preschool..what age?

[dec756]

i know lots of schools around here take children after 18months. is anyone going to be doing this, or have experience and or an opinion?? dh and i are just starting to talk about it..

[SnuggleBuggles]

With ds1 I saw no point in it till 3yo, which is the standard age for preschool to start. I was, in fact, vocally opinionated on the topic on one or two occasions...oops (as MIL says- 2nd kids make liars out of you). Ds1 started at 3yo. Ds2 started at 20 months. It was just 2 mornings/ week, 2.5 hours. He likely would have been chilling at the nursery at the gym during some of that time so it wasn't really a big change. It was nicer for him to go to school, interact with the same kids and teachers and just have a routine. They also had a great playground that they spent lots of time in. I was glad that he went. It was fun for him and nice for me to have some time on my own for working out, volunteering and errands. :)

There isn't a wrong answer. Just go with what makes sense for your child, family and lifestyle.

Beth

[KDsMommy]

DS is starting at 3.5

[Octobermommy]

My oldest started a mothers day out 2 days a week from 9-2 at age 3. My middle started mdo at age 2. This coincided with arrivals of baby siblings so it was a good fun place for the kids to go while I had time with the new babies.

[DietCokeLover]

DD started at 3.5, though we probably wouldn't have started her at all if it had not been recommended by her speech therapist.

[wellyes]

My DD is almost 3 and we're just starting to think about it. 18 months comes with a bunch of really big changes (good ones!) but IMO it's young for preschool.

[JBaxter]

3... 2 yrs before staring kindergarten

[janeybwild]

Preschool as I think of it starts at 3. Before that is 'mothers day out' or daycare. Perhaps it's all in the name. 18 months is too young for "school" IMO

[LMPC]

DD started MDO (one day a week 9-1p) at 22 mo. She will attend a 2 or 3 day (3 hours a day) preschool next year, depending where she gets in. At that point she will be 2 months shy of 3. I like the idea of pre-school for her, since I think it's important for her to learn to listen to other adults besides me and DH :tongue5:, she likes to "learn" things, and I like the idea of increasing her chances at socializing with other kids her age. That's just my opinion for this particular child...I agree that there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to pre-school.

[edurnemk]

DS started at 32 months. My plan was to wait until he turned 3, but he was really eager to go, and he loves it.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Preschool as I think of it starts at 3. Before that is 'mothers day out' or daycare. Perhaps it's all in the name. 18 months is too young for "school" IMO

The preschools my kids go to aren't academic- just play based. Basically playtime, art, story time, some songs and a snack. So, whatever name you want to apply. I think of MDO as a drop in thing with inconsistent families each time attending and maybe running. Daycare I think of as a full day deal or at least more than 5 hours/ week.

Beth

[MSWR0319]

DS is 29 months and would love to go. He is way ahead of most kids his age and would love the socialization aspect. However, all of the preschools in our area go by the school cutoff date, which is the end of September. So he won't be able to start preschool until he is a month shy of 4, and then he will be in the 3 year old class. Not sure what we're going to do with him.

[LMPC]

I think of MDO as a drop in thing with inconsistent families each time attending and maybe running.

Really, I had no idea! The only experience I have with MDO is the place DD goes. It's the same kids every week, which I really like because she comes home talking about her "friends." They do art, storytime, songs, play outside...snack and lunch.

[smilequeen]

Our preschool is Montessori and the youngest age in the primary program is 2y9m. I used the toddler program too, which starts at 18 months. I thought of it as a more enriching form of MDO though, not really preschool. It functions like the preschool though with a certain routine, enriching activities, a small class size. I loved it and Oliver loved it.

[maydaymommy]

28 months for ds1 and ds2 will start at 24 months.

Technically, in our state, a licensed preschool cannot take kids earlier than 2 years, 7 months. Earlier than that can be called a preschool, but there are additional regulations and the facility has to meet other requirements of a day care.

Not really what you were looking for, just some info.

I like the idea of 2 mornings for a 2 yr old, 3 for a 3 year old, and so on. Worked well for us so far. I'd stick with more mommy & me stuff before 2 years.

[scrooks]

DD started at 3. DS will probably do the same. I only know of 1 actual preschool (not daycare) in our area that has a 2 yo program that is not mommy and me. I would say 3 is the norm in our area.

[egoldber]

They do art, storytime, songs, play outside...snack and lunch.

I would call that preschool. :)

Around here, 2 day a week 2s programs are often called MDOs. But there is no difference in what I have seen that the kids do vs. "preschool".

[scriptkitten]

my twins started 1 morning a week at 23 months.

in the fall they will be 35 months and do 2 mornings a week.

they will miss the 5yr old kindergarden cutoff so they will move to 3-5 days per week during their 3-turning-4 and 4-turning-5 year.

its been very beneficial to them.

[JoyNChrist]

DS1 started 3 mornings a weeks (8:30-12:30) at 29 months. He's in the same program at 3, but will probably do a full-day, 5 day a week preK next year (at 4) at the Catholic school where he'll probably attend K-8.

Not sure when we'll start the babies.

[KrisM]

All mine started/will start shortly after turning 3 and go for 2 years before kindergarten.

[sste]

My ideal would have been 2.5 for my DS - - just based on him as a child and our living situation. He started at 2 y/o in a preschool-daycare with a toddler play-based "curriculum" and has been going ever since.

[vonfirmath]

I tend to think of preschool as being a thing to do at age 4.

[Sweetum]

DS now goes to a 'child development center' where kids can start when they are 2mo and can go upto kinder. It's a playbased school, and DS is in the toddler "class". Since we need a daycare and we want him to be in the same environment as long as he can but have a little more structure than a home-based daycare, we decided to put him there. So, in that sense we started "school" as he turned 2. I like that they have a lot of activities to do there which we may or may not do at home (I call them mainstream activities). And since he likes to have a routine, it's working well for him (touch wood!). So, it totally depends on what you are looking for - if working out of home and in need of daycare, then you would want to decide what type, and if staying at home, then you would want to decide on when.

[ahrimie]

There isn't a wrong answer. Just go with what makes sense for your child, family and lifestyle.


I agree here. I started something around 11 months with DD because I felt like she needed to be around other people and not just me 24/7. I was also starting to feel really overwhelmed with motherhood and while I never experienced the baby blues or PPD after giving birth, it seemed to set in as she was turning 1. After just 2 months though, I realized I wasn't ready for it. Just a few days "off" was good enough for me and I pulled her out.

As she was turning 2.5, I needed to put her in a daycare/preschool type setting because I was going to take the LSAT.

FWIW, DD really likes a preschool-type setting. She likes going to child care during church too. And I like that it just gives her some different experiences/exposures. Lately, we've been staying at home again because of an incident from preschool and that is just fine for us right now too.

Try to see what works for you and your family. And I think it's ok to decide it's not for you just yet or whatever too.

[Gena]

DS started therapeutic preschool at 2.5, at the Early Intervention toddler class. At age 3 he moved to the school district's SN preschool.

I agree that there is no "right age". It's different for every family.

[ewpmsw]

3 is the norm for regular preschool around here, but there are other options for younger kids. As a PP said, most programs that start around 18 mos old are Moms Morning Out (MMO) programs. I looked into some last year and really liked the places I visited. Most of them limited attendance to 1-2 days a week and lasted from 8-11 or 9-noon. We had to wait for a new school year to enroll DD, and by the time September rolled around, she was old enough for a preschool type MMO.

DD started going to "camp" two mornings a week at our local children's gym right after she turned two and did well. It was a good way to transition her to a two-days-a-week MMO. She is totally exhausted by the time noon rolls around. I don't think she could handle three days a week at this age (2 1/2) or full days of preschool. Her teachers are a big help with potty training and I like that she's getting some socialization beyond our usual group of SAHM families.

[okinawama]

We just put my son on a waiting list for a "pre-school" and he will be two in a couple of weeks. I don't expect to get a phone call for at least a couple of months. The program he's waiting for is play based and is two days a week.

I am expecting another baby in a 10 weeks, and I'm sure that my son will crave more social interaction than I can give him , so we thought this would be a good solution.

[lorinick]

Age 3. Which is when everyone who isn't enrolled starts preschool around here.

He is there two days a week. Next year he has to go 3. I love the program. He really needed it.

[AnnieW625]

DD1 started at almost 3/1/2, so two years before starting kindergarten.

[Kindra178]

Oldest ds started a toddler program at 26 months, 2 mornings a week. School switched the program to 5 mornings a week, notwithstanding my loud campaigning to the Board and Exec. Director to keep it 2 or 3 days. My twins go 5 days a week and they started right before they turned two. And yes I am a liar! The consistency is good.

[Kindra178]

DS is 29 months and would love to go. He is way ahead of most kids his age and would love the socialization aspect. However, all of the preschools in our area go by the school cutoff date, which is the end of September. So he won't be able to start preschool until he is a month shy of 4, and then he will be in the 3 year old class. Not sure what we're going to do with him.


Not sure where you live but Montessori schools usually are a little fluid in cut off dates. My twins will do three years in primary and then head to public k.

[robinsmommy]

I have younger DD in Montessori - how they do it here (and I'm pretty sure this is the way Montessori is supposed to be set up) is in 3 year cycles - 2 years of preschool and 1 of K, then 1st-3rd grade, and then 3-6th. There are some children who are in there longer, say starting at 2.5 yrs. The preferred set-up is 5 days a half-day long for preschool and a full school day for K, but there are younger kids there longer, they just have an easy afternoon - the big kids do "big works" and the littles may have a nap, and/or do other easy, quiet, non-Montessori activities like puzzles.

My feeling is that unless the kid is at least 2.5 and potty trained, it is some sort of daycare. I'm not saying they won't learn at daycare (and they should learn a LOT at good quality daycares at any age), but that for me, preschool is exactly that - PRE-school - the couple of years between toddlerhood and starting K.

Do what is right for your family, just do your research and find a high-quality program with great teachers and low turnover. The last being esp important for the really young kids - they need that consistency.