When is a toddler ready for preschool?
10 December 2009
7 Responses
A Parent asks, Right now, we have a sitter who watches our 20 month old daughter 3x a week while we (Mom & Dad) work from home. How do we know when she’s ready to go to preschool? Is it developmentally better for her to socialize with other toddlers in a preschool/daycare setting, or stay in her home environment? And if/when we do send her to preschool, should we look for a school that concentrates on social skills/playing or learning/teaching?
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Preschool starts at 3 years old. Before that is daycare which still socializes but isn’t the same thing. Preschools will not enroll children under 3 years old and some require the child be pottytrained. Toddlers can be in a 2 year old room or toddler room at a daycare which helps them learn to socialize and teaches basics.
Very few places have early preschool where the kids can start a little before 2 years, I believe. I think you guys should consider her anxiety levels (Does she get stressed when left with strangers for long periods? If not, maybe she’d do ok in school), since he is so young. If you guys mostly want her to go to school for social reasons, won’t you consider other programs, like child development programs? My son is 21 months, and I stay at home, so he has no daycare socialization. In order to help him with socialization skills, I Take him to toddler classes a few days per week (similar to Gymboree) that are very affordable.
I am a stay at home Mom and my daughter is 3 1/2 now. I noticed that she was wanting to go play with other kids more and was really pulling away from me to go to them like when we went to the mall or the park. So, I checked out some preschools and I just couldn’t get comfortable with the idea of someone else being around my child like that and me not really knowing them, of course they do back ground checks but they dont pay the workers that much so there is a very high turnover rate at those schools. You just never know what could happen to your kid in those places and I could never forgive myself if something did. So when we moved out here to Phoenix I joined some “Mommy and Me” Play Groups with other say at home Moms and sometimes the Nannies will be there if the Mom cant. So, if you can put him around other kids in a play group setting and have the babysitter take him to the park ect…. that will give him plenty of social interaction that he will need. But if you insist on wanting him in a Preschool you can always request parent references and check out the preschool though the State first. Good Luck!
i had a similar problem with my 2yr old daughter. but instead of me working id just had a newborn. i decided to put her in daycare 2 days a week for the social benefit about 2 months ago and she loves it! they do wonderful things through the day and the carers are awesome. she cries when i hand her over but not even ten minutes later shes ready to play with the oher kids. i also noticed a dramatic change outside of daycare to. she was very dependant on her father and myself when ata public park but now she takes off and interacts with other kids its so amazing to watch. and hey if its not for you, you can always pull her out. just make sure you really check out the clinic!
There are infant daycare centers for children as young as 3 months old. I know because I worked at the Evanston, IL YMCA in the infant room. It just depends on what you desire. Socialization can take place in the home environment via playdates and trips to the park.
IMO, we focus too much on trying to make our children more intelligent than our gene pools! Singing, talking, reading, and playing with children both socializes them and teaches them plenty. Just don’t sit her in front of the television all day, even children’s programming, and engage her and she’ll be fine. Don’t worry so much.
However, a good rule of thumb for placing a child in daycare at this age and older is whether or not she experiences prolonged separation anxiety (cries for long periods when dropped off.) Some separation anxiety is to be expected, but if it is serious the teachers will let you know. Also, some centers (that do not care for infants) prefer a potty trained child.
Follow your instincts. You sound like fine parents.
When she’s potty trained. Enroll her in the best academic-based PreK program you can find, the one with a waiting list. Start looking today, as the very best fill up fast.
perhaps at 3 or 4, but if she gets to play with others her own age, it doesn’t really matter.
Preschool will help her learn how to listen and follow directions.
If your daycare is good, they will teach the same things.
Go to a preschool that stresses social skills and playing because that is how pre schoolers learn.
EVerything is pre math, pre reading, even music is pre math.
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