You have to not care about this stuff. C will be turning 5 in October and will be in pre-K this year. Everyone assumes she is in kindergarten. It is what it is, she is just excited to go to school.
The Preschool we attend is also a childcare center. During the morning it is a Preschool and after lunch it is more child care. It is used as a good mix of both. Most of the kids, mine included, that used it for PreSchool had parents that stayed home or family that watched their child.
It starts at 30 months and potty trained. So it can be an alternative to daycare for people. I didn't' do preschool for my girls so they will get into Yale. I did it because I needed a break and they needed to learn to socialize with other kids. If they had been in daycare, I wouldn't have moved them to preschool.
Do not worry about it, you have to become more confident in your decisions. It is tough, but own your choice. Doing so will make you stronger and more confident.
Post by daisybuchannan on Aug 27, 2014 12:59:54 GMT -5
I'm starting Connor in pre-school at 2 for 2.5 hrs a day, twice a week...because I'm a SAHM and would like some time alone with my new baby. I have no idea what they're planning on teaching him, they can let him play with trucks and thomas the train the entire time if they'd like, lol.
Listen, our school has "mandatory" pre-k, that was a few hours a day and convenient ONLY for parents that stayed at home.
So I didn't do it. And C did a "pre-k" thing as his pre-school which consisted of some worksheets - very informal but gave the older kids something more structured to do. He was 5 when they started this (Oct birthday and he missed the cut off last year for K by 20 days)
Fast forward to a few weeks ago and H and I are sitting at the parent back to school night thing where we meet the teachers and it's CLEAR the parents that put their kids in the "mandatory" pre-k are all sitting together and have formed a clique and cheering the fact all their kids got grouped together, etc.
It made me feel bad for exactly 3.7 seconds. Then I Cher slapped myself and repeated in my head that C is ONLY 5 and I am confident he is prepared for K.
So - that's my long winded way of saying stop feeling bad or worried. C is into his second week of Kinder, has made friends and the transition had been great so far - way better than I anticpated. Even though wf didn't follow the same path to get to K as the majority of the other parents
Do not even give this a second thought. Last night my H and I were talking about how when we were that young, there was only ONE year of K. Not Jr and Sr K. One. That started at age 5. I would one hundred percent support a move back to that model. We expect too much too early. They are only little kids for such a short time.
I personally started both my girls at 2 1/2 going to "pre-school". It's more like 2 days a week that I would get a break from them. I'm a stay at home so those 2 hours 2 days a week I would use it as a time to run errands. It wasn't necessarily for extra education.
Same here. I think it's really common to start at 2 or 3 if you have a SAHP. I wouldn't bother until 4 yo preK if my kids went to daycare full time though. I'm sure they all learn the same stuff.
+1
My DD is technically at a daycare for two morning a a week but I call it school. Also, a lot of my friends who utilize a FT daycare went straight to kindergarten. They are some of the smartest little kids and know two languages, some three. I've seen so e pretty good curriculums at daycares.
It's easy to doubt yourself, but try not to be so hard on yourself.
Post by sawyerthedestroyer on Aug 27, 2014 13:25:14 GMT -5
Eh. When I decided to return to work I toured a bunch of places in town, both preschools and daycares. I just happened to like one that called itself a preschool better than the ones that called themselves daycares for reasons outside of academics. They all seemed pretty much the same WRT education.
DD had a wonderful child care center - I LOVED them. She had a full "pre-K" experience when she was 3 and 4. They just didn't call it "pre-K" until they kids were 4 turning 5 and were one year away from kindergarten. It was the same child care center (7 AM - 6 PM), it just had a "pre-K" schedule from 9 am to 3 pm.
I got laid-off at the end of summer when she was 3 and I got the last spot in our local pre-K program (also wonderful). I liked the idea of her attending pre-K while I was job-hunting. It was 9 am - 11:30 am. The room and activities were identical to the room she left as a 3 year old at the child care center. Lots of kids were never in child care and this was their first experience from mom, grandparents or a nanny. They all adjusted nicely, but a few had a rough start. DD sailed through it because she was already so used to groups.
So, if you really like your child care, don't get hung-up on the names/labels. Great care is great care.
Post by fivechickens on Aug 27, 2014 13:40:23 GMT -5
Two of my girls are starting preschool next Tuesday. One is not. They are 3. The reason we are keeping one out is cost. The two that are going are in a special ed preschool and it doesn't cost us. The one we are keeping out will cost is $900+ and We didn't see the benefit for her and really she is 3, I know a lot of parents who keep their kids out of school until 4.
I feel bad because I worry she will feel left out but I we will put her in other activties to hopefully keep her entertained.