Preschool - what age?

[daisyduck123]

I think that, unless you have to (and I am not criticizing anyone who has to) it is best to start preschool at 3 years or beyond. Anything before that is pretty much just daycare.HTH!

ITA!

 

[RadioNate]

DS started in a Mom's Day Out program when he was 18 months. It was 4 hours a day, 2 days a week.

He moved to preschool the Aug after he turned 3. He did that for 4 hours a day, 3 days a week. The Aug after he turned 4 he did the 4 hours a day, 5 days a week.

 

[DMickey28]

Thanks for all the responses!!

Wilderness - I wished I lived a little closer to Weston!! We were going to move to Plantation but ended up in Coral Springs. We are actually moving to Boca in a few weeks.

I think I will start looking around and asking the other mother's in my meetup group. Just start getting ideas of the oppurtunities around us and the costs! We most likely will not be here much past 3-5 years IF that long so I'll look primarily at the lower level schools to find something good as opposed to going to a certain pre-school/kindergarten because of their elem. and middle school.

Just listening to you guys I am leaning towards 3.5 but will take the cues from my DS. I am going to look into a Mother's Day out program though ... maybe I"ll find something that will take him one morning a week for a few hours w/o being potty trained. I do put him in the day care at the gym some mornings so he is starting to get comfortable away from Mommy but then that means I have to workout and that's not so much relaxing!!

I also don't have family here so I am with him 24/7. I take a Sunday or Saturday morning off for a few hours every week or two (whenever I want) but then I don't know what to do. I'll go to the pool or out for coffee and the bookstore. I hate going shopping and errands on the weekend because it's so busy so I'd LOVE a morning during the week alone!!

Thanks again!

 

[aprilgail2]

My daughter went to 2 year old preschool ( one day a week for 3 hours) but was throw out for disrupting the class with her crying- she just was SO not ready so after a week we decided that she should stop and try again the next year. The next year she was 3 and with the promise of some new roller blades for not crying she was fine LOL. After a week of not wanting to go back she then loved it-3 year old preschool was 2 days a week and 4 year old preschool was 3 days a week. At 4 here they also run a one day a week pre-K program at the school they will be going to the next year so she also went to that one. The one day a week one was great, got them used to the school, gym class, art, showed them how to buy hot lunch and how to come in, unpack their things and put their folders next tothe teachers desk like they will have to do the following year.

 

[Mkrop]

DS10 and DS5 went to the same Lutheran preschool and did the same schedule. We are Catholic just so you know religion may not matter, the program is excellent and we have the best teachers.

They have a 2 1/2 early 3s for those that miss the cutoff, they went two days a week (they did have a 1 day program too) from 9-11. Kids were not required to be potty trained

Then they moved up to the 3s, 3 days a week, and had to be potty trained. same hours

DS5 is currently in the 4s (he turned 5 in Dec) and my baby is going to graduate next week (Iam freaking out) He goes 3 mornings and 1 afternoon for enrichment where they do science, history and drama.

Word of mouth and mommy instinct are your two best guides for picking a program.

GL

 

[lemondog]

Older DD started at 2, twins started at 18 months. There is no right or wrong. It depends on your child and his/her temperament. All of my girls loved MDO/preschool, and it GREATLY helped one of my twins with her gross motor skills and speech.

 

[AuburnJen92]

I have only one child, so pre-school was needed at 2 for social skills. He stayed with my mother while I was at work, so he really needed that peer socialization. I have never regretted putting him in at 2.