Should I extend dd;s nursery hours?

[julienetmum]

Dd goes 5 sessions a week to a nursery attached to a school.

The nursery offers a choice for the afternoon session of school hours or daycare hours. Dd currently does school hours 8.30/9.00 am - 1.pm on Mondays and until 3.45pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Thsi week she said to me, Mummy you keep coming to pick me up from nursery when I am going to play outside (I often arrive as all the children have their coats on to go into the garden.) Next week I don;t want you to pick me up.

So, should I let her stay til 5.30pm? Its a bit like the equivalent of using after school care when I don't need to.

[blueshoes]

Julie, if my dd asked to stay longer, I would jump at it to get some more time to myself! - but that's just me . How about extending to 5:30 on Tues/Thurs, where she already stays till 3:45 pm? Her friends are becoming increasingly important in her life - it's normal, I guess

[Blossomgoodwill]

How old is dd?

[julienetmum]

She is aged 4 and missed going into reception class by 6 weeks (Oct birthday). When she does go into reception next September her school day will be Mon-Fri 8.45am - 3.20pm with optional after school care til 5.15pm

[julienetmum]

I have just thought of 1 problem with letting ehr stay until 5.30pm it is ds's teatime though that is not relevant on Tuesdays as I work, my mum has ds and dh picks dd up.

[Blossomgoodwill]

I would do 1 day until 5.15. As it is a long day.

[bsg]

Do they have a sleep at school? My dd is 3.6 and ds 4.7 they go to school from 9.00 - 17.00. They both have a sleep at school for an hour or so otherwise I think it is a long day. I dont have the option to collect earlier as those are the school hours.

[twirlingaroundthechristmastree]

It's a good sign that she's happy & doesn't want to come away. Better than if she stays too long & is desperate to come home!

Why not let her try a longer day & see if she really does like it?

It seems to me that the issue is probably that you arrive at her favourite time, and not really that she wants to do more hours at nursery!

[julienetmum]

I think you have hit the nail on the head twirling, I arrive at her favourite time!

I could try letting her stay longer but I do have to commit for a couple of months as you have to give 1 months notice to reduce hours. Then again nothing is stopping me paying for her to stay longer and if it doesn't work out just fetching her earlier and losing the money.

[TheFish]

no

[julienetmum]

Would you care to expand on that fishy?