My kids attend a part-time preschool and it's because we don't need full time childcare. From what I can tell of their peers, pretty much all the kids have at least one of the following: 1) a stay at home or very part time working parent; 2) a full time nanny; 3) a very active grandparent who provides the rest of needed childcare.

Anonymous wrote:Working parents who use those programs have a nanny or au pair or family member providing care.

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My SAH sister has her kids in a half-day program. I WOH and my kids go to daycare.

We have a full time nanny.

I am a SAHM so my child goes to a 9-12 program. It is all SAHMs or a few grandparents pick up kids.

We have our child at a daycare that is open for the full day, but offers half day (9-12) and school day (9-3) options. I was surprised that several families use these schedules. I don't think any of them have SAHPs. One of them I know has grandparents do pickup at 12 (the grandparents live in walking distance). One I think takes advantage of WFH and finishes up their work in the evening.

A neighbor with a flexible job picked her kids up from half day preschool on her lunch break and took them to an at-home daycare for the rest of the day.

These programs are not childcare. They are for socialization. You still need childcare - either a relative or a paid caregiver. My daughter went to a part time prek program that was Tuesday-Thursday from 12-3. My husband worked from 6a-3p and I worked from 12-5 on those days only. If I'd needed to work full days and full weeks, it wouldn't have worked at all. As it was, we were stressed out all the time. It would've been easier for me to not work at all and not have to factor that into the equation.

we have our son in a 9-230 program, dont know if that counts as half day. my DH work 530-2 and i work 915-545

this works best for our son as he gets more outdoor and activity time.

There is no way we could make that work without a nanny too, which we aren't paying for. We enroll in a daycare that has a PK room, and the hours work for us - 7:45-6:15.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those programs are for kids with stay at home parents or nannies.

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+ 2

Working parents don't typically pick preschools that are half day only.

Anonymous wrote:Those programs are for kids with stay at home parents or nannies.

+1

Working parents who use those programs have a nanny or au pair or family member providing care.

Those programs are for kids with stay at home parents or nannies.

Hello! I just wanted to get advice from folks who make the juggle work -- if there is no stay at home parent, how do you logistically handle preschools that are half day only programs? What do you do during the summer when programs close? Do most people have part-time nannies in addition? For example, was looking at the 2 yr old program at Mclean Country Day school, which is just a half day. Do parents who work hire a nanny who picks up the 2 year old and watches them the rest of the day? How do you make it work during summer, do you sort of stitch together camps or do you have a full time nanny? Thanks!!