Newbie here! Can you help me please?!

macaroni1979

Josie will be three next month and is registered to start preschool in the fall. I am so nervous and excited at the same time! So, here are my questions!

What questions did you ask when you met your LO's teachers? Right now I want to know how tantrums are dealt with, how they discipline behavioral issues, what they feed for snack, and what they expect her to know coming in, that is all I have! What else should I ask?

Do I start with half day or just go with full day? She would be there 3 days a week, either 8-11:30 or 8-2:30. I SAH, so this is all new to us.

Any advice for this -- She had been peeing in the potty since November, so over 7 months, but refuses to poop on the toilet. Pretty sure she has to be fully pt'd to go to school. I have 2 months to fix this. Any ideas? I have tried telling her we are out of pull ups, every form of bribery, and even let her pick her prize out at the store for going. 

Anything else I should know?!

n&bcarlson

The only thing I really asked about was the basic structure of the day and what types of things they would cover.  We're doing a half day, 5 days a week.  It's kind of up to you, though.  If you thought you wanted to find a part time job locally on those days, full day would make that more possible.  I don't think it matters too much in terms of what your DD will get out of it.  Regarding potty training, I have a feeling poop will not be an issue.  Kids will tend to hold that until they are comfortable at home.  She's not likely to poop in her pants with other kids around.  But I would definitely just take away the pull ups.  Actually, why not just have her go bare bottomed around the house for the summer, even at bedtime?  That way her choices are poop in the potty or on the floor/in bed (just keep fingers crossed she decides against the floor).

franciscaz

I think the most important thing is to start looking.  Many larger towns it is harder to get into a good program so I would start looking ASAP.  Some schools will take kids not fully PT'd, many don't.  With this limitation in mind I would really start searching.

Also I would decide what type of preschool do you want: traditional, parochial, montessori, etc.

Once you find some good candidates if it is possible I would ask to observe in addition to asking questions.  Seeing a class in action I believe will give you a more accurate picture of what she is getting into.

As for deciding on whole or half days I would ask: does she still nap?  Has she spent most of her life with you primarily at home?  Is she real attached to you?  If the answers are yes I would ease her in with half days... but if she is a social butterfly and really flourishes in these types of enviorments than a whole day might be better.

Well I HTH!  GL! 

howleyshell

1.  We had an open house where the kids got to check out the class room while the teachers told us how the day progressed and what to expect.  From there I had no questions.  This was a public school though - not sure if a day care type of thing would do the same thing.

2.  I'd start half day.  She's got the rest of her life to be in school all day long.  She'll have 2 years of pre-school so many do half day the first year and bump up to full day the 2nd year if the child's particularly enjoying the environment.

3.  The thing that finally worked for us with poop was special underwear.  I had them in plain boring solid colored underwear to start the day and told them they could put on their special (Thomas the Tank engine or Buzz Lightyear) underwear that they had picked out once they put their poop in the potty.  Then Thomas or Buzz would talk to them and tell them "Don't poop on me!".  They thought it was hilarious and it worked well.

Also - yank the pull ups.  Just go underwear and deal with accidents.  To her it's no big deal to poop in something that gets thrown out.  She might be more motivated to avoid pooping on a princess.

GL!