morning or afternoon nursery session - which do you prefer and why?

[motherpeculiar]

DD1 (3.7) has just started at the local school nursery. We've settled her in at the afternoon session (12.55 - 3.25pm) but now a morning (9.05-11.35am) place has come up which we can have her to if we want. She has only done 3 half sessions so far so hasn't bonded much with the other kids yet so no problem moving her on that score. However, I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on whether you prefer morning or afternoon if you have kids at school nursery?

I also have another DD who is 9mths and I need to know how best to manage her naps around the whole school run thing. She is still napping for 1-2hrs in the am and about an hr pm, although I guess this will change (? DD1 never had a consistent nap pattern so I have nothing to go on)

my thoughts are

Morning session

• pro - the rest of the day is free to do what we want in
• con - have to get them both up and out of the house by 8.40 (can be tricky!)
• con- will interfere with DD2 current nap pattern

Afternoon session

• pro - can have lazier start to the day
• pro - DD2 can still have her long morning nap
• con- can't really do much else in the day, ok, can do something in morning but always have to be home to get to school by 12.55

anyone got any other thoughts, or can tell me what works best for you?

DD started 2 morning sessions about 3 weeks ago and its working well for us. DS is only 3 months old and has no regular sleeping pattern so he is just fitting in.
I like the fact that we have the rest of the day free whereas all of my friends were given afternoon sessions (at another nursery) and they are all moaning about how little time they have to do anything else. Also because DD is such a slow eater we would need to start lunch at about 10.30 if we had an afternoon session!
As for getting her there on time, a snowsuit/baggy coat covers a multitude of sins

I would say think ahead a few months when dd2 possibly drops her morning nap & just has an afternoon nap. You may be not have any time to do anything.

My ds had an afternoon session, but we used to go & do stuff together in the morning, sometimes lunch was sandwiches in the car on the way to Nursery if we hasd a long morning. In the afternoons while ds was at Nursery, dd had her nap & I cleaned the house. (I don't work Fridays).

We even managed to fit in a swimming lesson for ds at 9:00, then could go and do shopping, park or softplay afterwards.

HTH

our dd started in afternoon and the morning use to wasted doig nothing and then by the time we cam home it was to late to do anything.

By changing to morning yes we have to be out the house earlier but whilst she's at nursery i got the odd jobs done and have the chanceto then do something in afternoon

Afternoons worked better for us because my kids were always up nice and early in the morning and we had always gone out and done things in the mornings. Afternoon sessions meant we could stick with our routine and I always found we had plenty of time to do all the other things we had always done.

OK, pro afternooner here. Before DS1 went to Nursery, I used to work weekday afternoons, while he went to a CM's. I found it so annoying and disruptive that after a couple of months I swapped to doing 2.5 days.

To answer some of your pro's and cons....

'will interfere with DD2 current nap pattern ' - not necessarily, I found that DD used to drop off again on the trip back home after dropping DS2 at Nursery. I used to get an hour or so of total peace!

'can have lazier start to the day ' - yes, but that can mean you end up doing nothing. I found that after we got up, had a leisurely breakfast, tidied up we had very little time to do anything. It's not so bad in the winter when it's cold outside anyway but I hated not being able to go to the park/shops/zoo whatever in the summer whilst it was still quiet during schooltime.

'have to get them both up and out of the house by 8.40 (can be tricky!) ' - you get used to it! and you're going to have to do it in september anyway.....Extends your day.

HTH!

We have done both, and I think that the morning session is better. The child is fresher and more alert, it begins to get them (and you!) into the routine of having to be organised and out of the house in time for school start (which will have to happen eventually anyway!) and it is easier for them to move gradually into staying for lunch at the school and then staying for the whole day.
Can your dd2 not have a nap in between when you pick up and drop your dd1 off at school?

thanks guys - am swaying towards the mornings as I know we'll onlt get up and out early if we absolutely have to!

hope DD2's naps will manage to fit themselves in around things

thanks for all your thoughts - very helpful (as always!)

ds goes in the morning, then has a rest or a sleep in the afternoon.
when he starts big school, he will stay in the same pattern, school in morning and rest/sleep in afternoon.

younger dd also sleeps in afternoon so we have no problems there.

DH takes him into preschool on his way to work so I still have a semi lazy morning (have to squeeze in a bit of housework before mumsnet )

Also, when you do go out to drop her off in the morning, the younger one doesnt really need to be washed/dressed, just wqrapped up warm.

I'd go for mornings. dd changed to afternoons when she went from playschool to nursery and it was a pain. We rarely managed to get out in the mornings and so it usually worked out that the whole day would be gone. Mornings were so much better, I could pick her up and take her to the beach or park for the afternoon.

my D1 does morning sessions which has always worked well for us but DS2 starts in September (when DS1 starts in reception) and I've put DS2 down for the afternoon sessions. I figured that he can still so all his morning activities he does now and I'd have to pick DS1 up at 3pm anyway.

For DD's one half day she does (plus 2 full days) we went for morning sessions and it is working well. DH drops her off on his way to work and I can get sorted, tidy up, get shopping booking, etc. I then pick her up and have the rest of the day to do whatever we want.

I prefer mornings too - ds is 23mo. It means I get up and ready for the day as I have no dscipline and would still be taking ds to nursery in my pjs after lunch if I could. Am now up dressed, hair done and at work for 8.30. ds is more alert in the mornings and gets more out of nursery. Comes home knackered and goes to bed for 2 hours. He also eats better at nursery lunch as he is more alert and I can relax about what I give him for tea knowing he's had a good home cooked lunch.
prob your dd2 nap will chop and change over the next year anyway so wouldn't base long term decisions on that.

Morning. Ds got (and still gets) too tired to get much out of an afternoon session.

Morning. Dd was in her best from and most receptive mood then. Gets cranky in evenings and just needed to chill.