advice on kinder scheduling

[Roryrory]

Apologies in advance girls, this is a bit complicated, but I would appreciate your thoughts....

Next year Flynn will be at 4yo kinder (3 sessions a week) and Oliver at 3yo kinder (2 sessions a week). Both will be attending the same kinder and it's about 15 minutes walk/5 mins drive from home. All going well I will also have a 4 month old by the time kinder goes back in February. I was looking at the timetables for next year's sessions and I have two options:

The first is to have one of the boys at kinder each day (Flynn on Mon, Wed and Fri and Oliver on Tues & Thurs). It means there would be a certain predictability for our mornings (it would mean Monday, Tuesday and Friday mornings would be kinder runs, while Wednesday and Thursday would be afternoon runs) and it would give me one-on-one time with each boy. But it means that I would never have a full day at home (which I know can be a godsend with littlies) and leaves no time for mum to have both boys at her house for a day (something she does twice a week at the moment). But on the upside it will become the reality of our life in 2012 once Flynn starts school anyway (the kinder is located in the primary school building).

The other option is to have them "double up" sessions on the same day. This doubling up means I would have to take Oliver for a morning 3yo session on Tuesday, for example, while Flynn would be there for the afternoon 4 yo session (the reverse would happen on Thursdays). BUT there is a 1 hour gap between the sessions. The kinder is relatively close to the centre of my suburb so I could take the kids to the library or for lunch in town, but 1 hour doesn't really leave much time if you have to get 3 kids in and out of a car. I could probably gt them home and fed but that would be about it. The benefit of this option would be one full day at home a week, with double sessions on two days and single kinder sessions on the other two. If I needed it, mum could take the boys on the day neither of them had kinder, giving me time alone with the baby or do run errands (which will be easier with a baby rather than both boys).

So for those of you who have had multiple drop offs to contend with, is it better to trade a day "off" for a few "busy" days (particularly when it means mum can take the boys on that day) or to have a five-day-schedule but one which is less full (mum could still take the boys, just not both at once).

Thanks if you made it this far!

[Astrid]

Kinder is such a tough year for this. It did my head in when I was trying to work out which days were preferrable as both sessions had their good points and bad points. In the end I left it to the universe to decide and did not put down a preference, it has turned out well thankfully.

I would be tempted to have the full day off. It is nice to have one day per week where you do not have to do anything or go anywhere. I think the kids appreciate it too.

[Visitor7]

I would be tempted to have the full day off. It is nice to have one day per week where you do not have to do anything or go anywhere. I think the kids appreciate it too.

This is so true! If you have that option, then that's the one I'd pick.
With that hour you have in between kindy run during the day, head to a park for lunch or something.
With option 1, you will feel like you're busy every single day. Whereas with option 1, you won't feel like you're on the go 24/7. As mums are busy enough as it is, you don't want any extra work.

[Roryrory]

Thanks girls, I thought that might be the consensus. I did a bit of looking at the schedules and one option actualy gives me Monday AND Friday - I think I might take that one

[Bathsheba]

Yep.. go for Mondays and Fridays off. I wouldn't do the "kinder every day" option...waaay too hectic. Having said that though I struggled with just 1 child at kinder and 1 child at home in the council system... the child at home's nap routine was realy interfered with... in the end i put him down for a nap in the basinette pram attachment in readiness for the kinder run so i wouldn't have to wake him up! Those 2 hour sessions are way too short to get anything meaningful done. Main reason i opted for full time kinder sessions with my youngest... until a stupid arsonist burnt his kinder down!

It's great the kinder is at the primary school they will be attending though. I'm organising the same thing for my youngest when we move. My DD attended a kinder as part of her girl's school and transition was a breeze.

[Roryrory]

in the end i put him down for a nap in the basinette pram attachment in readiness for the kinder run so i wouldn't have to wake him up!

all I can say to this is long live the Emmaljunga, Bath! Lets just hope Ollie and Flynn can both make the walk to kinder without whinning! (BTW, did you use a skateboard when N was little and W was in the pram?)

[Bathsheba]

(BTW, did you use a skateboard when N was little and W was in the pram?)

Never bought a skateboard.. when N was little I often wore him in a sling and pushed W in the pram or because the kinder run was via train the kinder was very close to the station and we are only 1 block away from the station) W just used to walk... it was only a short distance. So either W walked or was in the pram when N was in a sling.

[nickers]

hmmm that last section confused me but its all different in sydney lol!
BUT i know i would prefer the day off. well its not really a day off you will still have a baby and a house full of stuff to do!
But when Nixon went to daycare 1 day a week last yr i really enjoyed having a day with Just Ty but also to be able to do things. if u have to go out and about its a heck of a lot easier with one child.
Now both boys go to daycare one day, so i have a free day (exept i went and got a job and start at 1pm so i have half a day to myself!) but i enjoy my morning! i get what i need to get done (ive already got a list on the bench of stuff i gotta do after dropping off the boys and b4 starting work!)
and Nixon goes to preschool 2 days a week (9-3) so i ahve 2 days with tyron (and we juststarted kindy gym with him)
you could do something like mums and bubs swimming or gym or something on that day for example!!