Afternoon playgroup if she still has an afternoon sleep?

[oliveoil]

dd1 is due to go to playgroup in September and has been allocated afternoons, mornings are reserved for those over 3 so she may be moved over in late October.

BUT, playgroup runs 1pm-3.15pm which coincides with her current nap times!

I can't see her dropping the nap in the next 4 weeks so is it mean to send her?

If she doesn't go she may not be able to go till next year as those already on afternoons get preference on mornings.

Yawn

put her down at 3.30 then when she gets back

i would say she probably wont want to sleep once she gets to playgroup! there will be too much going on and lots of fun to be had, agree with twig, put her down for half hour when you get home if she needs it.

I'm just thinking she may get a bit tired and irritable at the playgroup, with it being new to her and everything.

Anyone had this experience?

I was planning on going the long way home in the buggy to see if she would nod off and the way back from playgroup.

I took my DS to a music group that started at 9.15 and finished at 10am, at the time he was getting up at around 5am and going back to sleep at 9/9.30am, he loved the group and stayed awake (and enjoyed himself) until he got into the car, then went down for his nap as soon as he got home. He is 16mths now and has completely changed and has his nap after his lunch now.

we had this problem with dd (but she was older I think, not sure of your dd's age)

we got given afternoons 12.50 to 3.20 when she had just turned 3. I couldn't really turn down the place because we had no other one!

What I used to do is insist that between 11 and 12 she had a lie down on the couch. If she was really tired, I'd ask her if she wanted to go to bed but generally, she would lie down on the couch (and maybe watch TV). We'd then get up, have lunch and go to pre-school.

She was exhausted when she came out for the first month or so (and she was on the buggy board so didn't have a chance to nap afterwards) but then adapted to the new routine and happily snuggled up on the couch to rest. After a few months, she stopped doing this and gave up her formal nap completely.

In your position (don't know if you have other kids to consider), I would do an early lunch (they always want a snack when they come out of pre-school anyway) and then get her to lie down for an hour before she goes and see what happens.

Foxy (!) - I have dd2 who is 11 months, but I have booked the first week in Sep off work so I can take dd1 myself to playgroup and stay and settle her in if need be. My fab MIL is round the corner and will have dd2.

Did your dd cry when she first went? dd1 hasn't been to nursery so am a bit wary of clingyness etc.

No way can she have a nap and then go, she is in a right mood at first after her nap, takes her ages to come round (like her dad....).

how funny, my boy is like that when he wakes up (just like his dad) - it's like having 2 Victor Meldrews in the house on any given morning

I think there are 2 types of clingy (when they haven't been to nursery and go at this age). Either they howl from the beginning and then settle in after a few days (this was ds) or they love it for the first few days because it's so exciting, then it dawns on them that they have to go every day and suddenly it's not as much fun as they thought and then the tears start (this was dd).

I would prepare yourself for the worst (bring tissues for yourself as you prise your child off your leg and tell yourself you're doing it for her good!) but always remember that the nursery staff have most likely seen it all so won't be bothered by it! Also I found with both mine, a real icebreaker was finding a child similar to them (you can normally tell pretty quickly) and then getting them to chat to this child before they went in. I'm sure it won't take her long till she's not even looking back to say goodbye.

Can you believe that after me starting this thread, she has dropped her afternoon sleep???!!!

I swear she is a secret mumsnetter, whenever I do a thread, behaviour mysteriously changes.....

She is a little bit challenging now at about 4pm, but hopefully this is just a phase.

xx