him off in their toddler class this summer for 2 full days a week. I received many thoughtful replies mostly warning that full days are too much for preschool. I am trying to think through this carefully so that I don't have to traumatize ds in order to figure out if he likes the full day!<br><br>
I would love to hear from more of you who have sent your kid/s to full days. The afternoon does include lunch, and naptime, and then another circle time & playtime. DS only seldom naps at home anymore. It would be good if he could get a nap at preschool, or even some downtime. He's starting to become a bit social - starting to introduce himself to people and trying to talk to our neighbor's same-age daugher. I have a 2-month-old ds and don't feel I am able to provide the stimulation and playmates DS1 needs right now.<br><br>
I should add: ds has always craved lots of input and activity, and is watching way too much tv with me at home right now b/c of baby...<br><br>
How have your experiences been with full days? Any thoughts appreciated, was able to stall the decision until tomorrow (Wed.)..... thanks!

 

[Flor]

Check the Montessori forum even if this isn't a Montessori school. There are threads on this topic because many Montessori schools require full days.<br><br>
ETA: I see that it is only 2 days a week. My ds did 4 half days at that age, and I was so worried, but he adjusted and soon was begging to stay full days which shocked me! I don't think 2 full days is much different than 2 half days. Do you have to leave him there til 4 or can you pick up at 2 or so? My ds would have been fine with 2:00.

 

[Evan&Anna's_Mom]

My child has done full day, full week preschool from age 2 1/2 or so. I am (when not unemployed like now) a WOHM, so it was preschool or daycare and she had outgrown daycare and this was a good time for her to transition to preschool.<br><br>
Lots of kids do this. Yes, its a long day. But there were 15 of 20 in her class of 2 YOs that were full days. Many, many mommies don't have the choice that you have. Kids cope with this all the time. DD has done both full and half days by now and I think she does better with full days becuase she naps at school. Her afternoon is nap, free play, snack and outside time, so its not like she's doing anything there she wouldn't be doing at home, except that lovely nap.<br><br>
Frankly, my DD gave up naps for me a long time ago but still sleeps 2 hrs. at preschool. That alone was enough for me to leave her in for full days while I am at home looking for another job. No tears, no issues, just positive "peer pressure" and instant nap.

 

[Zach'smom]

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Lots of kids do this. Yes, its a long day. But there were 15 of 20 in her class of 2 YOs that were full days. Many, many mommies don't have the choice that you have. Kids cope with this all the time.</div>
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Fortunately the OP is a SAHM and does have a choice. I'd rather not have my kid have to cope with a full day if it is not absolutely neccesary. I am also very much against full day kindergarten. But that is another story.<br><br>
What do they do in the afternoon other then lunch, nap and free play? Could you pick up DC as the other kids start lunch?

 

[reezley]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>Zach'smom</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/7944473"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">What do they do in the afternoon other then lunch, nap and free play? Could you pick up DC as the other kids start lunch?</div>
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Hm, I could probably pick him up earlier, but I'd rather not pay for full days if I'm not using them. If I decided to do half-days I'd (hopefully!) find somewhere else.

 

[Ruthla]

I sent my DS to preschool full time at 2.75 years old. It was 9-2 Monday through Thursday, and 9-12 on Fridays. I basically did it because I couldn't keep up with him- I have Fibromyalgia and he was a normal active preschooler. I simply couldn't take him to the park and other activities, in fact I couldn't even let him play in the backyard as often as he needed to, because I just physically couldn't do it

 

[Aliviasmom]

Alivia's 2 (well, 2.5 currently) and goes 5 full days to day care, but it's a structured (sp!) day care, similar to a preschool. She does pretty well.

 

[velochic]

I am SAHM and we sent 3.5 year old dd to full-time preschool.<br><br>
Qualifier: for us it was for a specific purpose FOR HER. The preschool is attached to the k-12 school we want her to attend. It's a language immersion school, so they don't teach in English. These first 2 years of preschool was for her to learn the language she'll be using in school for the next 12 years.<br><br>
So... she loved it from the get-go. She's never had a problem with it being all day, every day. She is engaged and active and loves the teachers. Just yesterday we were talking about summer break and she was almost in tears that school wouldn't be continuing during the summer, too.<br><br>
When she is home, she is glue, though. She still co-sleeps and often spends quite a lot of time on someone's lap. She thrives at home and she thrives at school. There are days she doesn't want to go, and we take that day off and spend it together. We're really relaxed about these preschool years. Several weeks ago, we just took about 3 days off from school to hang out, even though spring break was coming up. I think this attitude has kept her happy at school and at home... and she did acquire the language. I'm also involved at school.

 

[Thalia the Muse]

My daughter was in Montessori full-time shortly after her second birthday -- both my husband and I work. She thrived there, had fun, and learned a lot.<br><br>
At that age, she was napping for a big chunk of the afternoon, anyway, so it might as well be at school as at home. Sometimes my husband would get off early and pick her up, only to have her be asleep during most of the time he had hoped to spend with her!

 

[Momily]

My son was in preschool full days at that point -- I work which is why I initially chose it but he LOVED it, loved his teachers, loved his friends, loved being outside 2 or 3 hours a day, loved the little art projects.<br><br>
I never felt like he was "worn out" or "just coping". He was thriving. He got a long nap each day, and the schedule allowed for 1:1 nurturing with an adult if he needed it -- snuggled in a teacher's lap with a book or a back rub at naptime. There were also plenty of places in the classroom for him to go if he wanted a break from the other kids.<br><br>
In contrast full day Kindie -- no nap, no "downtime" no 1:1 attention was exhausting for him, and stressful, despite the fact that I cut my hours way back that year to be home whenever he wasn't in school.