feeling guilty about pre-school

[madrose]

My dd is 3.5. I work 4 days and during those 4 days she attends nursery. She loves it and has some wonderful friends.

On a Monday morning (my day off) she has started going to a pre-school (2.5 hours) attached to the primary school that we hope she will be attending. I like it, as the pre-schoolers and reception LOs play together and the rooms (open planned) are right next door together. So hopefully when she goes in September she will be familiar with the school and staff. Even though it is only one morning she has settled in well, but has yet to make any friends - something that was picked up an mentioned by the staff today. Shes a friendly lovely child, but can be a tad shy (until you get to know her ).

I was asked if it was possible for her to do any more mornings and/or do a full day on Mondays, that it would be to her benefit. Now I do realise it would be a good idea for her to go more often, but at the moment we have no way of getting her there and picking her up,to take her back to nursery other than Monday mornings when i'm off and I'm not too keen on losing her on the Monday afternoons - not yet.

So (thank you if you've hung on this long) do we get an au-pair now (we have to go down this route in September) and drop mornings at nursery, and pick up pre-school mornings followed with nursery in the afternoon. Or do we leave it as it is? Will she be excluded from friendships groups when she joins reception?

I just don't know what to do. I didn't think I would get stressed about school before she started.

She's my PFB so have no experience of little school, I deal with the big ones at secondary.

[Orinoco]

Message withdrawn

[madrose]

Thank you, the staff just made me feel a little guilty in that she was missing out on things. She does have her favourite friends that she has known since a bump and can be reluctant to get know new children. And she does love her current nursery.

[Orinoco]

Message withdrawn

[madrose]

think you're right, will look 'busy' when I pick her up.

thanks

[KatyMac]

Invite a child & mu to play/lunch after her session occasionally

IMO proximity = friends at that age

[madrose]

would be good idea, may ask if anyone is going to the park (have two lovely ones near us)

[MollieO]

Don't they mainly parallel play at this age? The only child my ds played 'with' at that age was someone the same age as him that he had known all his life. He was viewed as a socially confident child too.