It's that time of year, kids have started back to school, and I'm seeing "first day of school" photos all over the place, and let me say, they are adorable!
I have noticed that parents with 2 year olds are sending their tots off to preschool a few days a week and started wondering if this was the new norm. I mean, I didn't start preschool until 3 or 4, and before now, I haven't known anyone that sent their 2 year olds to preschool. I'm wondering, is this the new thing to do?
M currently goes to daycare a couple times a week, and her daycare is set up like a school. It isn't just a babysitter type setting. They do offer a preschool type class half a day for a few days a week, and if M started the preschool, she'd be there all week. I know it's selfish of me, but the thought of her spending 5 days a week away from me, even if some are half days, makes my heart hurt. I know one day she'll be in school for 5 days a week, but I'm just not ready for that.
This is my question, should I send her to preschool? My friend B and I were talking about this, and she says she thinks the main reasoning behind sending a 2 year old to preschool is the socialization, which M already gets while she's at daycare a couple of days a week. Plus we have play dates throughout the week whenever she isn't in daycare, so she's getting plenty of socialization. As far as her learning things, I like to think we are teaching her things at home that she needs to know. We work on letters, numbers, shapes, and colors, and she knows quite a bit, but is that enough? Should she be in a more formal learning environment? Or, can I start a more structured preschool setting at home? As in actually boxing off time each day to focus on learning. I think I like the sound of that the most.
What do y'all think? Would you put your child in preschool at 2? Is a homeschool situation good for a toddler? Do you think that it differs from child to child?
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10 comments:
I agree with your friend, I think at two/three the point is just socialization. I'm sure you are already working on her "learning" already - what color is that car? Can we count? It doesn't really need to be so structured.
My boys go to daycare all week because I work full time, and they do mostly free play all morning, and then when the after school kids come in they sit down and work "schoolwork". My 4year old is working out of kindergarten workbooks right now, but my two year old mostly colors.
my daughter will be 3 in December. i've been toying with the idea of a preschool for her but i can't decide. i agree with your friend - my reasoning's are mostly socialization. she is terrified to be away from me and won't play with friends unless i am right beside her. in some aspects, that is great. but because we don't live near family and we (my hubby & i) do everything for ourselves, i feel like she needs some structure and places she can learn & feel safe outside of our home. we don't even leave her with babysitters because i am worried how she will be!
i don't want to wait until kindergarten and have a huge problem with leaving her! we do playdates & storytimes throughout the week but she is still pretty painfully shy even though we've lived here almost a year.
i'd have to say if i did put her in a preschool, it would be a one or two day a week for only a few hours. i would rather do likes a moms day out or MOPS program, but our town has neither of those.
if M does daycare and is already socialized and learning at home, i don't think preschool is necessary. but its all what each mom feels is right for her kid!
Personally I never sent any of my kids to any of the above. I had this idea once upon a time that kids have to go to school for years and years, why put them in earlier than need be? I have a routine and things to do with them here at home...and actually I've had mixed results.
Two of my four kids were very advanced and way ready to go to school for Kindergarten and two were a little more behind. I'm not saying preschool wouldn't help those two reach a new level before they went to Kindergarten but hey, why the heck push them? I like them here at home with me so I can paw at them until they're whisked away into school-dom for 13 years.
I really love watching the photos of the kids of their first day of school...they usually look bit confused, frightened and nervous but their first day photos are really admirable...love reading your post...thanks!
Ellie is turning 3 in November, and we are still holding off. She really could use the socialization, but because of where her birthday falls,she still has 3 years till Kindergarten, so we figured we could try preschool next year and have two years of preschool before Kindergarten. Don't feel bad about wanting her M at home with you when she's not in preschool...my pediatrician told me once that these days everyone is trying to get their kids to grow up so fast! She'll have plenty years of school ahead of her...years and years of school. Enjoy her now...don't worry about keeping up with all the other momma's out there! :-)
I've started pinning things to print off for M to start working with at home, I figure we can start having "school" a few days a week for a couple of hours.
Awww, poor thing! Thankfully M doesn't have a shy bone in her body when it comes to other kids, but she is shy around adults. We've never left her with a sitter either, but that's because I have trust issues! LOL
Have you checked in to Parents as Teachers? I just signed M for it, and it seems like it's a good plan!
LOL, that's how I'm looking at it, I don't want her to be away from me just yet!
I hate the ones where they look frightened, they break my heart!
I've decided to keep her out for this year, I figure we can have "school" at home for a couple of hours a few times a week. I think that's best for both of us!
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