K was half day, now full day, and I am worried

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand these people who think their 5-year-old can't handle 6-7 hours at school. Many kids are in daycare for 10-12 hours a day from the time they're 3 months old, and they handle it just fine. Kids adjust.

It seems different to me. My 5 yo needs hours of physical activity every day (and a lot of it in the morning), and I assume little kids in daycare get outside to play for many, many hours each day. Six or seven hours of school is almost all sitting, listening, etc. Its a totally different kind of day. Also, if a child is used to a few hours of preschool in the morning (that includes a lot of outdoor free play) then all-day school is a huge adjustment. Kids in daycare may not "handle it just fine"---but its not like their parents have the option of quitting their jobs if the daycare situation isn't optimal for their particular child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Not trying to be nasty, but you based yoru decision on where to buy to buy a house on the length of the kindergarten program? That's pretty short-sighted, don't you think?

It wasn't our only factor, no. But since this decision was being made the year our child is entering K, I watched it very closely. It opened up more neighborhoods to consideration AND made it easier for us to decide to sell this year rather than next because the extra cost of the mortgage is about what we would have had to fork out for private K.

I was certainly NOT suggesting that people leave their current neighborhood just because they are unhappy with full-day vs. half-day. It just surprises me when I run across people who did NOT know this decision that affects their life was made.

Obviously the full day vs half day kindergarten thing was a huge issue for you, but most people don't care so desperately about it one way or the other. A SAHM's schedule is flexible and many working parents already have a nanny or have budgeted for before/after-school care. It is only one year of school and there isn't much evidence that full day K makes a difference education-wise for upper/middle class kids. Glad it worked out for you, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[Obviously the full day vs half day kindergarten thing was a huge issue for you, but most people don't care so desperately about it one way or the other. A SAHM's schedule is flexible and many working parents already have a nanny or have budgeted for before/after-school care. It is only one year of school and there isn't much evidence that full day K makes a difference education-wise for upper/middle class kids. Glad it worked out for you, though.

Yes, it mattered to me, but they talked about the school board's plans at the orientation in our current neighborhood school back in May. I know some people couldn't go to these since they were mid-day, but even most of the working parents in my daughter's daycare made time to attend that as it is part of the getting ready for K process.

[Anonymous]

UPDATE from OP - I met with the school nurse. Just to clarify, the school nurse actually is in charge of 5 schools, and the school health aide is there full-time. The nurse said that in K, they will at first have a rest period. I don't know for how many months. She said the same as most pp's that many children will be tired at first, and that it will be a transition. I didn't meet with the school nurse on this issue, but because my dd has food allergies and asthma, and at the meeting, we wrote up her health plan. Thanks for all the suggestions.