Early preschool pick up 3 days a week?? Wwyd

[Anotherdayanotherdollar]

DS2 is due to start preschool September of next year. My older DS is currently in the same preschool. I'm very happy with it, its a small setting which has worked well for our older boy. My DCs currently have a childminder while I'm at work (shift work, no set pattern, 2-3 days per week). Two other children that attend the childminder are currently/starting in the same preschool. However, one of the youngest children with the minder is due to start a different preschool at the same time as my younger child. The preschools are about 1.5km apart, which the minder/mindees will be walking. The minder says she will accommodate the two schools but my Ds1 and another mindee in the same preschool would have to be picked up early each day in order to walk to the second pre school on time.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. Walking that distance with 2 preschoolers could take up to 30 mins, and 30 mins early from a 3 hr session is quite a lot I suppose. It would also mean missing circle/story time and birthday celebrations when they happen. It would be for two years. The other child is with the child minder 5 days a week so I think he will get priority.

Would you accept this plan? Change pre school to a much larger/noisier setting that may not suit the child, or change minder? I don't really want to do any of the above...

Also, not in the UK so no curriculum with child minder and neither of the preschools are feeder schools

It’s not ideal but I would just accept it as I wouldn’t want to change a nursery or childminder that my child was settled in unless absolutely 100% necessary.

I think it would be disruptive to the child to be picked up early every day. I work in a school based setting, and we would not offer a child a place if this was a requirement. The session is 3 hours, not 2.5 hours.

littlefish thanks for that. I haven't discussed it with the preschool manager yet so maybe it won't be an option...

Two other children that attend the childminder are currently/starting in the same preschool. However, one of the youngest children with the minder is due to start a different preschool at the same time as my younger child.

Why is the CM favouring the 1 child over the rest of them? Surely it would be more sensible for her to either say no to the other preschool (if she currently picks up from one setting and is therefore committed to it already) or pick up the 1child early however many days a week she needs to do both settings.

Doesn’t seem fair to me that several DC will be disrupted?

I’d certainly expect her to split the early pick-ups so it wasn’t always my DC missing out.

nosquirrels
Because he is with her full time and the other kids are all with the minder part time. I'd imagine that she'd find it easier to have a set time/arrangement with the preschools rather than a rotation? I'm not entirely sure to be honest but she did say that she'd pick up from "my" preschool on the way to the other one

I see that from her point of view and pleasing the full-time parent that’s easiest but it’s not terribly fair.

If FT child has to get picked up early e.g. Weds and Thurs each week, he’s still got more full sessions than the other PT children.

I wouldn’t be happy and I would expect her to treat my concerns as just as valid as the FT parent.

She should have told the full time parent that she can't pick up from that Pre school. It's not fair on the others to be collected early. If she really is planning to do this, then I'd find someone else. Talk to her about why you aren't happy with the arrangement.

Do you know/talk to the other parents who use the same preschool as you? I'd be talking with them, honestly - you'll have more power as a collective and your CM might find that it is bad business to prioritise the other 'new' preschool over the existing one...

I think it depends on availability in the area .

I would go and visit other childminders .

How long is walk home after second pick up .

I agree with NoSquirrels.
Seems odd to favour the individual child going to one pre-school, over the more children going to another.
I wouldnt want my dc collected after 2.5 hours from a 3 hour session every day, no.
Ultimately, it will depend what options you have, but I'd look into them.

If the children doing 3 hour sessions are funded, but only do 2.5 hours, parents might find themselves being charged for the other half hour, as the pre school won't be able to claim funding for regular non attendance.

I would find another child minder.

I'd find another childminder
She should not have promised to do both pick ups

Have you asked pre-school if it's ok for the group of kids to leave half an hour early each session?
It will be majorly disruptive to their session and could limit activities they might want to do!