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Preschool education

Get advice from other Mumsnetters to find the best nursery for your child on our Preschool forum.

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Original poster

Am I crazy not to use all of my free 15hours?

27 replies

RunAndBeMum · 24/02/2011 14:34

My DS (just 3) started preschool in January, two mornings a week. It took a month before he stopped having a full on tantrum when I left him but now he is ok when I leave and enjoys his time there. But every morning he says, "We're not going to pre-school today?" to check whether it's a preschool day and if I gave him the choice he would never go.

Anyway, after Easter he could go every morning, or two full days (9.30am-3pm) and two mornings and it wouldn't cost me anything. On the one hand I could get so much more done if he went (I have a three-month-old ds and the house often looks like a bombsite) but on the other hand I don't know if I want him to and wonder if it would be too much for him.

I can't really discuss this with anyone in real life as most of my friends have their dc's in nursery for ten hour days, so they wouldn't understand my dilemma.

Does everyone use the free 15hours? Do I have PFB syndrome?!

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NorthernComfort · 24/02/2011 14:40

I sent my DS 5 mornings a week but we worked up to it. He wasn't wild about it to begin with but once he got into it he loved it and it did him so much good. Meant that the transition into school was a bit easier (in that he knew what to expect, but he still screamed like a demon for a week!)

I know where you're coming from, and if I hadn't had DS1 I might have felt the same but as it was it worked out being mych better for all of us. And I thought he was probably much better off there learning and playing and havign so much fun, that stuck with a harassed mother with hardly the energy to get out of bed.

Do you like where he's going? I was 100% happy with where DS went and how they did things, perhaps that's making the difference?

isthismadness · 24/02/2011 14:40

Ds was the same to start with and now he LOVES it and asks to go (age 3.4)
I think doing 2 days is tough on the kid as it's a long time to wait between sessions so he doesn't get used to it. Why not increase to 3 and see what happens.
Also try and foster friendships with the other kids. Ask the teachers who he plays with and then invite them over for a playdate with their mum

Mollymax · 24/02/2011 15:02

My dd loves pre school. She goes for 3 afternoons- 9 hours. She could go for 2 more sessions but we like to have time to do other things and see other people. They will be at school before we know it.

lostlady · 24/02/2011 22:38

I have decided not to send my (second) child to pre-school, so use no hours. Am object of curiosity as everyone else I know is sending their child, but hey ho. DC happy, I am happy, we are having lovely time. House is bombsite, but they are young for sucha short time, and can always help with housework.

Zippylovesgeorge · 25/02/2011 08:17

At the risk of sounding like a really old person;

When my teens were preschool age there was no funding so they only went twice a week as that was all we could afford. This was from 2 1/2 - 4 years old - they were happy with this and happily spent time @ home with me on the other days.

At 4 they moved to a school nursery where they were funded for 5 sessions a week and then onto full time school at 5. No problems at all.

I used to work in a preschool and we had so many children who did use their full allowance because their parents thought they had to or that their child might miss out. Some were fine with this but other children were utterly miserable and it put them off completely - some now are still struggling with settling into school :( I left this job because I didn't like the set up - I still feel that a mix of preschool and being at home with a parent is the best thing for small children.

Bonsoir · 25/02/2011 08:22

My DD went to pre-school for 15 hours a week from 2.10. She went five days a week, short mornings only, as this was all school offered (and we are in France, and all day pre-school is the norm here at that age, so I had already found a better deal).

Quite honestly, it was too much for both of us. She ended up having weeks off at a time from fatigue in the winter. I would have much preferred three slightly longer mornings - it would have been much less tiring for us both.

mrsscoob · 25/02/2011 09:13

I think thats great! I don't use all mine either. They aren't little for long and it won't be long until they are at full time school. If you are in the position that you don't have to use them then I think thats really nice for both of you.

CuppaTeaJanice · 25/02/2011 09:17

Do you realise you can choose 12 free hours instead of 15, then you get the funding 52 weeks a year rather than 38(?).

DerangedSibyl · 25/02/2011 09:19

With Ds1, he had the funded hours , 3 hours every afternoon. He adored it, it was never too much for him.

Ds2 .... well, he's a Child Of Firm Opinions, and one of his opinions was that he hated the preschool. So after a month of giving him the funded hours, I pulled him out, and he didn't go any more. I found another preschool as he turned four, and he liked that one so much i sent him 10 - 3 every day. he LOVED it there.

TallulahDoesTheHula · 25/02/2011 09:23

DS1 used all 15 hours and loved it
DS2 I am at the moment only sending 2 mornings a week as that seems to suit him better. I'm thinking of increasing it to 3 mornings a week from next term to see how he gets on (am due another baby soon) but wont be putting him up to the full 15 hours at all I dont think.
It would be too much for him and we enjoy doing different things together on the mornings that he doesnt go.
Go with what suits your DS!

isthismadness · 25/02/2011 09:26

I certainly don't send ds so I can get things done in the house (they never get done!)
There is good evidence that children so better at school if they go to a good quality preschool/ nursery after age 3.
I'm so happy with the change in ds. He has become really confident and good at sharing/ turn taking etc. It's so lovely to see him run in the door with a big smile looking for his friends. He only does 3 afternoons at the mo but will be increasing to 4 soon. I do think 2 is slightly more difficult on the child.

isthismadness · 25/02/2011 09:27

Do better, not so better.
Sorry phone autocorrecting

Loopymumsy · 25/02/2011 14:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

jade80 · 25/02/2011 14:07

He'll probably settle better if he goes an extra day, it makes it all more 'normal'.

Loopymumsy yes it seems to vary a lot between counties, seems to be whatever the county council make up! I can't help but think it is a load of rubbish anyway- if they are going to do 'funded hours' then they really should fund it properly, not giving settings the absolute minimum.

The whole point of the funded hours was to increase standards of pre-school education- shame it seems to do exactly the bloody opposite, hey!!

Ha sorry, I digress! The whole sorry funding debacle makes me cross though!

Good luck getting him to settle- I'm sure he'll be fine soon!

mnistooaddictive · 25/02/2011 16:45

I think it depends on your child, dd1 is just 4 and does 4 sessions each week. She will only do 5 sessions from Easter as i want her to experience having something everyday before she starts school in September. I think 5 sessions a week at just 3 is quite a lot and if you are not working there are many other things to do!

merryberry · 01/03/2011 13:22

OP, if your preschool carries on with the funding scheme after april, you will have to take the place for 3 days or you won't get funded for just two per week, it's the way the funding code works. then it's up to you and school if you treat it as drop in or not on those booked sessions. ds2's school wouldn't like it much i don't think, they are a proper little community with plans and relationships and ongoing projects etc, which I do think is wonderful, if your ds is settling, it might be something he gets from there.

About that funding debacle, please see my thread You might lose your free hours for your 3/4 year old there's some info and petition to sign. Cheers.

DorisIsAPinkDragon · 01/03/2011 13:51

Hi my dd started with 3 sessions per week, and gradually I am increasing it over the next term and a half as she is due to start school in september and I think it helps to build her stamina up and help prevent her being quite as tired when she starts school (did this with dd1 aswell).

nailak · 01/03/2011 13:54

we are forced by the nursery to use our 15 hours, other wise its not fair on others who wanted a place but havent got it, however this means 5 hours and 1 morning, and my daughter seems to always be sick on tuesday which is the day she has to go in morning;....

kattyo · 01/03/2011 18:51

I sent mine to nursery school at three and a half - two days a week. That was good. They are now nearly four and they are struggling with three days a week (I recently upped it). I'm cutting back to two next term.

I didn't feel they were ready before this. I prefer two to three as more than this feels like it is cutting into our life.

There is absolutely no reason to send them to nursery/pre-school unless you really want to/it's a particularly good nursery (I only liked the nursery I sent the kids too - if we hadn't got into that, I would not have sent them at all. I turned down another place that required I send them every day, as I thought they'd be knackered. Given what I've seen of them so far, I'd have been right).

migola · 01/03/2011 20:36

mine started off (at just 3) doing 2 afternoons from Easter to end of term
then from sept 3 mornings, and now (at 4) does 4 mornings. I just wanted to build it up slowly and also get her prepared for going to school all week. So I now use up 12 of my allocated 15. Some people think I'm mad but I like having one day off to do something nice together/ go visit someone

migola · 01/03/2011 20:38

oh, and DD enjoys it

MamaVoo · 02/03/2011 15:13

My DS still goes for two mornings a week despite having funding now. He settled after the first week and enjoys his time there - even though he often says he doesn't want to go when he realises it's a playschool day, he runs in quite happily once we're there.

I considered upping him to 3 mornings as I'd like a bit more time to get stuff done, but I think 2 days is just the right amount for him just now and I worry he'd be less happy to go in if he went more often. He is my PFB ;)

I've just done his nursery application for September and have only applied for 4 mornings as I think it will be nice to have a day in the week where we can go out all day if we want to. We won't have that chance once he starts reception.

Do what feels right for you.

Bramshott · 02/03/2011 15:14

Not at all!

DD2 will go to school in Sept, and is currently doing 13 hrs at pre-school. But last year, when she was funded, she went 10 or 11 hours I think. Do what's right for you.

confusedtwinmum · 12/03/2011 15:28

SORRY - STUPID QUESTION PERHAPS, BUT TO GET THE FREE HOURS, IS THIS ONLY WITH A STATE SCHOOL,OR IF YOU ARE PUTTING YOUR KIDS INTO A PRIVATE NURSERY DOES THIS ALSO APPLY AND HOW DOES IT EXACTLY WORK? sORRY NEW TO ALL THIS

Original poster

RunAndBeMum · 26/04/2011 19:53

Thanks for all your responses and sorry for disappearing- my laptop died so I've been incommunicado.

Based on all of your reassuring comments I had decided ds would do one day plus two mornings (a total of 10 hours) which would start tomorrow.

But he's been so relaxed and well-behaved over the Easter that I'm considering taking him out of preschool completely. He's stopped anxiously asking whether it's a preschool day and is definitely happier.

Haven't quite made my mind up yet...

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