Every year, our morning preschool fills up- often on our first day of Open Registration. It’s obvious, most families prefer to enroll their children in morning preschool. But, with a limited amount of spaces available, some families are faced with afternoon preschool as their only option. When deciding whether or not to enroll in an afternoon preschool program, here are a few things to keep in mind:
Fun and relaxing mornings to spend with your child! You can enjoy your breakfast and play together without having to wake up and rush out the door as early. You will have plenty of years of hectic mornings. This is a great time to take it slow!
Time to get things done with your child. While other kids are still in school, you can make early doctor’s appointments, take enrichment classes, make playdates, go out for coffee, or enjoy the cooler morning weather at the park!
Time for yourself! You have 3 hours to get your shopping done, get your nails done, run your errands, all while the stores are guaranteed to be open! Some stores don’t open until 10:00am, which makes running errands alone more challenging in the early morning hours.
Smaller class sizes! It is common for afternoon programs to have less children enrolled, which means more one-on-one attention for your child!
Priority Enrollment for the following year! If you enroll for our afternoon program this year, but still think morning might be best for your child, you can always get on our wait list for a morning spot. AND if you come back to us next year, you will get to register weeks before the public, so you will have a much better chance of getting into the time slot you want.
What about naps? We have found that our afternoon children become flexible with their nap schedules. Some wake up later in the morning, some take shorter naps after school, some skip naps on school days, and some transition out of naps completely. The majority of our afternoon families are able to find a sleep schedule that works for them.
So, is afternoon preschool right for you? The only way to know for sure is to give it a try! Starting in Fall 2019, students who register for afternoon preschool will have their $50 registration fee waived!! Contact us for a tour today!
Cari Byers -Preschool Director
cari.byers@northpark.com
