Need insight for Fall decisions!

My boys will be 4 in September. This past year, both have attended morning preschool 4 mornings/week. We just learned that only one qualifies for speech services next school year. I could send his brother who doesn't need services and would pay a minimal tuition. I am in a dilemma over a couple of things. One, is I work part-time and they use a home care provider for after care 2 days/week. They ride a van because they both qualified, but since only 1 qualifies he is the only one who can ride the bus(moves up to a bus at 4). I could possibly take both boys to preschool in the afternoon 3 days/week and the other twin would stay at the daycare the other two days while his brother would be picked up by the bus and attend an additional 2 days. Also, it's an afternoon preschool and I am not sure if they will still be napping at almost 4. Right now, they still nap. So, my questions are-
Would you send the twin who doesn't qualify to preschool with his brother 3 days/week? He knows the teacher and classroom from this year.
Do you think they will adjust to afternoon preschool? I envision tired, cranky boys at the end of the day!
Do you think DS will be ok riding a bus solo for 2 days/week while his brother stays at the daycare?
Thanks!

 

First of all, if it is a PM preschool program, they are probably not napping. They do adjust pretty quickly to the no nap at that age. I had one child in the special needs preschool program, 5 days a week, and one in a traditional nursery school 3-4 days a week. The one in the special needs preschool had a bus, from the day he started at age 3.5. I would do what is best for each boy--send the one who qualifies, and have the other one do the preschool program at the daycare.

 

If transport isn't an issue, I'd just leave the one that doesn't at daycare and send the other one. I wouldn't even worry about naps, they'll probably have outgrown them by now (so rare to see kids who still nap at 4).

 

I actually read in Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child that 50% of kids are still napping most days by their 4th birthday (though most of them drop it by their 5th birthday). My boys are 4y4m and still nap every afternoon.

That said, I agree that at that age they will probably adjust OK to not napping.
If you think the program is good for your kid who doesn't qualify, I would send them both but if you think he'll be better served at the DC then leave him there.

 

My boys are 5.5 and still nap! Lol! But, they are in an afternoon preschool program, so the four days they are in school, they aren't napping. But if there is no school they do nap. And on the days they do have school, and we go elsewhere that day, they instantly fall asleep in the car!

That said...Anthony qualified for speech through the school system. Nicholas was allowed into the program because it was his twin. Anthony too could have had transportation, but not Nicholas, so I just bring them and pick them up. So we pay monthly for Nicholas but nothing for Amthony. They will both be going off to Kindergarten in the fall though.

So I think they will totally adjust to no nap. You may just end up putting them to bed earlier. As for the bus, just explain that those other two days he gets to work one on one with the teachers, or something to that effect. I think they will adjust just fine. As parents, we really over think some of these decisions(me especial!), but kids are much better at adjusting!

Good luck!

 

Your situation sounds exactly like mine! I do agree I tend to over think everything! I do want to send the twin who doesn't need speech because the teacher is great and they work on so many things that I don't believe he would get at the home daycare. I think my biggest worry/fear is missing the nap and how they will adjust.

 

Hats off to you ladies with napping kids at age 4 (and past). Not a single child of mine napped past age 2.5. Oh, they might nap, but bedtime was a NIGHTMARE! I would love an afternoon preschool, no options like that around here!

 

Mine will be four in a month and still nap about every second day - they have quiet time on their long days at pre-school and nearly always fall asleep there (our pre-school gives all under 5s the opportunity to nap and enforces quiet time - stories, lying down, darkened room - and this is actually one of the things we particularly like in our pre-school) and they nap on and off at home.

But I agree that most kids adjust to no naps quickly at this age. You will probably have to do early dinner and bedtime for a while.