PM preschools

[augustmom]

So my little one got a space in PM. Though not ideal it is the only option we have at this moment.

Are there any moms out there who has their children in the PM schools? what is your son/daughter schedule like? My son still takes one nap from 1-2:30 so I am not sure how this will work out...

Many thanks in advance!

 

[DMS]

Have you tried other schools for an AM space? Children end up coping well in the afternoon class but you might want to start changing the nap time routine as soon as possible.

 

[kacoak]

My daughter is also enrolled in PM pre-school. I wasn't too happy about it as it's smack dab in the middle of her nap, and I'm not ready for her to give it up (she's 2.5 yo, and her routine was: wake up at 7:30, nap from 1-2:30, go to bed at 8 pm).

I spoke to the school director who told me that most moms in my situation would try to push up the nap time, which means making her wake up early in the morning (by 6.30) so that she'll nap by 10:30. For the first couple of months I tried very hard to get her to nap earlier by waking her up early. I thought since she has a baby sister who wakes up around 6 AM it'd work out nicely, but it was a struggle. She'd still sleep in and nap at 11.30 at the earliest, which means I usually have to wake her up for school (which I hated doing). Three months in, and all of a sudden she dropped her nap altogether and didn't seem to need it! Then a week later, she started waking up at 6 am and napping at 10:30, all on her own accord.

I guess bottom line is, kids will adapt to a new schedule, and if your child loves nap time, he'll find a way to do so!

 

[augustmom]

thanks

Thanks mums for the reply.

My son goes to bed at 8, wakes up at 6 (on a good day) and won't nap till 1. So I can't imagine having him wake up anytime earlier. I am still looking for schools with AM slot but seems like everyone is on wait list.

For children in PM class, what do you do in the morning? Obviously there won't be much play dates since most kids are in school. I don't know what to do with my very active toddler from 6 in the morning.

 

[kacoak]

Forgot to mention the center director also told me to 'tire out' my daughter so she'd sleep by 10:30, after waking up at 6. Easier said than done. Libraries, playgroups and indoor playgrounds don't generally open till 10 so I'd take her to the park, our building playroom and the supermarket. Or, if she's up for it, for a dance session at home with a Lazytown CD. But sometimes all she wants to do is play quietly with her blocks, and other times I'm too tired to jump up and down with her.

Also, try Woodlands the Peak. When I spoke to them in early August they still had 1 or 2 spots for their morning session.

 

[nicolejoy]

My daughter is in afternoon class. For her, she doesn't wake up until 8 or even sometimes getting closer to 9! So starting school at 8:30 would be very difficult.

In the morning, we do swimming lessons one day a week. Some days we go to the park, some days we have playdates with other friends who go to afternoon classes.

When my daughter started pm classes, she dropped her nap and started sleeping longer at night to make up for it (she sleeps 12 sometimes 13 hours at night, no nap). She occasionally gets very tired in the afternoon and falls asleep around 4:30pm when she gets home from school, but that is rare (maybe once a month).

She is on the wait list to get into am classes, and I'm a little unsure whether that's what we really want because it will be a major change to her schedule! But I think it might work out all in all. Kids do adapt - and she will need to learn to get up that early sooner or later because primary school starts even earlier!!