Hi Moms! Our wonderful 3 year old is ready for preschool! She will be going to the community center up the road...very convenient (and FREE!) It is 2 days a week from 10am-12pm. But I have one pretty major issue. Our 20 month old currently takes a lovely 2-3 hour nap within that time.
He NEEDS his nap or I will suffer the consequences. He typically goes to bed at 10am, but lately I've been able to hold him off till 11:00 or 11:30 if I am lucky. But the preschool doesn't get out till noon.
I'm not sure what to do here. I'd love for him to go to bed shortly after we get home from picking up our daughter (which would be just a few minutes past noon because it is 3-4 minutes from my driveway to the school). That would be ideal. But I don't think that will happen because this next session of school starts March 9. I thought about putting him down at 10:15 and waking him up at 11:50 or so in time to pick up our daughter. But that is a big IF he goes down at 10:15. If he won't sleep till closer to 11, that leaves for a very short nap.
And I can't just leave him in the car to pick up our daughter if he crashes in there. My friend suggested trying to put him down earlier. And this would work, but the earliest he has gone to bed in the past 6-8 months was 9:30. And that would interfere with getting her there.
The school has 8 week sessions. If we skip this one, we'd have the skip the one starting in early May because our 3rd baby is due May 8. And there is NO WAY I am taking a brand new born out till the session AFTER he/she is born. Which takes us to September.
So what should I do? Wait till fall or what? How do I get my son to wait till after noon for a nap? I thrive on those 3 hour naps. I need the break and I have no desire to interrupt one...especially with me being tired from being a big pregnant house. :)
Thanks for your suggestions!
Is walking an option, where he could sleep in the stroller? I know you're very pregnant... But at least it would be in the cooler part of the day. Sounds like you live pretty close to the daycare.
Congrats on the new baby!
Have you thought about carpooling? See if there is another child that lives near you that goes to the same preschool. You can take the children and the other mommy can bring them home. I do this with my preschooler because I watch disabled children from my home and I cannot pack them up to go pick up my son. It is really works out nice.
If it were me, I would work on moving the nap. By the time your daughter gets home from school at noon, she may be tired and they could both nap at the same time. Start today and put him down 15 minutes later each day and by the 9th, he should be there.
Can you get some help and have someone else take your 3 year old to and from the preschool...even if you have to pay them? The you would not have to change the nap schedule at all. Having a newborn might be a good sympathy card to play.
Do you know any other parents of kids going to the preschool? If not, could you find out?..maybe to car pool?
With three kids, you might want to start finding ways to reduce your drive/errand time now. I think moms/dads/caregivers should really work together on this. Think of much nicer things could be...and less traffic congestion. I don't see why the school would mind either.
I definitely know what you mean about nap time being so important for both you and your son. I have an 18-month old girl and life is just better when she's napping well. If I were you, I'd hold off on preschool for now. Your daughter will still have time to attend before she starts kindergarten and your son will get to continue on the napping schedule that works for him. I know this is against what most people say and push, but I don't think that preschool is all that important in the grand scheme of child development. Yes, it's important to learn about behaving in a group, following directions, etc, but she would still have time to get that experience for school next fall. I just don't see that two years of it is all that necessary. I have read quite a bit about how important sleep and napping is for our little ones in their development though, and how important it is to have a little break ourselves each day, so I'd stay with your current schedule now and enroll her in preschool in the fall.
There is so much time to go to school! I would say wait until it is more convenient. Sounds like the school would disrupt your life more than it would benefit your 3 year old.
Maybe you could request that the preschool announce that you're looking for a parent (or a few parents) to "carpool" with. If you could find someone who would be willing to switch off with you -- they could drop their child off with you before 10 and you could take them to preschool, and the other parent could pick the kids up from preschool. Then you could pick up your daughter from their house after your little one wakes up from his map. We have some parents at our preschool who have a similar arrangement. It allows each parent a little bit of a longer break by splitting the dropping off and picking up. Of course you would have to try to get to know them with playdates etc so you and your daughter could be comfortable with the situation.
Good luck!
--S.
the school is only 2 days a week try putting down for his nap in his car seat and when it is time to go pick up the car seat and off you go. I never had problems with my kids sleeping. they slept anywhere oh heck they slept during a wedding right next to the band.
Hi N.! Congrats on your growing family. I encourage you to really think about the real benefit of preschool in light of the cost--a tired cranky middle child. Since your daughter is only 3 there is really no hurry to get her in to a classroom. Your whole family is about to undergo change in May with a new baby. Perhaps this is a time you should just enjoy with your older 2. My daughter is turning 4 and is not in preschool. I'm at home full time with her and baby brother age 10 mos. She hasn't suffered a bit academically--she interacts very well with all her little friends, sings the alphabet, says each letter sound and is currently learning to write the alphabet and numbers. A little extra time with Mom working with her on the basic is all she needed. Consider working with her at home while your son blissfully naps. There's lots of great preschool activities one can do at home. Best wishes in making this decision. Enjoy every minute---kids grow up so fast! R.--married midwife mom of 2 SAHM since 2005 and loving it!
Perhaps you can work with a neighbor or friend to pick up/drop off your daughter, or stay with your young ones while you pick her up/drop her off.
Good luck! It's a tough decision!
Hi N.,
It might be worth your while to inquire at the preschool if there are any other moms of students in your daughter's class who are willing to carpool. You could handle drop off, and another mom could manage picking up. Good luck!
I think you should start holding off his naps until 12:05 when you get back from picking your daughter up. I have found it is alot easier to keep my daughter awake if I keep her playing and having fun. Hopefully stimulating him also right before you go to pick up your daughter will prevent him from falling asleep on the short drive there. But again start now so you might have it down in six days. Good luck.
New response: Man, i misunderstood your question. I thought the 3 year old was in school and and you wanted to start the son! No question about it, if you take the 3 year old to visit the school and she begs to go then you must let her (and work something out such as asking the administrator suggestion on who would be good to carpool with or even hiring the teacher's aid to walk/drive her home). if your daughter clings to your leg and doesn't look like this is the place she would really like to be (without you) then wait. some kids don't care either way, some kids need too much encouragement to go off and play, and some kids kick and scream if you don't put them in school. Seriously, i had one of each. you know your kid, just observe her. if you are happy/relaxed/less stressed that is more important than trying to figure out if there is something missing by not starting school now, unless her visit to the school makes her SO happy.
old response: sounds like you have an awesome 2-3 hr break everyday. why ruin it. you need your energy for the afternoon. I think you will know when he is ready for preschool. It is time though to get in a carpool for your daughter, you take and someone else pick up that way you dont have to touch your son's nap schedule. or get a driver, or neighbor, so you have someone you can rely on and get a network started. you can even hire (or trade) a good friend, housekeeper, grandma.., for an hour a day (same time each day) so you can get out (run an errand, pick up a kid, or plan a dr.'s appointment, or just to keep your sanity) I have 3 kids spaced similar in ages to yours and i did put each in school (9-12) 2 days a week or so as the pediatrician reccommended before the next baby arrived. I sent the middle one for 6 months before i realized it really was much easier keeping her home with me and the baby.
HI N.,
Well I can certainly understand your struggle here. Your little guy requiring a nap..you DESIRING him to have his naps:), then a 3 yr old who you feel is ready for some outside social stimulation.
Questions for you:
Is your and your son's need/want for a nap stronger than your 3 yr olds desire to go to preschool?
At this time, what is the easiest and best thing to do for the whole family?
Can you think of some creative ways to get your 3 yr old some outside social interaction without preschool? Have any friends with kiddos the same age willing to trade a couple days a week? You take their child for 1 -2 hours during your son's naptime once a week, they take your daughter out of the house one day a week during naptime? Are there other options at different times of day that your daughter can participate in?
I have a 3 yr old. Youngest of 4. I know that most kids at this age LOVE to be around other kids and the social and emotional growth of having friends is important. However, I also know that the emotional state of mind of mom and the rest of the family is important as well, and if our 3 yr olds don't go to preschool until they are 4 or 5 it doesn't mean that they will become socially unacceptable children or won't learn what's important to start school. It all pretty much starts in the home anyway- yes?
I'm thinking you already know the best answer for your situation, or that it will come to you soon enough;)
Best wishes as you enter your upcoming journey of labor and birth, the journey of your growing family, and once again - rediscovering yourself, now as mother of 3:)
A.
mom of 4. Birth and Parenting Mentor
www.birthingfromwithin.com
What is best for your kids? They should come first. Your 3 year old WILL NOT suffer for not going to preschool. You can have "preschool" at home. Your 20-month old WILL suffer since he still needs his nap. Sounds like an easy decision.
Your 3 year old can get his "social" time with play dates, going to the park, etc. when everyone's schedule works better.
Hi N.,
I'll keep it short and sweet...keep your 3 year old home and homeschool preschool! You'll both love it! You'll be amazed at what she can learn and its amazing to not have to retrain all the bad stuff she'd pick up at "school"!
Do you know anyone else attending the program that you can carpool with? That seems like the easiest solution to me. You take their child to the center and they bring your daughter home. Or do you have a neighbor that can sit and watch your son while you go pick your daughter up? You can pay them $10 a week to help you out. Just some suggestions. Other than that, I would have to say that I would just go for it and try to change your sons naptime. He will only be a monster for the first few days and it might help to come home and put them all down for a nap at the same time. I don't have any other suggestions, as I do not use a schedule for my children. Good luck!
