Half or full day school at 3

[Anonymous]

My 3 yo will be starting PreK3 in the fall. I have the option to pick him up at noon, or to let him stay the whole day pick him up at 3. His older sibling is in a higher grade at the same school, so I need to be there at 3 anyway. We’re also having a baby over the summer and I’m a SAHM, so I’ll have an infant in tow for pickup. DH will handle drop off. I think my 3 yo would benefit from a shorter school day, but I would also love to not have to drive to the school twice in a day and mess up baby’s nap schedule so much. What would you choose?

[Anonymous]

Leave him there. That's naptime and he will be fine sleeping at school. Going twice with a newborn and then managing naptime at home will be a nightmare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Leave him there. That's naptime and he will be fine sleeping at school. Going twice with a newborn and then managing naptime at home will be a nightmare.

+1

[Anonymous]

I’d start by leaving him and see how he naps. If he naps well, I’d leave him. If he naps poorly (and still needs a nap) I’d bring him home IF it was manageable.

The hardest part of PK for my first was that he needed a nap and couldn’t sleep at PK. If I’d been able to avoid that, I would have. Poor thing was exhausted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d start by leaving him and see how he naps. If he naps well, I’d leave him. If he naps poorly (and still needs a nap) I’d bring him home IF it was manageable.

The hardest part of PK for my first was that he needed a nap and couldn’t sleep at PK. If I’d been able to avoid that, I would have. Poor thing was exhausted.

OP. This is my concern as well! My oldest started full day at 3 and never once took a nap at school. Afternoons were tough. Trying to weigh whether an overtired toddler is harder than doing two pickups.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d start by leaving him and see how he naps. If he naps well, I’d leave him. If he naps poorly (and still needs a nap) I’d bring him home IF it was manageable.

The hardest part of PK for my first was that he needed a nap and couldn’t sleep at PK. If I’d been able to avoid that, I would have. Poor thing was exhausted.

OP. This is my concern as well! My oldest started full day at 3 and never once took a nap at school. Afternoons were tough. Trying to weigh whether an overtired toddler is harder than doing two pickups.

Leave the kid for the full day. It will get him prepared for full time K and the pickup logistics are much easier to handle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d start by leaving him and see how he naps. If he naps well, I’d leave him. If he naps poorly (and still needs a nap) I’d bring him home IF it was manageable.

The hardest part of PK for my first was that he needed a nap and couldn’t sleep at PK. If I’d been able to avoid that, I would have. Poor thing was exhausted.

This. He'll be bored at home with a newborn all day. And you'll get more rest.

If he gets overtired you can always give him a day off from school.

[Anonymous]

Hopefully your child will drop the nap by fall. Mine did around the time she turned 3. We started her in half day preschool (9-1) when she was 3.5. A month later, our work situation changed and we had to keep her at school until 3pm. She did just fine with the longer day. Can you ease your child in by starting with a shorter day and transitioning to full day? Even if not, I think 6 hours is fine. Most kids are in daycare 9 or 10 hours a day!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Leave him there. That's naptime and he will be fine sleeping at school. Going twice with a newborn and then managing naptime at home will be a nightmare.

3 year olds don't need a nap. He needs to go to bed at 7pm, not 9. Do half day next year.

[Anonymous]

Half. Nap at home

[Anonymous]

Former preschool teacher who taught half a day and whose kids went half a day….

Do the full day! If you didn’t have the infant my answer might have changed, but one pickup and preserving naps (and your sanity!!) is so so important.

[Anonymous]

Full day! Two pick ups at the same school is insanity. 3pm is barely a “full day” anyway. One of the best things about being a SAHM is being able to do a very early bedtime in the preschool years. If he doesn’t nap at school, you can move bedtime up. And you can always pick him up early if something comes up.

[Anonymous]

Half day. Why should a 3 year old go full day to be “prepared for kindergarten”? Let him be a 3 year old. Your baby won’t take one long nap until he’s almost a year old, anyway. How far away do you live from the school? My kids did half-day preschool, so I did pickup at 12:15 and 3:15. I felt a slower schedule, and time at home with me, was more important than one pickup.

[Anonymous]

At 3 yrs old, more time at home is necessary. This is so important.

[Anonymous]

Full day! You and DC will both be happier. Most three year olds love school. Mine thrived in a full day program at that age.