nursery/pre-k frustrations

I have some friends who mentioned that they are registering their kids for the local nursery school next year, but it's 3 days per week from 830-12pm. I work full time and DD goes to daycare currently. Aside from hiring an in-home sitter (which is way more $$$), I can't do this nursery school set-up for next year when DD is 3. I feel guilty abt it because I know the school setting could be really good for DD, but i just can't work my schedule around it.

I spoke to dh about it, and we just agreed that it's not too big of a deal and we will just enroll her in pre-k the following year. So i started researching my local school district's pre-k info, and it's the same scenario as the nursery school basically. It's only like 2 hours out of the day and I would run into the exact same problem... I just don't want DD's first experience with school to be when she is heading into kindergarten. I feel like she needs to experience pre-k before jumping right into the full day kindergarten set-up.

Have any of you dealt with this same issue with your kids? how did you handle it?

Re: nursery/pre-k frustrations

My dd did pre k at her daycare. It was however many hours of pre k instruction and curriculum and then the rest of the day was daycare. She was there from 8 am to 6 pm just like she had been since 8 weeks old.
Universal pre k through the district is not for working parents unfortunately .
Does your daycare offer a pre k program?

Message edited 10/24/2018 10:20:23 PM.

nursery/pre-k frustrations

I think all working parents deal with this. I have UPK in my district and I'll never use it. My DD goes to preschool at her daycare.

I do know some Catholic schools offer before and after care for preschool.

Re: nursery/pre-k frustrations

I would look for a nursery school that offers before and after care.

nursery/pre-k frustrations

Does her daycare do nursery/ pre-k. We will be sending my twins next year to pre-k I work on tuesdays and Wednesday’s and I want them to do the Tuesday/ Thursday program so on tuesdays their sitter will be dropping them/ picking them up unless something changes. I just think of all the money I will have when they start kindergarten!!

nursery/pre-k frustrations

The pre school and prek through our daycare is absolutely amazing. Does your daycare have that option? If not I would find one that does.

Re: nursery/pre-k frustrations

nursery/pre-k frustrations

theres no full day option at either? our nursery program had a full time and part time option. UPK should also be full time. Did you try all the schools in the area?

Re: nursery/pre-k frustrations

The pre-k program in my district is the worst...it is 1.5 hours per day, 2 days a week from Feb through May!
We enrolled the kids in a pre-k program at a local daycare. They learned (are learning - ds is still in pre-k) more than what the district program offered.

Definitely check out local daycare/pre-k programs instead and don't worry about missing out on the school program if you cannot swing it. My district said that only half of the kindergartners attend their pre-k program so you are not alone

Re: nursery/pre-k frustrations

nursery/pre-k frustrations

Even full time pre-k is hard for working parents (just like school) unless there is before and after care.

I agree about finding a daycare. They’re also open through school breaks. I think OP is a teacher but you would have the option of sending her when you need to do things.

Re: nursery/pre-k frustrations

DS did the pre-k at his daycare and he learned SO MUCH. His pre-k was essentially run like school - he had learning all morning and homework once or twice a week at night. He's in Kindergarten now and the children who came out of his daycare are all in the advanced reading groups, etc. DD will be in the same program.

You don't have to send your child to a special nursery or pre-k. I actually think the children coming out of full-day pre-k, like from a daycare, are more prepared for school.

nursery/pre-k frustrations

I would look around for other school programs. The pre-school my grandkids go to is at a parochial school and has full and half day programs, either 2,3,or 5 days a week. They also have before and after care available. The district they are in does not offer UPK. The 4 year old goes 3 full days (I watch her the other days) but 3/4 of the kids go 5 days.

Re: nursery/pre-k frustrations

Yes it’s super annoying. Traditional Nursery/preK schools, and even up through elementary schools, definitely are not convenient for households in which both parents work & don’t have a grandparent on hand for daily pick ups and drop offs. You definitely need one that has extended hours. My son’s pre k was 9:10-3:30, but I paid a ridiculous amount for two additional hours each day because I didn’t have anyone to drop him off at 9. My son’s elementary school is 8-2:30, but again I pay an insane amount for him to take a bus to my younger kids’ daycare so my husband can pick up all the kids there later in the afternoon, because due to working we can’t get him at 2:30. You have to find a school that either buses to a daycare for extended hours, or go to pre K at the daycare itself. My kids’ daycare runs the day very much like “school” anyway even from a very young age. Extremely annoying to have to pay so much for extra hours ... we get punished for working... but what can you do.

nursery/pre-k frustrations

My ds is 4 and is enrolled in full day upk in my district and I pay extra for before and after care. However we are incredibly lucky with this set up.

Last year though he went to a preschool with a full day plus extended hours option. My DH would drop him off at 7 and I picked him up 4ish. It is annoying trying to figure this out. At least in my area there are several good preschools with full and extended day hours.

nursery/pre-k frustrations

DD did Pre K at her daycare also--my district doesn't have UPK and I would not even be able to use it if there was one being i work 7:30-5

Re: nursery/pre-k frustrations

nursery/pre-k frustrations

Our daycare had a curriculum and by the time DS 2 was headed into pre k they offered UPK with a full day wraparound.

nursery/pre-k frustrations

my younger DS does to a half day pre-k... but i'm also a SAHM. and sometimes the schedule doesn't even work for me!! if i want to do a doctors appointment or something-- i'm rushing to do it and get back in like 2, 2.5 hours. we don't live near family that could get him either...

I'm with everyday else--- i would bet your daycare does a pre-k class there. like once the kids get to a certain age, they do pre-k curriculum stuff in the morning while they're there, and then its a little less structured for the rest of the time they're there- and they still go there the full day while you're at work. I know most of my friend's kids did this...

nursery/pre-k frustrations

All of the chain type daycares are set up as a school setting so you don’t need the local nursery school. Unless you are in a small daycare where kids of many ages are mixed up I think you will be fine.

Re: nursery/pre-k frustrations

I just kept both my kids in the daycare they were in until kindergarten...and it wasn’t even a big chain...but once they were almost 3 they got put in the pre-k room, they both did well in K...just as well, if not better than the kids that went to the pre-k program in the actual school they go to now. I wouldn’t be too worried.

ETA...I mean think about it, how much can the kids be learning in 2 hours of pre-k anyway? And those will be the kids she is going to K with.

Message edited 10/25/2018 7:48:33 PM.

Re: nursery/pre-k frustrations

I agree with the pps that most daycares are set up so that their pre-k age is run like a pre-k program. Your child should be more than well-equipped for kindergarten. Some catholic schools have full day pre-k with after care as well, but they follow a school calendar and they are done by mid-June so you’ll need some flexibility. But the daycare program should be fine; do you know anyone in your current daycare with older siblings who went through that you can ask about their experiences?

Re: nursery/pre-k frustrations

nursery/pre-k frustrations

My kids also had nursery and pre-k in their day care. They did a great job. My son started Kindergarten this year and he is more than ready.

Re: nursery/pre-k frustrations