DD will be going to 2 pre schools in sept and dont know how to split it up.....

[npg1]

Hi.

Dd who is 2.5yrs old has just started montessori and is really enjoying it. She is doing 2 mornings a week.

In september she will also go to the nursery attached to DD1 school (independant school). She will have to go for 2 full days (4 sessions) as we live 17 miles from school and will not be able to return at lunchtime to pick her up as just too many miles.

We decided she would go to the school nursery 2 full days and keep 2 sessions at montessori as we are very keen for her to learn the montessori approach. Now im not sure if she should do 1 full day at school nursery and 1 full day at montessori with an extra session or still 2 full days at school nursery.

What do you think? Baring in mind she will be 3 in august and start school sept 2010.

[nappyaddict]

is there a reason she needs to go to the school nursery aswell? If you are keen for her to learn the montessori approach then I would just keep her there if not.

[npg1]

we would like her to go to both as at the school nursery she will make friends with all the children in her reception class and at our school you have to get them into the nursery to guarentee a school place really!

[nappyaddict]

I would probably do 1 full day at school nursery and 3 sessions at montessori.

[SoupDragon]

I think she should do 2 full days (consecutive ones preferably) at the school nursery - just doing one makes it difficult for them to settle.

[nappyaddict]

I found it better for DS to go every other day than consecutive days. He used to go monday and tuesday and I found by the time it came round to monday again he seemed to have forgotten about it and made it harder to settle. He settled much quicker when he started going mon, wed and fri.

[npg1]

Thanks everyone. I think she should do 2 days at school nursery as she will end up going there sept 2010 so needs to get used to it and i want it all sorted out this sept for the whole year so there will be no adding more sessions, this will be what she will do until she starts school.

I dont think I will do consecutive days though as they are very long days, 8.45am until 3.30pm and she will be very tired. This is what i had planned...

Mon, school nursery
tues, montessori
wed off
thurs montessori
friday school nursery

So i am alternating the days or could do
mon off
tues montessori
wed and thurs school nursery
fri montessori

God its so confusing!

[nappyaddict]

i like the first "timetable"

[SoupDragon]

If you want alternate days I'd go for school, montessori, school, montessori, off. I wouldn't split the school days up as much as you did on option 1.

DS2 used to do full day nursery, full day nursery, school am, school am, school am. Until he asked if he could go to the school nursery every day instead.

[Cadelaide]

I think it sounds awful, tbh. I don't go in for all of this "getting them used to it stuff". Where does it all end, or should I say begin? Lessons in-utero?

DS is 2.5, I have him booked in at the nursery attached to the local school for a couple of mornings a week. I might do it, I might not. If he's not ready I won't send him.

(I do accept that your DD loves the Montessori though).

[blametheparents]

DD goe to two different pre-schools. We split it as follows:
Mon - Pre-SchoolA 9.15-1.15
Tue - Pre-SchoolB 9.00 - 11.30
Wed - Pre-SchoolA 9.15 - 1.15
Thu - Pre-SchoolB 9.00 - 11.30

Similarly to you Pre-School B is attached to the school that her broterh goes to and that she will attend in Sept 2009

However, I also have her at Pre-SchoolA as it is a smaller, quieter environement and I think it is good for her in a different way.

My one pieve of advice would be to make clear to her from the start what she will be doing and to have different names for the pre-schools so she understands where she is going each day.

[Cadelaide]

All this "pre-school" stuff has seeped into our culture, hasn't it?

They don't have to go. I sometimes wonder whether people realise that.

[SoupDragon]

Going to the nursery attached to the school they will be attending does help them when they start school, Cadelaide. They are used to the environment etc and it does give them a head start confidence wise. DS1 didn't go, DS2 did so I've seen both.

[nappyaddict]

No but if they enjoy it and you can afford it then you may as well send them.

[SoupDragon]

DS2 had a whale of a time at the school nursery. He spent the whole time playing and making friends. Nothing awful about it whatsoever.

If it's "awful" you've not chosen the right nursery/preschool.

[Cadelaide]

But blimey, two different nurseries?

[SoupDragon]

Yes, DS2 attended 2 different nurseries. He had great fun.

[nappyaddict]

DS goes to 2 different ones because the first one he got a place at only offers 1 afternoon a week. Then he got a place at somewhere that offers 3 mornings a week but he enjoyed the first place so much I decided to keep him there aswell.

[npg1]

Thanks for your replies.

I think the 2 different nurseries/ preschools are beneficial to my DD, one being montessori which if I could she would be going there until school but because spaces are so limited at school she has to attend nursery really to guarentee her a place at the school. I know lots of children that go to 2 different places.

DD1 went to 2 different nurseries, first one being montessori and then a year before she was due to start school I started her at the local preschool as was worried she wouldnt know anyone, as it turns out we opted for independant school 17 miles away where she knew no one but is now really settled and thriving very well.

I couldnt imagine not sending my DD to a preschool before school as i think they need something before going off to school. I used to be a nanny/ nursery nurse and im sure it does give them a head start.

I think routine one is better to thinking about it now but I want her to have a catch up day on wednesday off and this is the day we normally spend with my mum so would like to keep that. yes they will be called different names!