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In home vs. center daycare

WifeofaMarineWifeofaMarine
in Toddlers: 24 Months+

I won't post all the background to this again (posted a ridiculously long daycare post the  other day), but basically the decision we have to make is whether to keep DS at his in home daycare (extending our commute by 20-25 minutes each way because DCP is moving) or put him in a center (DS is supposed to start at a center on Monday, but now we're having second thoughts). 

DS will be 4 in September. We're leaning more toward keeping him in the in home for a variety of reasons (been there for 2 years, will save us a lot of money, etc.) And, though I think an in home environment is much better for a baby (we're expecting DS #2 in October), I wonder if I'm doing DS #1 a disservice by not putting him in a preschoo/center type daycare before kindergarten.

DS's DCP does do learning activities with the kids, but not nearly as much as he'd get in a center/preschool. Is it a disadvantage for a kid never to be in a preschool environment before kindergarten?

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Re: In home vs. center daycare

  • LoCarbLoCarb member
    Look at your state requirements for Kindergarten admission. Some require an assessment before entrance. I would review the requirements (ie: how many numbers to count to, words to recognize,etc...) and determine if the in-home DCP will be able to teach these to your LO. Also, listening to the teacher and following everyday instructions is important. Can he sit down in circle time w/o being distracted by toys, does he raise his hand, stand in single file line?
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  • Shayna0182Shayna0182 member

    I think it depends on your circumstance.  I know in Indiana, preschool is not required before kindergarten, however, my ds has some developmental delays, so he is going to the pre-k program offered through the school system.  It is free, and he did qualify for it.

    If your child is thriving in his current environment, and can pass the requirements by kindergarten time, than I probably wouln't mess with a good thing.  

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  • mylittlesunshinemylittlesunshine member
    We have DD1 in a home daycare and have discussed that when she reaches 4 we will most likely send her to a preschool. Our provider does a few preschool activities, but for me, I want DD have a little more structure and with children her own age (since right now there might be 1 other child at her daycare who is her age. All the other kids are either older or younger). Good luck in your decision
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  • kross605kross605 member
    I think it ultimately depends how well your son is meeting the educational and developmental milestones that are necessary for him to succeed in school. FWIW, I have a friend with several children and she said her older one that was in an in-home setting up to kindergarten struggled to adjust and do well much more than her younger kids that were in centers right before kindergarten. But clearly, if your DS is meeting milestones while being at the in home care place, I wouldnt rock the boat and make him adjust to something new right before adjusting to kindergarten as well.
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  • lemonJAMlemonJAM member
    DD goes to a fantastic in-home provider who researches preschool curricula and does many awesome activities with the kids.  Still, we are going to have DD do one year of preschool before kindergarten.  I think the transition from being in a very small group and not having school routines (walking in line, staying quiet at the right times, etc.) would be very difficult if we went right from in-home to kindergarten.
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  • groovygrlgroovygrl member
    That is a no brainer for me if he only has 1 yr before kindergarten, from an academic & socialization standpoint, unless the in home DCP has a whole slew of 4 yr olds going there.  Plus the extra almost 1 hr of commuting would be it for me. But my kids have always gone to a center & we're very happy with them so I'm biased (they've been to two b/c we've lived in 2 different states).
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  • WifeofaMarineWifeofaMarine
    Thank you all for your input. We decided to keep him at the in home for now. He's been there for two years and does very well there. She does phonics, math, etc. through preschool workbooks, bingo, flash cards, etc. Because of his mid-Sept. birthday, he will miss the the kindergarten cut off into 2013 and won't be going until he's 6 in 2014. We will likely put him in a preschool down the road as we get closer.
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  • WifeofaMarineWifeofaMarine
    imagecmeon_the_water:

    imageWifeofaMarine:
    Thank you all for your input. We decided to keep him at the in home for now. He's been there for two years and does very well there. She does phonics, math, etc. through preschool workbooks, bingo, flash cards, etc. Because of his mid-Sept. birthday, he will miss the the kindergarten cut off into 2013 and won't be going until he's 6 in 2014. We will likely put him in a preschool down the road as we get closer.

    FWIW, preschool (at least good programs) aren't about flashcards and workbooks. That's not really the place where you'll see a deficit in a child who's been at an in-home provider or home with a parent/grandparent/etc without any preschool experience. It's really all the other stuff that is so important- being able to listen, sit quietly, pay attention, not bother others, not be distracted, ask for help in a group setting.

    But, if he's not going to K until 2014, you've got plenty of time for that. I do hope there are other kids his age there, though, at least part time- it would suck to be 4 and stuck at home with a bunch of babies. :)

    And hey- if things change, and you decide to move him- you can return the short notice favor! Heh.

    DS is 3 and will be 4 mid-Sept. The other kids there will be a 2 yo and a 3 yo, in addition to DCP's 2.5 yo and 1 month old. DS's baby brother, due in October, will also be there come Dec/Jan.

    We figure the same thing. Since he's not starting K till 2014, we've got some time. We'll likely put him in a preschool in a year or so. 

    Really my only concern with transition to K is I suspect he has ADD just like I do. My mom says I had a rough time in K and was much better in first grade after I was diagnosed and medicated. I know he's too young to test now, but I'll probably bring it up to the pedi at his next well visit. 

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