4 yr old only wants to go to Preschool in the morning but not the afternoon after school program

KL777

Has anyone else experienced this.  I asked him "Don't you have fun with the afternoon activities?" and he said no.  He wants me to pick him up at nap time and go home.

I told him that I want to pick him up at nap time also but I need to pick him a few hours after nap so that we can have a place to live and food to eat.  He didn't seem impressed.  I also prayed with him and told him that I'm there to pick him up shortly after nap time is over.

This broke my heart this morning.  Anyone else experience this?

I have reduced my hours at work to where one week is full time and the next week is part-time and we do additional fun things during my part-time weeks.  During the summer I'm part-time the entire summer.  Maybe that will help.  Right now I'm not in the position to work half days every weekday.

QueSrah

Did this start after you reduced your work hours to the PT/FT week schedule?  It sounds like the alternating weeks schedule is what's making it hard for him - he's having too much fun with you on the weeks you work half days, so of course he's not wanting to go to the afternoon stuff at school on the weeks you work full days.  I wonder if a more consistent schedule would work better for him, where he knows that at X o'clock every day you're coming to get him.

Iblamethebeer

I wouldn't stress about this.

Sometimes DD get really upset about having to go to school, but then on weekends sometimes she gets really upset because she wants to go to school and can't.

Bottom line: kids don't get what they want all the time, and they will actually feel better/safer/more loved if it's clear to them that their whims do not rule the world.

Mjmksb04

Iblamethebeer:

I wouldn't stress about this.

Sometimes DD get really upset about having to go to school, but then on weekends sometimes she gets really upset because she wants to go to school and can't.

Bottom line: kids don't get what they want all the time, and they will actually feel better/safer/more loved if it's clear to them that their whims do not rule the world.

 

I agree with this. There are days when my DS tells me he doesn't want to go to his babysitter's house and just wants to stay home, but I have to work, so I don't worry about it since I know he is well taken care of over there. At 4 years old, unless you are worried about the level of care he is getting, I wouldn't let it be his decision, especially since you work and have a valid reason why he needs to be there. Good luck.

KL777

Iblamethebeer:

I wouldn't stress about this.

Sometimes DD get really upset about having to go to school, but then on weekends sometimes she gets really upset because she wants to go to school and can't.

Bottom line: kids don't get what they want all the time, and they will actually feel better/safer/more loved if it's clear to them that their whims do not rule the world.

 

Thanks!!  This makes good sense to me.  In regards to the post below yours, the preschool and after school program where he is, is a great one.  I don't have any concerns about the care.

In regards to the post above yours, I've been doing this FT/PT schedule for a little over a year now, so this schedule has been consistent for some time.