Isn't the rush to preschool starting younger and younger these days?

[Anonymous]

I waited until my kids were three and potty trained.

[Anonymous]

We started a once-a-week "preschool" at 3. I say "preschool" because it was mostly social and play-based. I was so glad we sent her, because she was 100% prepared for academic preschool at 4, then K at 5. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was reading through your OP and then thinking about the math and whatnot, before I realized that my kid is the exact age as yours - a 20 month old with a December birthday. I can assure you that, no, I have absolutely no intentions of starting preschool any time soon.

My child barely talks, I can teach colors or numbers or sitting still on his own spot perfectly fine at home, better even, since the ratio is better. 1:1!

Socialization is overrated, especially at the clingy toddler age. Plenty of time for preschool, maybe, at 3 or 4.

Yes but the inconvenient thing about a December birthday is you either are putting off preschool until the kid is nearly 4, which when the time comes will feel a bit late for you and the kid (I know it might not feel like that at 20 months, but it likely will). OR you send the kid a few months shy of 3.

The other thing is you have to think about part-time preschool for a toddler in January as that's when all the registration/lotteries happen so they can start the following September. And a kid that age....9 months makes a big difference in terms of development. It will feel like you're signing your baby up for preschool and they might be ready in the fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I waited until my kids were three and potty trained.

And our kid was potty trained AT school by some really awesome teachers at age 2.5. Of course we kept it up at home, but daycare really took the lead on that.

I really ascribe to the "you do you" philosophy. If you think things are going well for your kid because she has a great nanny, then keep going with that. For us, it was a financial issue. We just couldn't afford a full time nanny. DS started in a daycare at 4 months and then transitioned to a half day co-op preschool at age 3. Both were wonderful for different reasons, but it's a lot about the facility and staff, too. Just as having a good nanny is probably reason enough to wait another year for you, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was reading through your OP and then thinking about the math and whatnot, before I realized that my kid is the exact age as yours - a 20 month old with a December birthday. I can assure you that, no, I have absolutely no intentions of starting preschool any time soon.

My child barely talks, I can teach colors or numbers or sitting still on his own spot perfectly fine at home, better even, since the ratio is better. 1:1!

Socialization is overrated, especially at the clingy toddler age. Plenty of time for preschool, maybe, at 3 or 4.

Yes but the inconvenient thing about a December birthday is you either are putting off preschool until the kid is nearly 4, which when the time comes will feel a bit late for you and the kid (I know it might not feel like that at 20 months, but it likely will). OR you send the kid a few months shy of 3.

The other thing is you have to think about part-time preschool for a toddler in January as that's when all the registration/lotteries happen so they can start the following September. And a kid that age....9 months makes a big difference in terms of development. It will feel like you're signing your baby up for preschool and they might be ready in the fall.

I am probably somewhat 'radical' on this issue but I disagree. I would be loathe to do any preschool, but our district only has full day kindergarten, and I think that is too big of a transition, without a half day year beforehand at a preschool. Childhood is very short for our high achieving kids. Spending the day home playing with mom and siblings, going to story time and Sunday School is a plenty busy schedule for a 2-3 year old.

[Anonymous]

My twins will be two at the end of September and there is no way I would send them to preschool at two. They aren't really developmentally ready for that setting (slightly behind peers due to a very premature birth). Also I personally believe two years of preschool prior to kindergarten is adequate. They will be in a school setting for a very long time and there is value in just being home with their mom or a nanny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because they need to be College and Career ready in elementary school. The pressure is intense and it trickles down to even the youngest children. It is insane. I feel badly for today's kids.

Yes, if you go to one of these morning preschools, the kids are being drilled on the alphabet and made to run laps around the building!!

Uh, they're really not. My kids have gone to three different part-time preschools (which is what the OP is talking about) in the area and they've all been play-based and about as low key as you can imagine. Some circle time, some snack, just a few hours a week in the early years to start learning how to manage in a group setting. Some people are looking for a place to send their kids so there's a market for it. I think that's about it.

Daycare, you just defined daycare. I send my kid to daycare and think it's great for her, but let's be clear that this is really about the label you want to put on your childcare and the connotations that go along with said label, not any difference in the childcare itself.

[Anonymous]

That's because preschools that start at age 2 have a September cutoff. Your child will miss it, and will still be in 2s classes next September. Kids born a few months earlier will be going into 3s classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because they need to be College and Career ready in elementary school. The pressure is intense and it trickles down to even the youngest children. It is insane. I feel badly for today's kids.

Yes, if you go to one of these morning preschools, the kids are being drilled on the alphabet and made to run laps around the building!!

Uh, they're really not. My kids have gone to three different part-time preschools (which is what the OP is talking about) in the area and they've all been play-based and about as low key as you can imagine. Some circle time, some snack, just a few hours a week in the early years to start learning how to manage in a group setting. Some people are looking for a place to send their kids so there's a market for it. I think that's about it.

Daycare, you just defined daycare. I send my kid to daycare and think it's great for her, but let's be clear that this is really about the label you want to put on your childcare and the connotations that go along with said label, not any difference in the childcare itself.

Same poster. I don't particularly care what it's called. The OP is talking about and asking about partial day childcare, which is typically called preschool by the places that offer this service. For me, it wasn't about daycare v preschool in the least. I had a nanny and wanted my kid to go somewhere for some portion of some days and in that situation, it's called preschool by most people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was reading through your OP and then thinking about the math and whatnot, before I realized that my kid is the exact age as yours - a 20 month old with a December birthday. I can assure you that, no, I have absolutely no intentions of starting preschool any time soon.

My child barely talks, I can teach colors or numbers or sitting still on his own spot perfectly fine at home, better even, since the ratio is better. 1:1!

Socialization is overrated, especially at the clingy toddler age. Plenty of time for preschool, maybe, at 3 or 4.

Yes but the inconvenient thing about a December birthday is you either are putting off preschool until the kid is nearly 4, which when the time comes will feel a bit late for you and the kid (I know it might not feel like that at 20 months, but it likely will). OR you send the kid a few months shy of 3.

The other thing is you have to think about part-time preschool for a toddler in January as that's when all the registration/lotteries happen so they can start the following September. And a kid that age....9 months makes a big difference in terms of development. It will feel like you're signing your baby up for preschool and they might be ready in the fall.

I am probably somewhat 'radical' on this issue but I disagree. I would be loathe to do any preschool, but our district only has full day kindergarten, and I think that is too big of a transition, without a half day year beforehand at a preschool. Childhood is very short for our high achieving kids. Spending the day home playing with mom and siblings, going to story time and Sunday School is a plenty busy schedule for a 2-3 year old.

I just think you're blowing it out of proportion. They're going for 6-9 hours a week in these morning programs. It's just not that big of a deal. It's not making their childhood any shorter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was reading through your OP and then thinking about the math and whatnot, before I realized that my kid is the exact age as yours - a 20 month old with a December birthday. I can assure you that, no, I have absolutely no intentions of starting preschool any time soon.

My child barely talks, I can teach colors or numbers or sitting still on his own spot perfectly fine at home, better even, since the ratio is better. 1:1!

Socialization is overrated, especially at the clingy toddler age. Plenty of time for preschool, maybe, at 3 or 4.

Yes but the inconvenient thing about a December birthday is you either are putting off preschool until the kid is nearly 4, which when the time comes will feel a bit late for you and the kid (I know it might not feel like that at 20 months, but it likely will). OR you send the kid a few months shy of 3.

The other thing is you have to think about part-time preschool for a toddler in January as that's when all the registration/lotteries happen so they can start the following September. And a kid that age....9 months makes a big difference in terms of development. It will feel like you're signing your baby up for preschool and they might be ready in the fall.

I am probably somewhat 'radical' on this issue but I disagree. I would be loathe to do any preschool, but our district only has full day kindergarten, and I think that is too big of a transition, without a half day year beforehand at a preschool. Childhood is very short for our high achieving kids. Spending the day home playing with mom and siblings, going to story time and Sunday School is a plenty busy schedule for a 2-3 year old.

I just think you're blowing it out of proportion. They're going for 6-9 hours a week in these morning programs. It's just not that big of a deal. It's not making their childhood any shorter.

Agree. If a partial day program seems like it's robbing them of their childhood, you've chosen the wrong daycare/preschool. It should be fun for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because they need to be College and Career ready in elementary school. The pressure is intense and it trickles down to even the youngest children. It is insane. I feel badly for today's kids.

Yes, if you go to one of these morning preschools, the kids are being drilled on the alphabet and made to run laps around the building!!

Uh, they're really not. My kids have gone to three different part-time preschools (which is what the OP is talking about) in the area and they've all been play-based and about as low key as you can imagine. Some circle time, some snack, just a few hours a week in the early years to start learning how to manage in a group setting. Some people are looking for a place to send their kids so there's a market for it. I think that's about it.

Daycare, you just defined daycare. I send my kid to daycare and think it's great for her, but let's be clear that this is really about the label you want to put on your childcare and the connotations that go along with said label, not any difference in the childcare itself.

Same poster. I don't particularly care what it's called. The OP is talking about and asking about partial day childcare, which is typically called preschool by the places that offer this service. For me, it wasn't about daycare v preschool in the least. I had a nanny and wanted my kid to go somewhere for some portion of some days and in that situation, it's called preschool by most people.

Sure, I responded directly to you, but was actually responding more to the original PP and others who were talking about the earlier and earlier academic pressure on kids. I think parents who are looking for a group childcare situation that gives your kid some structure and socialization totally agree that it doesn't matter what you call it. However, some parents on this thread are actually thinking that their kid is getting ahead by learning school readiness at 20 months. And they think that they need to send their kid somewhere that calls itself "preschool" not childcare or daycare to learn school readiness. Whatever, it just seems silly to me when I hear parents at MY childcare center calling it preschool just because they think it sounds better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was reading through your OP and then thinking about the math and whatnot, before I realized that my kid is the exact age as yours - a 20 month old with a December birthday. I can assure you that, no, I have absolutely no intentions of starting preschool any time soon.

My child barely talks, I can teach colors or numbers or sitting still on his own spot perfectly fine at home, better even, since the ratio is better. 1:1!

Socialization is overrated, especially at the clingy toddler age. Plenty of time for preschool, maybe, at 3 or 4.

Yes but the inconvenient thing about a December birthday is you either are putting off preschool until the kid is nearly 4, which when the time comes will feel a bit late for you and the kid (I know it might not feel like that at 20 months, but it likely will). OR you send the kid a few months shy of 3.

The other thing is you have to think about part-time preschool for a toddler in January as that's when all the registration/lotteries happen so they can start the following September. And a kid that age....9 months makes a big difference in terms of development. It will feel like you're signing your baby up for preschool and they might be ready in the fall.

I am probably somewhat 'radical' on this issue but I disagree. I would be loathe to do any preschool, but our district only has full day kindergarten, and I think that is too big of a transition, without a half day year beforehand at a preschool. Childhood is very short for our high achieving kids. Spending the day home playing with mom and siblings, going to story time and Sunday School is a plenty busy schedule for a 2-3 year old.

I just think you're blowing it out of proportion. They're going for 6-9 hours a week in these morning programs. It's just not that big of a deal. It's not making their childhood any shorter.

Agree. If a partial day program seems like it's robbing them of their childhood, you've chosen the wrong daycare/preschool. It should be fun for them.

Agreed. They love it. It's just an organized play group. You'll also meet other parents, which can be a plus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because they need to be College and Career ready in elementary school. The pressure is intense and it trickles down to even the youngest children. It is insane. I feel badly for today's kids.

Yes, if you go to one of these morning preschools, the kids are being drilled on the alphabet and made to run laps around the building!!

Uh, they're really not. My kids have gone to three different part-time preschools (which is what the OP is talking about) in the area and they've all been play-based and about as low key as you can imagine. Some circle time, some snack, just a few hours a week in the early years to start learning how to manage in a group setting. Some people are looking for a place to send their kids so there's a market for it. I think that's about it.

Daycare, you just defined daycare. I send my kid to daycare and think it's great for her, but let's be clear that this is really about the label you want to put on your childcare and the connotations that go along with said label, not any difference in the childcare itself.

Same poster. I don't particularly care what it's called. The OP is talking about and asking about partial day childcare, which is typically called preschool by the places that offer this service. For me, it wasn't about daycare v preschool in the least. I had a nanny and wanted my kid to go somewhere for some portion of some days and in that situation, it's called preschool by most people.

I am the C&C poster and in my mind there is a difference between pre-school and daycare where pre-school is more focused on academics. Maybe we are all talking about the same thing but coming from different points of view .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because they need to be College and Career ready in elementary school. The pressure is intense and it trickles down to even the youngest children. It is insane. I feel badly for today's kids.

Yes, if you go to one of these morning preschools, the kids are being drilled on the alphabet and made to run laps around the building!!

Uh, they're really not. My kids have gone to three different part-time preschools (which is what the OP is talking about) in the area and they've all been play-based and about as low key as you can imagine. Some circle time, some snack, just a few hours a week in the early years to start learning how to manage in a group setting. Some people are looking for a place to send their kids so there's a market for it. I think that's about it.

Daycare, you just defined daycare. I send my kid to daycare and think it's great for her, but let's be clear that this is really about the label you want to put on your childcare and the connotations that go along with said label, not any difference in the childcare itself.

Any good and developmentally-appropriate childcare/preschool/whatever-you-want-to-call-it is play-based. If it's highly academic you picked somewhere which doesn't follow what science tells us about what's best for young children's development.