did I put her in school too early?

Erinmmo

hi- okay I have a 27 month old and she goes to school/daycare 2x weekly from 9-3ish.  Its more of a school setting bc the whole day is scheduled from yoga, to singing/music, to circle time, snack time, crafts, they learn something new each day depending on the topic, play time, lunch and nap time. 

With that said she is one of the younger ones- there are maybe 2 that are her age and all the others are closer to 3 or are 3+. 

I know she only goes 2x and that in itself is not a lot but she is able to stay at home the other days so we like it that way plus it gives her an opportunity to learn how to deal with a structured setting and play with other kids- BUT it seems like she just wants to play there and wont sit for circle time and is always the one crying or whining.

She is our only baby and I am trying hard to set limits and so forth and do my job as a parent but like the teacher told me today that my daughter seems focused on the toys a lot and wants to play with them when they are doing something else.  

I look at it if she was at in in home daycare it would probably not be like a school setting but at the same time maybe she needs to learn how to deal with rules and so forth- but maybe she is not ready!!   I just want to do the right thing!

 

PunkyBooster

I think children can benefit a lot from being in a mixed age classroom/environment. 

Have you considered a more montessori type approach for her? I don't think the teacher should think it's odd that your child wants to play with a toy. Perhaps she needs to make the lesson more engaging?

(I realize how catty that sounds and I don't mean to come across that way, but seriously. These are 2 and 3 year olds, ffs).  

susan1017

Have a talk with the teacher to see what he/she says about how your child is doing in the class. It could be that the age range of her class is a little advanced (developmentally, not intellectually) for her and she would do better in a class with a younger set of children.

I put my DD in school at that age and she did great. My son is that age now and I wouldn't dream of putting him in a program right now. He is too unfocused and immature to handle a group. We do mommy and me style classes and I cant keep him engaged so a teacher that cant focus on him has no chance. It is so dependent on each child and there is no simple answer. If you are questioning the decision, there must be some truth there. 

I think the structure is good for her but if she is being asked to do things beyond her its a waste of her time and your money. Again, I would talk to the teacher or director.

1026pumpkin

My son has been in daycare a child development center with a curriculum since I went back to work after maternity leave.  He's always done great, but when he recently moved up to the 2 year old room, I did notice (and his teachers confirmed) that there was a big difference between the new 2s and the almost-3s.  The older kids were really able to sit for longer periods and listen to stories, read books, etc. and the younger ones just wanted to run around and explore.  Some of that was probably due to the new room, new toys, etc., but they also have different abilities at that age.  After a month or two, it's gotten better, and he just keeps improving.

His teacher and I agree that it would be better if they separated kids by smaller age intervals- like 18-24m, 24-30, 30-36, etc. until they're bigger, but unfortunately they're not able to.

I would stick with it and maybe even send her for an extra day- like T, W, Th so she has more time to get used to the routine.  Once the novelty wears off and she adjusts to their schedule, I bet things will go a lot more smoothly. 

Angela814

9-3 may be too long for her age. DD2 started a preschool program in the fall at almost 26 months, but it's twice a week for 1.5 hours each time. She did fine sitting for circle time and participating in the class activities, but they also do a lot of play time. Her class is a range of 2.5-3.5 year olds right now, and sometimes even the older kids are distracted during different activities. That's normal for their age, and it's part of the learning experience. The reason we have our kids in preschool is so they can start to learn the structure of a classroom setting.

Is she in the daycare while you work or just solely for the preschool portion? Do you have the option of making her day shorter? 9-11 or 9-12 may be more appropriate for her first preschool experience.

lrn327

My DS is in a large center and is also the youngest in his class.  It took him a long, long, looooong time to sit for circle time.  They just need time to get in to the routine, and apparently that can take much longer than we expect.  His buddy who is much older still doesn't sit for it all the time. 

BelhurstBride

PunkyBooster:

Have you considered a more montessori type approach for her? I don't think the teacher should think it's odd that your child wants to play with a toy. Perhaps she needs to make the lesson more engaging?

(I realize how catty that sounds and I don't mean to come across that way, but seriously. These are 2 and 3 year olds, ffs).  

I agree. I personally wouldn't want my 2 or 3 year old in such a structured program. It's just not age appropriate, IMO. 

courtneyt13

My DD goes to an early education center that has toddlers from 12m- 3yrs (or almost 3). It's a really good mix of ages and helps the younger kids learn what to do in circle time. However, they have many different "stations" set up and the children can do whatever they feel like doing. For example, play with blocks during circle time. I love this because sometimges DD doesn't want to sit but maybe wants to explore the science stations.

I believe Montessori has a similar approach. Maybe another program would be best for your DD.