Many preschools in Ho Chi Minh City are open from about 07:00 to 17:30, but that is the window the school is available, not the length of day every child needs; most children are collected somewhere between mid-afternoon and closing, and the right pick-up time depends on your child's age, temperament, travel time and your work. Research on hours in group care suggests that quality matters more than hours alone, and that very long days are associated with small effects for some children, so it is worth shortening the day when you can and making the end of it calm when you cannot.
At Global Star, as the school publishes its day, the afternoon runs into free play from 16:00, with parents arriving at different times until 17:30. This guide explains why the day is so long, what each part of the afternoon is for, what the evidence on hours in childcare actually says, and how to decide on a pick-up time that works for your family. It also covers the practical side: late pick-ups, traffic, rain and who is allowed to collect your child.
Why preschool days in Vietnam are so long
The long day reflects how Vietnamese families work. In Ho Chi Minh City, most parents of young children are employed full-time, office hours commonly run into the early evening, and journeys across the city can be long. Preschools are designed to cover a full working day, including travel time, so that parents can drop off before work and collect after it.
Full-day care is also the norm in the national system. Public and private preschools typically offer full-day programmes with meals and a nap, rather than the half-day sessions common in some other countries. Half-day options exist at some schools but are less common.
For international families, this can be a change. In parts of Europe, children of the same age may attend a few mornings a week; in other countries, full days are normal but end earlier. Neither model is universal, and both reflect local work patterns and policies.
The structure of the Vietnamese preschool day is built around this length. An early lunch and long nap break the day in two, and the afternoon is lighter than the morning. A ten-hour window at a preschool does not feel like ten hours of lessons, because much of it is meals, rest and free play.
What happens in the afternoon, block by block
Knowing what each part of the afternoon is for helps you choose a pick-up time. Using Global Star's published day as an example:
- 14:00–14:30 — Waking up. Toilet, drink, change of clothes. Children wake at different rates, and this half hour is unhurried.
- 14:30–16:00 — Afternoon activities. Outdoor movement such as playground time and tricycles alternates with quiet indoor activities like reading, puzzles and drawing. The foreign co-teacher rejoins for storytime and small-group English play.
- Around 15:00 — Snack. Milk, fruit or a small treat, with mung-bean dessert in the hot months.
- 16:00–17:30 — Free play and pick-up. Children choose where to play in the room. Teachers finish the daily report and upload photos to the parent app. When a parent arrives, the teacher shares a quick word about the day.
The key point is that the last ninety minutes are designed for staggered collection. No lesson is interrupted when you arrive at 16:10, and a child collected at 17:20 has spent the time playing rather than waiting by the door. If you can collect before 16:00, ask whether it would cut into a planned activity, especially an English session your child enjoys.
What research says about hours in group care
Quality matters most. The large Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development run by the US National Institute of Child Health and Human Development followed more than a thousand children from birth. Across many reports, the quality of care, meaning warm, responsive caregivers and a stimulating environment, was consistently linked with better language and cognitive outcomes.
More hours were linked with small behaviour effects. The same study reported that children who spent more hours in non-parental care in their early years showed slightly more behaviour problems as reported by caregivers, an association discussed in a 2007 paper led by Jay Belsky in Child Development. The effects were small, and family factors such as parenting quality had a stronger influence.
Context matters. Findings from one country do not transfer directly to another. Group sizes, teacher training, the structure of the day and family support all differ. A long day that includes a real nap and calm free play is not the same as a long day of continuous group activity.
Stress in group care. Studies measuring the stress hormone cortisol in young children have found that levels often rise over the day in full-day childcare, particularly in toddlers and in more crowded or less responsive settings, while they typically fall over the day at home. Quieter, smaller-group time in the afternoon can help.
How to choose a pick-up time
There is no single right answer, but a few considerations usually decide it. The first is age. Children under two and a half generally cope with shorter days better, and many families who can do so collect toddlers earlier. Older preschoolers are often comfortable with a full day, especially once they have friends and know the routine well.
The second is your child's temperament. Some children are energised by company and are happy to stay until closing. Others are visibly tired by mid-afternoon and fall apart at home in the evening. The second group benefits more from an earlier pick-up on at least some days.
The third is the journey. A forty-five-minute ride in traffic at 17:30 adds to the day. If your route is much faster at 16:00, an earlier pick-up may give your child more rest overall, even if it means collecting during free play rather than at the end.
The fourth is your work. Many parents cannot collect early every day. If that is your situation, consider whether one or two shorter days a week are possible, perhaps with another family member or a trusted carer collecting. A mix of long and short days often works better than trying to shorten every day by a few minutes.
Comparing common pick-up patterns
These patterns are common among families in the city. Use them to think through your own routine.
| Pattern | Typical time | Benefits | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early pick-up | Before 15:30 | Shorter day; more family time; easier for toddlers | May miss afternoon activities; hard for working parents |
| Mid-afternoon pick-up | 15:30–16:30 | Child has had the afternoon session; avoids the latest traffic | Requires flexible work hours |
| Late pick-up | 16:30–17:30 | Fits full-time work; child plays with friends at the end | Long day; possible tiredness and evening meltdowns |
| Mixed week | Some early, some late | Balances rest and work; breaks up the week | Needs coordination between carers |
Whichever pattern you choose, tell the teacher. Knowing when to expect you helps them prepare your child for the transition, especially in the first weeks.
During settling in, many schools suggest short days that lengthen gradually, so the pattern you start with is rarely the one you keep. Review it after the first month, and again when your child moves up a class, starts dropping the nap or changes how they play with friends. A pick-up time that suited a two-year-old may be needlessly early for a five-year-old who now wants to finish a game.
Making a long day easier for your child
If your child needs to stay until closing most days, the day can still be made easier. Start with sleep. A child who sleeps enough at night, and has a good nap at school, copes much better with a long day. Keep bedtime consistent, especially on school nights.
Make the morning calm. A rushed, stressful start uses up some of a child's capacity before the day begins. Pack the bag the evening before, leave a buffer for traffic, and keep the goodbye short and predictable.
Plan the evening around recovery. Many children are tired and emotional after a long day, even if they were happy at school. A simple dinner, a bath and some quiet time together are often better than a busy evening of activities. Some children need a snack in the car; others need a few minutes of silence before they want to talk.
Keep weekends restful. A child who spends ten hours at preschool five days a week benefits from weekends with plenty of unstructured time at home. Long outings, back-to-back classes and late nights can make Monday harder.
Finally, talk to the teacher. Ask how your child seems in the last hour of the day. A teacher can tell you whether your child is still playing happily or is visibly waiting, which helps you decide whether an earlier pick-up is worth arranging.
Signs the day may be too long for your child right now
Tiredness at the end of a preschool day is normal. These signs, especially several together over a few weeks, suggest the length of the day is worth looking at:
- Teachers report that your child spends the last hour waiting by the door or asking for you, rather than playing.
- Evenings are regularly marked by meltdowns over small things, beyond the usual end-of-day tiredness.
- Your child falls asleep in the car or at dinner most days.
- Mornings become harder over the week, with more resistance on Thursday and Friday than on Monday.
- Your child's sleep at night becomes more disturbed, or they wake much earlier than usual.
- Appetite at dinner drops sharply, or your child becomes clingy in a way that is new.
- Minor illnesses seem to drag on, and your child rarely has a fully rested day.
None of these on its own proves the day is too long; illness, a change at home or a growth spurt can produce the same picture. But if several appear together and persist, try a shorter day once or twice a week for a month and see whether they ease. Share what you notice with the teacher, who may see the same pattern from the other side.
Practical arrangements for pick-up
Before the first day, agree the details with the campus so that collection is safe and stress-free:
- Confirm the closing time, and what the school's policy is for collection after it, including any charge.
- Give the school a written list of every adult allowed to collect your child, with their full names and how the school can verify them.
- Ask how the school handles a request for someone new to collect on a particular day, and how much notice it needs.
- Agree how you will notify the teacher if you are running late, through the school app or another channel the school uses.
- Plan for heavy rain, which often falls in the afternoon in the rainy season and can slow traffic sharply.
- Tell the teacher about any changes at home, such as a new carer or a parent travelling, which may affect your child's mood at pick-up.
Collection procedures exist to keep children safe. Expect the school to check identity for anyone it does not know, and help it do so by keeping your list up to date.
Câu hỏi thường gặp
Is a ten-hour preschool day harmful for my child?
Research suggests that quality of care matters more than hours alone. Very long hours in early childhood have been linked with small increases in behaviour problems in some studies, but family factors matter more. A long day with a nap and calm free play, and a restful evening, is very different from ten hours of busy group activity.
What time do most children get picked up?
It varies widely. Many children are collected between 16:00 and 17:30, when the afternoon is set aside for free play and staggered pick-up. Some families collect earlier, especially with toddlers. Ask the teacher what is common in your child's class.
Will my child miss anything if I collect early?
Possibly an afternoon activity or English session, depending on the school's timetable. Ask the teacher what happens in the afternoon so you can choose a time that does not cut across something your child enjoys or needs.
Are half-day options available at Saigon preschools?
Some preschools offer half-day programmes, but full days are the norm in Vietnam. Ask the campus whether shorter days are possible and whether they affect fees or meal arrangements. Policies vary between schools and sometimes between campuses.
What happens if I am late for pick-up?
Most schools keep a teacher with the child until a parent arrives and may charge for late collection after closing. Let the school know as soon as you know you will be late, and agree in advance on the channel to use for these messages.
Can someone other than a parent collect my child?
Yes, if you have authorised them in advance according to the school's procedure. Schools typically ask for the names of approved adults and may check identity. Give notice for any new person, and keep your list up to date when carers change.