Thoughts on afternoon preschool for a 3.5 year old?

Its so annoying I have to pick days for school already for next year! It's a lottery, so I may get afternoon, just wanted to get any feedback. Right now my DS is almost 3 and naps about 4-5 days a week. The only plus I can think of for afternoon school is that my younger one will likely be still napping in the afternoon when the older one is school and I will have some time to myself Any thoughts? If your 3.5-4.5 year old goes in the afternoon do they do okay or are they overtired?

Re: Thoughts on afternoon preschool for a 3.5 year old?

I did pm program with my 1st son. (I remember having the same debate inmy head when I signed him up in advance as well). He was 3.5 when he started and it worked out prefectly for him and myself. We had time to do things in the morning. No rush to get out of the house (at that point he was a late sleeper too). He started giving up naps here and there between 2.5-3 and by 3.5 he was totally done with naps. He was never tired or had any issues. And it worked out great when my younger son moved to 1 nap because I did have time to myself in the house. My younger son napped for at least an hour while my older one was in school.

Now my younger son is in preschool and I put him in mornings and that works better for him. Only because he is an early riser and just turned 3 when he started and was still napping. Plus I have to be out early to send my older one to Kindgarten anyway. He is just under 3.5 and still naps a few times a week. But is always tired midday so no way an afternoon class would have worked for him.

Re: Thoughts on afternoon preschool for a 3.5 year old?

DD went 3 days 12:30 -3:30 starting at 3.5 years old. She wasn't a regular napper then, but she did rest for about an hour when she got home.

I personally loved the afternoon. We didn't feel rushed to get breakfast and be out the door for an AM class. They have the rest of their lives for that.

DS will be starting preschool in September and I will also be sending him in the afternoon. He will be just shy of 3.5 then.

Re: Thoughts on afternoon preschool for a 3.5 year old?

My dd stopped napping before she was 2 so that wasnt an issue for me. I chose afternoon because 1 - my dd is not a morning person and although I will have to deal with it at some point, there was no way I was getting her out the door by 8:15 if I didn't have to. 2- I work for my husband while she is at school and 12:30-3 works a lot better than 8:30-11. 3-I started babysitting and the little boy gets dropped off at about 8:15 and naptime was about 1:00 so afternoon also worked better for that. She had her days that she was really tired after school but for the most part, she handled it just fine.

Re: Thoughts on afternoon preschool for a 3.5 year old?

I wanted mornings, but it was full when I decided she'd be going to school--so we were left w/ the pm class 12:15-2:45.

In Sept. she was 38 months & still taking a 2-2 1/2 hour nap daily. Well, going 2 days a week got her out of that routine. Now she'll nap maybe 3 out of 7 days (yet she's 3.5 now).

MIL takes her/picks her up (as I'm working) & she says when she picks her up she's exhausted & over tired.

If you don't have a choice, I'm sure it'll be fine, but if you can given your DD's nap sked & such, I'd try for the am's.

Re: Thoughts on afternoon preschool for a 3.5 year old?

at 3.5 ds was no longer napping... but i always preferred AM preschool.