Parenting Forums

Posted: 27 September 2007 at 11:05am | IP Logged

I have just phoned my local primary school to find out how to get Ellie registered and asked them about pre-school.  She said they take them from between 3 to 3 yrs 3 months depending on the waiting list and they build up to full-time.

Part of me thinks "woohoo" as I'll get a break but thinking about it properly, I don't think I want her to be full time at that age, I want to spend some time with her during the week too.  I wasn't really planning on looking for a job or going to Uni until Ellie was at school properly..this has got me all confused!

Loads of the schools around here only do mornings so I was quite surprised at this...does anyone else's kids go full time to pre-school and if so, how do you/they find it?  thanks, Greedy

Posted: 27 September 2007 at 11:30am | IP Logged

If I could get isla in full time...trust me I would.  Shes 4 now and more than ready.  But at the moment she goes every afternoon to nursery and is in the pre-school room.

Its heaven...its been tough going over the last few weeks as there has been no let up..but done some juggling and letting natasja be a bit more responsible and have loads of time now...it was..school run, home, hospital, home, lunch, nursery, home..chill for an hour, school run and nursery pick up then home....was shattered by 4pm I can tell you.

However..Natasja and her friend Alice now walk to school by themselves every morning (only allowed as long as the two of them stay together)..which has been weird as now im not running around like a looney in the morning..then its just take Isla to nursery at half one...then wait for tasja to get home at 3.45 and then go get Isla from nursery at 4.

We had a trial run day yesterday..and I was amazed at how much more energy ive got now that im not traipsing up and down. 

If I could get Isla in for longer I would as I think it would be good for her.  If I get the job I went for..once ive sussed finances Ill probably put her in for a few extra hours during the week (on days im not working lol) and do it that way.

Mind you...this chillin is only til next september and then im back to school runs again lol.

Posted: 27 September 2007 at 2:16pm | IP Logged

Joshua was in full time nursery care from being 14 months. I wanted to work, and an ideal job came up that was full time so off he went. He loved it! It was a bit hard at first, when I worked long days, but as soon as I changed to finish at 3 it was super. I would take him to nursery, go to work, pick him up and we'd have loads of afternoon time usually to bake or him help make dinner. Then at weekends I would make sure I took him out some where nice on at least one of the days. I found my time with him became much more quality time. He had friends and a social network, I had friends and a social network, he thrived at nursery and I love working, it worked both ways.

When we moved to wales I looked into the schools, and when I settled for his school they told me about their preschool club. They start it from 2years and 5 months I think they said, in the afternoons. Then the September from their 3rd birthday they go into the main school for 3 hours, and optional the preschool club for the afternoon. From the September following their 4th they then go full time in the school, with the offer of after school club should parents want it.

I think the law states that children have to attend school from their 5th birthday.

Preschool will do Ellie the world of good, and if you dont want her to go full time just yet Im sure the preschool will do it at your pace. Explain to them that you still want time at home with her, and maybe suggest she does 2 full days and 1 half day, or 3 half days or whatever you want, see how they feel to this. maybe start with 3 half days, increase the half days slowly and then after Christmas think about making some of the full days. Ive always found nurseries/preschools to be good and to accomodate the parent whereever possible!

Posted: 27 September 2007 at 5:24pm | IP Logged

our pre-sch wanted lily to start this term

ive decided against it, as im only with her 2 days a week, shes well rounded and sees other children, so i'll re-think it when she's 3. atm its not bothering me as i know where she should be for her age and im happy with her development

rolly takes her to playgrp with pre-sch children attending on mondays and she plays with the pre-schoolers, our friday playgrp has pre-schoolers seperate and shes started saying she doesnt want to go there-so we are seeing friends each friday instead-their children don't yet go to pre-sch either

its all really how you and she feels about it all greeds!

Posted: 27 September 2007 at 6:13pm | IP Logged

wow jo do they start pre-school at 2 near you then?  I thought it was 3 all over the country...how odd that it's different..I find it weird that it's different around here too, my friend's little boy goes for 2.5 hrs each day..

Ellie goes to nursery 2 days a week and I think she really benefits from it but full-time at 3 just feels too young to me and I don't want to be away from her all that time when she's little, if I don't need to be.  I will ask them about part-time when I get the form...

thanks for the replies, x

Posted: 27 September 2007 at 8:55pm | IP Logged

Our local pre-school takes children from 2 yrs old - £5 for a 2.5 hr session, the pre-school is open 5 morning and 3 afternoons a week (so a total of 8 sessions), children can attend for as many of those sessions. The morning session finishes at 11.30 and the afternoon session starts at 12.30, if I had wanted Ethan to day a full day I would have had to fetch him back at 11.30 and then take him back at 12.30 - children cannot stay over lunch break. 

Ethan started when he was 26 mths old, he attended 3 sessions a week. When he turned 3 and got the grant funding he then attended for 5 sessions - he could have gone to a nursery at the local primary school but I chose to keep him at the pre-school.  When the grant funding increased to 15 hours earlier this year he then attended for 6 sessions (mon pm, tues am, wed am & pm, thurs am and fri pm) but I had to fetch him home for lunch on the wednesday and take him back for the afternoon session. Ethan started full time school this month so he no longer attends the pre-school. 

I would have started Ellie this September at the pre-school but since February she has been attending a day nursery near where I work so I have kept her there as it suits us both better - she does 2.5 days at the nursery.