All Day PreK? (Deer Creek: day care, home, public school)

[SamanthaPete]

I live in OKC and my son will be entering PreK next year. I have discovered that all of OKC schools are full day PreK. From 8:20-3:10. So, about 7 hours straight. I feel like I am the only one that doesn't like this. It just seems like a bit much. But there is no half day public school PreK option.

Does anyone else not like this? If your child is in PreK and you do like the full day- why? I understand how it is beneficial for parents who work all day (saves money) But as a stay at home mom, I'd like the option of bringing my son home for the second half of the day or having him home some days of the week for down time.

Opinions?

[prerunner1982]

I don't know about OKC schools, but the Deer Creek schools have both half day and full day option. It just depends on how many kids they have enrolled in each class whether they have a half day class or not.

[SamanthaPete]

bump- anyone?

[Jess5]

I think thats crazy! There's no way. They are absolutely too young for that! They didn't even have Pre K when my kids went to school, and their Kindergarten classes were only about 2 and a half hours each day. Mine went in the mornings, it seems like from 8:35 AM to 11:15 AM, and they were a year older than Pre K kids. I guess a lot of people like it because it saves them day care, others because it really frees up their days.

[danab426]

My four year old started all day PreK at Okc public school at the begining of August. I am a stay at home mom and my husband works nights. His teacher tells me that he cries all day but when i drop him off hes excited to go. I just feel that 8:20 to 3:10 5 days a week is just way to much for him. I would like to find him a PreK that is half day a few days a week. I want to be sure he is getting the care he needs while he is away from home. What should i do?

[Rubi3]

Why not wait until he is older? My granddaughter is just now starting prek. She will be 6 in September.

[debzkidz]

Wow, I had no idea Pre-K was now all day! Is it every day? Where we lived when my kids were that age, the only kids allowed to attend public pre-k were under-privileged/head start kids. If you had the means, you had to put them in private pre-k and it was only half day, 2 or 3 days a week. When they got to kindergarten, our district had only full day kindergarten (very rare in those days). It was brutal on them for a while, until they got used to it but even then it was never easy. I can't imagine 4 year olds going every day, all day long.

Sorry, just reread the post and it answered my question about all day.

[prerunner1982]

As an option for 1/2 day pre-k you might try the "Mother's day out" programs at local Churches. It does cost some money but typically they are only 2 days a week and/or half days and such.