2 hour session scrapped!

[McDreamy]

DS goes to a lovely nursery for 2 hours twice a week which suits him (and me) really nicely. They also offer a 4 hourly session and both sessions are always full (in fact there is a waiting list).

From September they have decided to scrap the 2 hourly sessions and only offer 4 hourly sessions. I really saddened by this as for one thing to attend a four hourly session twice a week will double my fees and just to go once a week I don't think is enough.

Just wondered what everyone else thought. I know 2 hours wouldn't seem worthwhile for most people but it is very popular here.

how old is ds ? tbh 2 hours isn't really long enough for a nursery session.

is this a preschool nursery or like a day care nursery (you know so you can go to work etc)

ds went to a daycare nursery a couple of years ago and they would only let you pay for the morning or afternoon and not hourly and if you went an hour into dinner you had to pay for the full day which i didn'y like

dd is starting nursery school next october i think and i have just found out they are changing the times there they used to do two sessions and your child could go for 2 1/2 hrs in the morning or afternoon which i think is fine if not a bit hard to work around somethimes as it would involve me making about four trips to school with both kids

now i have been told that they are changing their hours so your kids go for 2 and a half days instead, which is good if you want to work but some of the kids will prob be a bit tired out by the end of the day unless they start having a nap time there, i clean there and i have to say i would not be happy with my child sleeping on the floor it's filthy

Really? He's nearly 2.

so take him to playgroups instead

when he's 3 he'll get a 2.5 hour place at a pre-school probably which is daily

oh sorry it is a daycare nursery - i thought if your child went to one of those it was so you could work 2 hrs does seem quite short for a session you wouldn't have time to get anything done

I don't work so for me it's not about childcare it's about socialising him etc. TBH I'm inclined to not send him next year the only thing is there is only 1 mums and tots group here and they don't do much - if you know what I mean!

There are no playgroups Twig, just this one mums and tots group where not alot happens I do more with him at home!

Hiya chick, i know the type you mean dd went to one when she was that age, i think they should offer a kind of discount for parents on current 2hr sessions as your right it will obv double your fees and the 2hr for dd was just right, i think once a week at 4 hrs would still be good for him, but it is and inconvenience as you now have to get your jobs done in one day instead of two or pay twice as much
have they said 'why' they are doing it ?

They say they are doing it to offer a better quality of care to the children.

hey, why dont you set your own M&T group up then??..get some other mums to help out and hire a cheap room for couple of hours???
least youll know he gets loads to do, and he can mess up room instead of your house??

I'm not allowed to do that as there is already one here - I live on a military camp, it's not as easy as that unfortunately

how big is your house/garden???...have a 'coffee morning' with stuff for kids to do???
surely if the current one is that bad they could either improve or accept antoher one on a diff day????
whats the weather like then?,cant wait for aug

ooh so can you leave your child there? how do you find out where the groups are dd is 20 months and loves to play with other children but i have to say that i hate things like mums and tots i find the other mums to be really clicky

youd have to go to cyprus for the one McDreamy gos too..but not a bad ideas "yes darling am just off to playgroup, will be back in a fortnight"

The weather is very hot! Think I might abandon the idea of nusery and let him wait until pre school. I could always go and shake things up at the mums and tots group

yeah go on, they may appreciate the suggestions, ask if you can help out?, are the mums organising it british?

yes all brits.

4 hours seems a long session for a nearly 2yo (daycare is different as they have sleep facilities etc). But he won't be nearly 2 for ever and Sep is another 3mo away. I would probably send him for 1 4hr session, and maybe think about another session (if you can afford it), in maybe March next year.

In the UK 3+'s get 2.5hr x 5 sessions a week funded, this is meant to be going up to 3hr x 5 then 4hr x 5. Personally I think 4hrs is too much, it means they have to have a meal there etc. It's ok for the rising-5's in the couple of terms before school starts maybe, but not for most just 3yo's.

I agree chasingsquirrels, 4 hours seems like along time to me. I just don't really understand why they've decided to do it as the sessions are popular. If most parents were opting for the 4 hourly session then I could understand but they're not!

ok, so would your suggestions on new themes(messy play/imaginitive play/dressing up/music/song time be accepted?
say theyre doing a fab job but how about....see what they say?

I've never seen the point of 2 hr sessions

Yes I think that might be a good approach. I don't think messy play would be acceptable because of the venue but imaginative play, dressing up, music time, story time could easily be incorporated rather than sitting around drinking coffee.

That's fine bundle but if it works for some people why get rid? It really works for me and for DS

my dd and mindees love music/song time(good excersize for me too
and i loved dd's 2hr sessions cos it gave her a few hours at such young age to meet other children and play, do other things and gave me and hour or so to shop/clean/pull myself together

if the staff want to provide a structured, learning through play environment, 2 hr sessions can be disrupt the flow of the day. horses for courses i spose.