If you have been offered a place at preschool, then you might have to choose whether to send your child in for morning or afternoon sessions. While lessons and activities should be the same for both sessions, you should put some thought into which time of the day is best for your child.
How can you decide which session to choose?
Which Time of Day Suits Your Child Most?
Like adults, some children are morning people and some come into their own later in the day. For example, some children might not thrive in a morning preschool session. If they are slow to get going in the morning and need to ease themselves into the day, then they might not enjoy their sessions as much as they would if you booked them in for afternoon slots.
On the other hand, some younger kids are up, alert and raring to go from the minute they get out of bed in the morning. However, they might flag after lunch. They might get tired. If they don't have an afternoon nap, they might get fractious and grumpy. In this case, your child will probably do better in morning sessions.
Which Sessions Do Their Friends Attend?
If your child has friends or even just vaguely knows children who already go to the same preschool, then you might be keen to send your child in for the same sessions. Preschool is a child's first real introduction to the world of school. They might find things less intimidating and more fun if they go to school with their friends.
On the other hand, you might want to avoid the same sessions if your child doesn't like a child who already goes to the school. They might not want to spend time with them. If you pick the other session option, then they don't have to be around them.
What Are the Attendance Figures For Both Sessions?
Don't assume that your preschool will have the same number of children in both its morning and afternoon sessions. They might have different numbers of kids in the building at different times of the day.
This might affect the session time you choose. For example, if your preschool's morning session is nearly full, but its afternoon session has fewer children in it, then you might prefer to send your child in for afternoons.
This might work well if your child is a little shy. They'll get more individual attention from school staff. Plus, they might feel less intimidated and settle in more quickly if there are fewer other children in the room during their sessions.
For more advice, contact your preschool.
If you're choosing a nursery for the first time, then you won't have much experience of choosing a child care centre yet. You know that you need to look around nurseries before you choose one. As you see centres, you'll get a feel for places and how they might suit your child.
However, savvy parents take this a step further. While a site visit is always a good idea, it won't tell you everything. Problem is, you probably don't know what you need to know just yet! We can help. Our blog articles explain the ins and outs of nurseries and how they work. We can help you understand the important stuff that might not be obvious so that you can ask the right questions as you look around. Hope this helps!