Toddlers: 24 Months+

What age for preschool? I need advice please.

DD will be 2.5 yrs old next week.  I am a SAHM and had planned to put her in our church preschool next year.  But, DD is showing us a lot that she is ready to be challenged more than I can do for her at home.  To top it off, I'm over 25w pregnant and have a c/s scheduled before mid-Feb.  I'm so tired and overwhelmed and I can't keep up with DD right now.  Our closest family is over 6h away so I don't get much relief until DH gets home from work.  I'm worried that if I wait til next spring, DD will feel like the baby came along and she's being pushed out the door.  If I wait til next Aug for the new school year, I feel like I may have held her back from her potential to branch out and learn more than what I can give her.  So, I'm thinking of starting her the first week of December.  Not what I was ready to do at all, but again, I feel like if I wait until after the baby arrives, it will be very hard and too much change at once for DD.  Do any of you think I should get her started now or wait until next August for the school year to start?

 TIA!

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Re: What age for preschool? I need advice please.

  • My son started at 1.5, but I really think 2-2.5 is prefect. 
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  • We started at 2. Our YMCA runs a preschool program 2 days/week for 1.5 hours. It runs Sept through May with the school year. DD2 loves it. She turned 2 in July and was upset that her big sister got to go to school and she didn't.
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  • I would say in your situation go for it!  DD started right before she turned 2 and she has learned so much.  I'm sure there are plenty of options you can consider.  I'm sorry if you had mentioned this already but look into part-time (a couple days a week or only the mornings) or even a co-op preschool where parents are more hands-on but kids are still given the time away from the parents.  I've found the co-op one to be more reasonably priced.
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  • I wanted to start at 2.5 but emotionally my DD wasn't ready (separation anxiety) so I waited until 3 and now I finally feel she will do well with pre school. We are doing a co-op so I can still be with her some of the time and it is way more reasonable (part time here in $600 a month for non co-op, ours is $250). 

    I wanted to make sure I found a pre school and not a day care center since I am a SAHM and don't need day care. The schools I was looking at only did preschool and didn't start until they were 2.5 years old  

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  • Thanks everyone, that really helps put my mind at ease to start her now.  It is a church learning/preschool program.  It's 2d/wk from 9-2.  Nap is from 12-2 for her age group.  She actually naps from 1:30-3 so I'm thinking of picking her up at 12 for a while and bringing her home to nap.  The price is a very reasonable registration fee $150 and runs about $200/mo.  I think those are great prices so I'm going to talk to DH tonight and get his input.  Only problem is we were about to potty train her and also move her into her new big girl room....all within the next 30 days.  I'm worried this is too much all at once in addition to adding school.  But I don't know which is worse, waiting until the baby comes or just going for it now.
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  • I think it's a great idea to start her before the new baby arrives. Transitions can be tough and it will be easier for you to handle without a newborn. We finished potty training and moving our daughter into a big girl bed before her sibling arrived. Our daughter became a big sister at almost 29 months. After the baby arrived, there was some regression. Don't be alarmed if regression happens but hopefully it won't in your daughter's case!
  • imagejolibebe:

    DD will be 2.5 yrs old next week.  I am a SAHM and had planned to put her in our church preschool next year.  But, DD is showing us a lot that she is ready to be challenged more than I can do for her at home.  To top it off, I'm over 25w pregnant and have a c/s scheduled before mid-Feb.  I'm so tired and overwhelmed and I can't keep up with DD right now.  Our closest family is over 6h away so I don't get much relief until DH gets home from work.  I'm worried that if I wait til next spring, DD will feel like the baby came along and she's being pushed out the door.  If I wait til next Aug for the new school year, I feel like I may have held her back from her potential to branch out and learn more than what I can give her.  So, I'm thinking of starting her the first week of December.  Not what I was ready to do at all, but again, I feel like if I wait until after the baby arrives, it will be very hard and too much change at once for DD.  Do any of you think I should get her started now or wait until next August for the school year to start?

     TIA!

     

    We put my son in school at 6 months, he is now 3.  I am also a preschool teacher for 2 1/2 year olds.  The thing that can set you at ease a little, is that you are not required to send her full time.  Send her 2 days a week to start and increase every few weeks or as your energy level depletes. It will get you used to her not being home all day and also give you a little bit of a break. Please message me if you have any questions :)

  • Thank you for your responses.  It helped me think it through with DH.  We are going to start DD right after Christmas break.  That will give her 5-6w before the baby arrives and give me a chance to move DD to her new big girl room/bed and PT her.  It's A LOT but I don't think I want to wait until next Aug/Sept to start her...that seems too far away.  But, I have to start her before the new baby arrives so she doesn't feel like she got pushed out the door for the new baby.  I'm hoping 5-6w before baby arrives is enough time for her to adjust and not think it's the babies fault.  She'll be going to our church preschool.  2d/wk.  I think at first I'll only drop her off for a couple of hours and then work up to a little more time each week.  I'm praying the separation anxiety doesn't go as bad or as long as I'm expecting and she adjusts well.  I am not looking forward to being away from my baby myself.  The thought makes me cry and sick to my stomach right now.

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