Does My Preschooer Son Need Another Class?

Is he bothered by it? If not and you like the school, I say no. My daughter's best friend (now 8) is a boy and they have played together beautifully since infancy. He is very comfortable with girls in his school class as a result too. I would say it's only a problem if he says it is... ie they don't have any boy stuff to do and I don't like the girl stuff they always do. In a school environment he will actually benefit some as he will learn "girl skills" of communicating more and negotiating more. If you feel it's affecting him negatively, then move him. But most teachers are very sensitive to individual kids needs and styles and at that age, he will likely be fine and even benefit.

Go with your gut. Get him another class and a couple of little boys his age to play with. A mixed gender class would probably be more fun for him. :)

I think at this age gender is totally irrelevant. The important thing is that he learns to play nice, share, consider the feelings of others and have fun, and it is NOT necessary for there to be boys there to do it. If anything, being in an almost all girl class will probably be really nice for him in many ways.

So yeah, I wouldn't do it.

I think you have a good idea to request a different class. Not just to one with boys, but one with other 4 year olds. There's a big differences between 3 and 4 years old!

I think your on the right track. I would definately request him to be in a class with male peers. I believe this is important time in their lives to learn to socialize. If he is playing alone then it seems he is'nt getting that socialization and may not be good for his self-esteem or he may be very confident. Age may also be another factor. My daughter is 4 and most the kids in her class are now turning 5. She is on the younger side of the spectrum. I've learned there is quite a maturity difference. I may consider 1 more year of pre-school for her.

Hi M.,
You may wish to think about why your son is in preschool. If this is his only experience with other children, it is important that the class be balanced with boys and girls, quiet children, noisy children, careful children, messy children, very social children and other shy children. That way he will experience many different social opportunities. If this is one of many opportunities to socialize, then it is not as important.
Please talk to his teacher and get his/her opinion, so you can consider that, too.

I am a preschool teacher and I can tell you that having boys in the classroom completely changes the class dynamics. I find it odd that there are no other boys! Gender is part of having a diverse class as well and I think it is very important. what kind of preschool is your son in? If there is another class, I find it odd that they did not mix things up a little better. Just keep in mind that there most likely will always be something that could be a negative aspect of a classroom. If you feel strongly that he needs boy playmates, I'd go for it. It could simply be his personality as well. Another thing to keep in mind is if he is just shy - how will changing classes effect him? If he has to go through the whole adjustment process again, will it just make things worse? Try talking to your son and see what he wants.

Like many others who responded, I think having other boys to play with isn't necessarily the issue. It seems like it is more likely the age thing, if anything. I do think that moving to another classroom could possibly be a big adjustment..so think about that and plan to help him with a some possible sad, scared days. What does his teacher say? If he loves going to school - there may be no problem at all! Best of luck to you! It's hard to know how best to help our little kids, isn't it?!?

I think he should absolutely be in a class with a mixture of boys and girls. Boys and girls can play so differently, so it would be great for him to have the option to play with either boys or girls.

Having said that, he also may like to play alone. My daughter is shy, and in her preschool years her teachers commented to me that she played alone frequently. I asked if she seemed happy, and she was, so I just let it be.