If your I a family with a SAHP when did you send kids to preschool and for how many hours a week?

[Anonymous]

Oldest child
Daycare daily from 3 - 11 months when I became stay at home.
From 11 months to 23 months he was exclusively home with me and our second was born when he was 21 months. He missed the preschool cutoff due to his birthdate but did a mother's day out program 1 day a week when he was 2, 2 days a week at 3 and 4 days a week a 4.

Youngest
Was home with me exclusively 0-3 then did the same program as older brother 2 days a week at 3 and 4 days a week at 4.

Once you have the second baby it's nice to have a few hours a week alone with just one. My oldest never felt abandoned and was happy to be around others similar aged kids especially the older he got. At 3 I think 2-3 days is good and at 4 4-5days a week is good, assuming these are more school like hours and not full daycare hours.

[Anonymous]

Our children hugely benefited from preschool starting at age two. Not sure why this distinction matters but I wouldn’t consider it daycare as it was only a few hours a day, we still had a full-time nanny. Obviously it’s a luxury but we felt well worth it. Agree with PP, find a school you love and do what they recommend.

[Anonymous]

I kept all five of my kids home until they started public kindergarten. I am an elementary school teacher so I was able to get them all school ready at home. We saved a time of money by not paying for preschool.

[Anonymous]

Youngest was 3 yrs old. Went to Montessori. We paid for a full-day, 5 days a week, Montessori school to reserve the space. It was quite expensive (and we are not loaded) but I did not like the low-cost option playgroups around me.

I did not need the childcare but I liked the socialization and educational aspect of the Montessori. We used it for a few hours every day. I did not want to punish my kid by waking him early to go to school as I was already at home. Also, I did not want my kid in school for long hours because I stayed at home to be with him and my older child. We used to have a leisurely morning and he went to school when he wanted to so that he could be with his friends. He liked the school field-trips, special experiences, art and music, cultural days etc. So, I was using it very differently than traditional childcare. He still learned to read, math etc.

[Anonymous]

1st - two half days per week starting at 4
2nd - three half days per week starting at 3
3rd - two half days per week starting at 3