Client-site days go up from one to three a week from September. My partner teaches and is at school till about 5 most days. Our son's preschool finishes at 12.30 and has an 'extended day' option till 6, with lunch and a nap. On paper it solves everything. But 9 to 6 at four... he's already wiped out by 4 pm on normal days. Did yours manage a long day like this, or did it fall apart by week two?
My elder one did a long day at that age, years ago now. The first month was hard. Cranky every evening, asleep in the car. After that she settled, mostly because the nap there actually happened. Ask whether the nap is in a quiet room or on mats in a corner of the classroom. That made the difference for us.
Our daughter does 9 to 6 at daycare and she's not even 2. They adjust faster than we do. The evenings are very short though. That's the part I mind.
We had a driver bring our daughter home at 12.30 and someone with her at home until we got back. Expensive, but she had her nap in her own bed and that mattered more to me than the cost. If the budget allows, look at a pickup plus a few hours of help instead of extending school.
Driver and help is not possible for everyone. When my son was small he came to my shop after school and sat at the back with his colouring till I closed. He is 12 now and still talks about those evenings. Children manage with what is there, if the parents are calm about it.
ours does the extended day two days a week, not five. on those days dinner is at 7 and she's asleep by 7.45. mixing long and short days helped more than i expected. could your partner do an early pickup on even one of the three?
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