When do most kids start preschool?

Mouseygail · January 2012

time has had a way of sneaking up on me lately... I just need to figure out when I should start finding a preschool!

browneyedgrl4282 · January 2012

It depends on who you ask, I think most kids I know start at age 3.

cjsbdl · January 2012

Many of my friends have put their kids in preschool at three. Some don't send them at all. I think it all depends on the kid, your family finances, etc.

We have a dilemma. Henry will be four years old when he starts K (he'll turn five a couple weeks after school starts), so he'll likely be one of the youngest in his class. For this reason I think he'd really benefit from two years of preschool. The only problem is that all preschools I know of require kids to be fully potty-trained before they start--and he will be RIGHT AT three years old when the school year starts, so I'm just not sure if that will happen by then! Sad

MrsNolan · January 2012

I think most kids start at 3. However, my little guy will be starting now at 2. I found an awesome program for 2 year olds. My DS gets so bored at home all day every day with me. So now he will get to go "play with friends" two mornings a week.

howleyshell · January 2012

3 but we waited until 4 because I was lucky enough to be home with them.

Beware that if there is a public pre-school program in your area the registration may be INSANELY early. Our district has early January registration for pre-school and I had to register Dylan yesterday for Kindy starting in the fall.

I think a lot of first time parents miss the public registrations because they are just so insanely early.

KYRN · January 2012

I think it is very situational. DS started this year at 2 for a few reasons. DH was able to be home with him all week because of his work schedule (was only working weekends). This was too much for DH, and DS needed more interaction with kids his own age, structure etc. Before DH had him full-time my cousin watched him varying amounts of time through the week, he'd never been in any type of structured program or with kids his own age.

My nephew is 2 months older and goes to traditional daycare, he is in no way behind DS even though DS is an official school and they do more structured things.

We needed DS to be around other kids his own age, learn to follow directions, wait your turn, wait in line etc (or at least the concept of those things). If I was SAHM and could have structured outings, learning activities, playdates etc, or DS was in a daycare that I was happy with I wouldn't have started an official preschool until 3 or 4.

For us, 2 years worked well for a variety of reasons, I don't think it's "necessary" until age 4 though.

kme930 · January 2012

I think most start at 3, but for us, there is a great program near us that starts at 2. I think it would be impossible to get into the 3s program without being in the 2s, so we may end up applying to that. And we better get our act together because the applications are due 2/1! Ack!

superned · January 2012

I think it depends on what type of program you're asking about.

When DD turns three she'll age out of her current child care program (a family child care provider). If I could, she would stay right there until kindergarten because 1) I need full-time care and 2) she would continue to receive high-quality care that would absolutely prepare her for school. So she wouldn't go to "preschool" at all.

At age three our choices will really be among a few high-quality centers near us. They all serve infants through preschool-age children, so again, they are what most people would consider "child care," but they are both accredited and I know that DD will receive excellent care that will prepare her for school.

If I was a SAHM, I would probably look into a part-day program when she's three just to get experience with a structured program and group care with other children.

If my community starts to offer it, I would consider sending her to a part-day public pre-k, but it would all depend on how it would work with our need for full-time child care.

I guess my point is that it's different for parents who need FT child care because ideally you would find a high-quality child care program that would meet your needs both for FT care and for preparing your LO for school. If Jones is in a great program that will continue to care for him until he goes to kindergarten, I wouldn't worry about finding a preschool.

Mouseygail · January 2012

ok...sounds like I have time to figure out what we are doing then...he is in a structured daycare program now and based on what he comes home saying and doing, she's working with them a lot!

Thanks for all the info and different takes!

madybug · January 2012

Its totally upto you what age or if at all you send your child. But If you want a certian preschool then you should contact them the january prior to them starting. Otherwise you could miss the beginning of sign up and be put on a wait list.

i live in a smaller town and this happens here too not just big cities....i had waited til april.

EmilyAnne · January 2012

When your childs birthday falls also plays a role. Conor has a November birthday. I wanted him to have 2 years of preschool before starting Kindergarten. So I had to think backwards.

In my state, he has to have his 4th birthday before September 15 (or something like that). Because of this, Conor will be starting Kindergarten at 4yo and then turn 5 in a few months. So he will start preschool this fall. He just turned 3, but will be 4 a few months into preschool. The center he goes to groups the kids based on when they will enter school.

krissyh21 · January 2012

Dillon turns 3 in November. We won't be starting him in preschool until he is 4. I am planning on taking him to a pre-preschool type thing they have at the Y where it is structured like a school but parents go too. Then at the end of the "school" year parents leave for a short time... Eventually just doing drop offs. That way he gets used to not having me around all.the.time. Of course, that's different for kids who do daycare - but I want him used to it before doing the first day of preschool.

naflmj · January 2012

I think most start at 3... Graeme is a Winter baby so he will start closer to 4 (in the fall) since he'll still get 2 full years before Kindergarten (which will be at the same private preschool since not all of NH has mandated Kindergarten).

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