Preschool for 2S and 3S

My two youngest went to a school district pre-school at the age of three. I wanted them to be ahead when they reached kindergarten and there was no more daycare fees.

My oldest went for 2 years he has a dec birthday so he was almost 4 when he started. He went because he wanted to go to school. It was 2 days a week for 2 1/2 hrs. My youngest was in ei for speech he started going to playgroup then a transition playgroup that was 2 hrs once week and he started preschool 2 days a week for 2 1/2 hrs at the age of 3. He's no longer in speech (I can't get him to stop talking) He loves going.

I've seen a big difference in the kids that go to preschool and those that don't when kindergarten rolls around. For the most part those that have gone to preschool are excited for kindergarten, are over the separation anxiety, etc those that are used to being home with a parent all day, rarely away tend to be the one that cry the first few weeks of kindergarten. I wouldn't put a 2 or 3 year old in preschool unless they needed speech, ot, autistic, etc I think as long as they get 1 year of preschool in to help with the transition to school it's fine there is no need for more than that typically.

Forgive me J., but you sound a little bitter about something?! ;)

I sent my daughter off to preschool this year, she just turned 4 yesterday but will still have to have 2 years of preschool b/c she misses the cutoff for Kindergarten. I sent her because I teach her a lot of stuff, but honestly, she needs more. She LOVES a structured setting and we simply butt heads when it comes to practicing her writing, etc. so I'd rather someone else worked on that with her for a little while. Of course I still do those things with her, but it's nice to have back up. I could have waited, but if I have the means, why would I?

We also do playgroups and things like that, which are great, but honestly, the more the merrier in terms of socialization and learning opportunities...plus, it is nice for me too. I can't say that isn't at least some of the motivating factor, but not all.

I also just want to say that Head Start is an incredible program and is getting funding cut right and left, and it's really sad. Especially with all the job loss around our country right now there are a lot more people, who are average middle class people, who can now qualify for such programs. I don't think you're knocking the program or anything but felt compelled to add my 2 cents!

For my sanity.

My kids enjoyed it, but the 6-15 hours of time to myself in a week made a huge difference in my outlook on life.

I have 3 children and have done school differently with all 3. With my oldest, we lived in a school district that only provided pre-k for at risk kids and my son didn't qualify. He started school in Kindergarten, at the age of 5. It was a little traumatic for the first week with separation every morning but he hasn't been effected long term. He's a very smart child that does very well in school (ie. honor roll, advanced classes, etc). We moved before my second child was born. A church in our new area had a pre-k program she was able to attend so she went to pre-k for a year before starting Kindergarten. The first week of Kindergarten wasn't a big deal for her at all (but that's her personality anyway, she's very outgoing). We moved again before my third child was pre-k age. He is 3 and just started school this year. He only goes 2.5 hours a day and he loves it! So do I! I live in an small town that doesn't have a whole lot of options for playgroups. The districts pre-k program is pretty large and most people send their 3 & 4 year olds to it so not many other options exist for those that don't go. All 3 of my children have fared well with our schooling choices so far. I think it all depends on what is available to you and your child's personality.

Our kids went because we work full time and they had to go somewhere. We did not want them in a "free play" environment all day. We wanted structure and learning. We wanted them to learn the rules of a place other than home. We want them to respect other adults when we re not around. I don't want my child to always be able to look back and see that I am right there to save the day in a play group setting. They need to learn independence and that things aren't always fair. They need to learn to take turns and not always get their way. Our oldest is in 1st grade now, but her transition into Kindergarten was so simple and I thank her pre-school years for that. She was given the foundation for education and it shows every day in her enthusiasm for learning and her ability to understand.

My kids started at 3. We live in a rural-ish area and there are no playgroups or mommy and me classes.

I had my triplets go to pre-k at a Catholic school when they were 4 so they could be exposed to other kids their age. They played great together but I wanted them to get to know other kids as well. I worked full time and when I got home, my husband went to work-at least until a few months into the schoolyear when I got laid off. Mommy and me classes were not available to us. I even had a hard time finding playdates for my son so he could play with other boys and not be "stuck" with his sisters. The Catholic school was chosen because it was all day plus they offered after school care. For my 3 yr old now, she goes to a preschool class at the park dist. This is her 2nd week and she goes 3 days a week for 3 hours a day. Her youngest playmate at home is a 9 yr old. She mainly hangs around with her 12 year old siblings and the 9 yr old's older sisters who I believe are 15. They are awesome with her but she has very little to no exposure to other young kids. I tell people she is 3 going on 12 because she is acting just like the older kids. I am hoping being with other kids her age (3-4 yr olds), she will have fun and make friends her own age as well as get a younger mindset.

A lot of people I know already have their kids in daycare centers where the 2s and 3s classes just become preschool as an offshoot of the daycare. While I do see the benefits of more preschool, especially for disadvantaged children, I also don't think every 2 or 3 needs to be in one. My DD is not. She is not fully potty trained, though I have been speaking to friends whose children were able to attend 2-3 hour preschools in pull ups.

For my DD, it will be important for her to follow directions and go from one activity to another and participate in a class. It's not academic for her. I do classes and outings with her, but she needs to learn to do those things without me. Sunday School is something she does completely without me and I admit that one reason she goes is to have to follow directions from a teacher. She also enjoys it. A lot of programs are just 2-3 hours and a couple of hours a day isn't too long for the really little guys. We are considering a program like that in the Spring, and if not, we'll just find somewhere for her for fall.

I did one year of pre-k before school and my sister did not (family funds). We both graduated college and my sister is working on another degree.

We are sending our just turned 2 yr old daughter to a program twice a week for 4 hours at a time. She is normally home with myself or our nanny when I'm working (I work part time and also have a 4 month old). I felt that my younger child's nap schedule was not conducive to taking my older child to activities that really require my participation. The pre-school has allowed her to develop relationships on her own with other adults as well as other children. She seems enriched and is extremely excited about going, talking about school and her teachers/friends incessantly. I have noticed that she seems to have matured in the short time she has been enrolled...not clingy with me, handling transitions without skipping a beat, even successfully potty training.

When she is in school on days I am not working I do cherish the little bit of alone time I get with my baby son!

I don't think it really matters if a child goes to preschool for one year or two years. I think it's more based on what the parent prefers. My oldest daughter only did preschool for one year, the year before she started Kindergarten, she is now in first grade and doing great. Having only that one year of preschool certainly did not hurt her in the least. She would have gone at 3 but we had just moved to the area, and had not done any research on where we wanted her to go. My 3 yr old daughter is attending preschool 2 mornings a week this year. For me it is mostly for socialization, but they do learn things as well. Her preschool is through a church, and it is a learn through play preschool. I'm in the military so I don't have the time to do playgroups during the week, and weekends are out because my oldest daugher has her soccer games on Saturdays, and the rest of our weekend is our family time. I also have to work one weekend a month on top of everything else.

I sent my son, an only child, two days a week. Because a playgroup is a few hours a week and day care/baby school provides socialization and experience with participating in planned activies over the course of a day.

We enrolled our 3 year old son in preschool last year to help with his speech. 2 days a week for 3 hours each day with a total of 8 kids in the class. He had been in private speech for about 6 months and Early Intervention wanted to place him in a 5 day a week program which we thought was way too much time away from the family. The interaction with the other children has been good for him, he is now going 3 days a week for 3.5 hours each day and loves it! Now, my sister who has a daughter the same age as my son has chosen not to do any type of preschool and my niece will start kindergarten next year. It is a personal decision and you will probably get a variety of answers. My teach friends think it is pretty critical to make sure your child is ready and does not fall behind come kindergarten.

I chose not to enroll my 2-year old in preschool this year for 2 reasons:
1) Biggest one is that my preferred preschool's 2-yr old program is a Parent/Tot class 2 days a week. Well, I may be a SAHM, but I do watch my niece daily while my sister & bro-in-law work. So, that was pretty unfeasible.
2) At 2 years old, I just didn't think she fully needed to get her playtime outside the home. We play all day already!

My reasons for wanting her to go would be for the socialization with kids her own age and to get her more familiar with classroom environments and expectations. But, I figure that one more year won't hurt her, so we'll wait for her to turn 3 and then enroll her next fall in the 3 hr/day, 2-3 days/wk 3-yr old preschool program.

I sent my son to a parent's day out program at a local church when he turned 3 (his birthday is in January) because his little sister was so demanding that I thought he needed something on his own that was about him. It was just one day a week for 3 hours. We did a playgroup and library progam also, but my daughter always demanded so much attention. We loved the program so much that we sent him to preschool there that fall and the next fall and had my daughter attend their 3-year-old preschool program as well.

My daughter is turning 3 next month and we're enrolling her in a sports class once a week for 45 minutes that she goes to without me. The only reason I'm doing it is because I know she'll love it, and she spends tons of time with me, so I think it would be good for her to be with some other people and kids. She's a very big and strong kid and when she plays with other kids I'm constantly having to intervene and remind her to be gentle... she means well, but she's just rougher than some of the other kids. I'd rather leave her to figure it out on her own, but in a playgroup you lose friends fast if you're the only mom who doesn't intervene. I figured this way I wouldn't be there to keep butting in, and she'd have to learn for herself a little.

Like many parents out there, we both work full time. Our son has been in a 2 year old Montessori preschool class since early August. Like someone else on this said, he had to go somewhere all day. Plus he is an only child and very social and the most logical thing to do at this point was to put him in a social situation. We had a nanny last year but she had to quit abruptly and we didn't want to get stuck in that situation again. I was very nervous about the whole thing but he loves it and there is not one bit of separation anxiety.