Has anyone pulled their kid out of prek3 due to lack of readiness?

[Anonymous]

I feel like I’m going to get negtive reactions to this question but I’m wondering if anyone has had experience with enrolling their kid in prek3 and making the decision to pull them out due to feeling they weren’t quite ready. I’m freaking out about my son starting next week as he is a late September birthday and because I quit working after I had him (he’s my second kid) he has never been in daycare and this year only did 2 days a week, 3 hours a day at a coop preschool. I love the school he will be going to and I think the teacher is amazing but I’m worried he’s just not ready. Or perhaps I’m the one who’s not ready (despite counting down for this day to come all year long!) am I just having cold feet or have others ended up pulling their kids out? And if so does DCPS allow them to “repeat” prek3 the following year? Or will they have to go to prek4?

[Anonymous]

He's ready and will do great. You aren't ready and that's a different issue. Have faith in him that he will do well. Work with him at home on what ever he needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like I’m going to get negtive reactions to this question but I’m wondering if anyone has had experience with enrolling their kid in prek3 and making the decision to pull them out due to feeling they weren’t quite ready. I’m freaking out about my son starting next week as he is a late September birthday and because I quit working after I had him (he’s my second kid) he has never been in daycare and this year only did 2 days a week, 3 hours a day at a coop preschool. I love the school he will be going to and I think the teacher is amazing but I’m worried he’s just not ready. Or perhaps I’m the one who’s not ready (despite counting down for this day to come all year long!) am I just having cold feet or have others ended up pulling their kids out? And if so does DCPS allow them to “repeat” prek3 the following year? Or will they have to go to prek4?

Let him try it out and if it doesn't work out then pull him out. BUT don't look for reasons. It takes weeks and months of adjustment. Trust the process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like I’m going to get negtive reactions to this question but I’m wondering if anyone has had experience with enrolling their kid in prek3 and making the decision to pull them out due to feeling they weren’t quite ready. I’m freaking out about my son starting next week as he is a late September birthday and because I quit working after I had him (he’s my second kid) he has never been in daycare and this year only did 2 days a week, 3 hours a day at a coop preschool. I love the school he will be going to and I think the teacher is amazing but I’m worried he’s just not ready. Or perhaps I’m the one who’s not ready (despite counting down for this day to come all year long!) am I just having cold feet or have others ended up pulling their kids out? And if so does DCPS allow them to “repeat” prek3 the following year? Or will they have to go to prek4?

Let him try it out and if it doesn't work out then pull him out. BUT don't look for reasons. It takes weeks and months of adjustment. Trust the process.

+1 on the try it out. However, don’t feel like you *should* leave him in. A full school day is a long time as a 3 year old, and if he has the option not to go, there is no reason he has to be there.

[Anonymous]

OP—he will be fine. My daughter is now a tween, but when she started preK 3 here in DC, she was one of the oldest with a December birthday. Her classmate (and our friend’s son) had a September birthday and was 2 when he began in the same class. He did just fine then and is still doing fine now as a middle schooler.

There will be a wide-range of kids in the class. AND the teachers will do a great job of meeting all the kids where they are. Give it a go. You will be amazed at how well he will do.

[Anonymous]

One of the big factors in choosing a PK3 is whether the school will accept the child where he/she is at or whether they use a cookie cutter approach. I agree with PP’s comments that there are a wide range of developmental patterns at this age and a great school can handle this.
The other factor to consider is whether the parents get along with administration. Occasionally, beefing between teachers and parents or even among parent groups can have a negative effect on learning.

[Anonymous]

They’re 3. How are they not ready to be in pk3? It’s not college we’re talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of the big factors in choosing a PK3 is whether the school will accept the child where he/she is at or whether they use a cookie cutter approach. I agree with PP’s comments that there are a wide range of developmental patterns at this age and a great school can handle this.
The other factor to consider is whether the parents get along with administration. Occasionally, beefing between teachers and parents or even among parent groups can have a negative effect on learning.

What about the inter-toddler beefing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like I’m going to get negtive reactions to this question but I’m wondering if anyone has had experience with enrolling their kid in prek3 and making the decision to pull them out due to feeling they weren’t quite ready. I’m freaking out about my son starting next week as he is a late September birthday and because I quit working after I had him (he’s my second kid) he has never been in daycare and this year only did 2 days a week, 3 hours a day at a coop preschool. I love the school he will be going to and I think the teacher is amazing but I’m worried he’s just not ready. Or perhaps I’m the one who’s not ready (despite counting down for this day to come all year long!) am I just having cold feet or have others ended up pulling their kids out? And if so does DCPS allow them to “repeat” prek3 the following year? Or will they have to go to prek4?

Yes, DCPS allows kids to repeat PK3 and PK4. It is pretty easy to do, unlike other grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They’re 3. How are they not ready to be in pk3? It’s not college we’re talking about.

Is this a real question? Some kids are happier half-day or no day or around mom rather than a teacher. Some kids would do great in a fully play-based environment, but not in DCPS where ‘academics’ start to seep in.

Research shows PK3 matters a lot for some kids and not for others. It’s value is fuzzy for most high SES kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They’re 3. How are they not ready to be in pk3? It’s not college we’re talking about.

Is this a real question? Some kids are happier half-day or no day or around mom rather than a teacher. Some kids would do great in a fully play-based environment, but not in DCPS where ‘academics’ start to seep in.

Research shows PK3 matters a lot for some kids and not for others. It’s value is fuzzy for most high SES kids.

I disagree re: our kid’s PK3 experience. We are highly educated (MD/PhD) and LOVED PK3. Teacher was great, aide was awesome, and our 2yo (Sept. bday) adjusted beautifully. Granted, she was coming from daycare, and there were still a few bumps in the beginning re: potty training, but it was pretty smooth overall. More importantly, she made a great group of neighborhood friends—and these are the kids she’s still closest to years later. We also didn’t find it overly academic—we were fine with her learning letters, etc., and we felt that socioemotional aspects of school were appropriately emphasized. YMMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They’re 3. How are they not ready to be in pk3? It’s not college we’re talking about.

Actually he is 2 (won’t be 3 until a month after he starts), but it’s the full time 5 days a week I’m worried about, not being in preschool. My daughters birthday is October 1st so she started prek3 a full year after he will because of 7 days difference in their birthday. She did great but she had also been in full day daycare since she was 15 months and so I feel like the transition for her was easy. And i was always surprised by how much littler the September to December birthday kids in her class seemed in comparison, many still in pull-ups and needing to be held for most of the day.

Not sure if I’ll be able to deal if he screams and cries every day for weeks or more. I’m definitely going to try it but I’m also nervous and feeling guilty that I have the option to keep him home (at the moment I work very part time from home) and I’m not.

Thanks so much for your inputs everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They’re 3. How are they not ready to be in pk3? It’s not college we’re talking about.

Actually he is 2 (won’t be 3 until a month after he starts), but it’s the full time 5 days a week I’m worried about, not being in preschool. My daughters birthday is October 1st so she started prek3 a full year after he will because of 7 days difference in their birthday. She did great but she had also been in full day daycare since she was 15 months and so I feel like the transition for her was easy. And i was always surprised by how much littler the September to December birthday kids in her class seemed in comparison, many still in pull-ups and needing to be held for most of the day.

Not sure if I’ll be able to deal if he screams and cries every day for weeks or more. I’m definitely going to try it but I’m also nervous and feeling guilty that I have the option to keep him home (at the moment I work very part time from home) and I’m not.

Thanks so much for your inputs everyone.

Keep in mind that many (or all?) PK3 classes have a transition week, so they are eased in somewhat. I’ve seen some kids who are home with grandparent etc. have a bit more of a transition but end up doing wonderfully. After a few days/weeks, your child may surprise you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They’re 3. How are they not ready to be in pk3? It’s not college we’re talking about.

Is this a real question? Some kids are happier half-day or no day or around mom rather than a teacher. Some kids would do great in a fully play-based environment, but not in DCPS where ‘academics’ start to seep in.

Research shows PK3 matters a lot for some kids and not for others. It’s value is fuzzy for most high SES kids.

I disagree re: our kid’s PK3 experience. We are highly educated (MD/PhD) and LOVED PK3. Teacher was great, aide was awesome, and our 2yo (Sept. bday) adjusted beautifully. Granted, she was coming from daycare, and there were still a few bumps in the beginning re: potty training, but it was pretty smooth overall. More importantly, she made a great group of neighborhood friends—and these are the kids she’s still closest to years later. We also didn’t find it overly academic—we were fine with her learning letters, etc., and we felt that socioemotional aspects of school were appropriately emphasized. YMMV.

Thanks for this. And fwiw I totally agree that I looooooved having my daughter in prek3 after being in daycare. I thought the teachers were amazing and so much more dedicated than the teachers she had in her 2 year old class at daycare. But I guess it’s different going from Mom to prek3. It feels so strange to feel he’s not ready after having put her in daycare at 15 months and being mentally ok with that. But circumstances changed and I started to see things differently and now I wonder if he isn’t better off in something more part time. But again this could all be my own fear talking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They’re 3. How are they not ready to be in pk3? It’s not college we’re talking about.

Actually he is 2 (won’t be 3 until a month after he starts), but it’s the full time 5 days a week I’m worried about, not being in preschool. My daughters birthday is October 1st so she started prek3 a full year after he will because of 7 days difference in their birthday. She did great but she had also been in full day daycare since she was 15 months and so I feel like the transition for her was easy. And i was always surprised by how much littler the September to December birthday kids in her class seemed in comparison, many still in pull-ups and needing to be held for most of the day.

Not sure if I’ll be able to deal if he screams and cries every day for weeks or more. I’m definitely going to try it but I’m also nervous and feeling guilty that I have the option to keep him home (at the moment I work very part time from home) and I’m not.

Thanks so much for your inputs everyone.

Keep in mind that many (or all?) PK3 classes have a transition week, so they are eased in somewhat. I’ve seen some kids who are home with grandparent etc. have a bit more of a transition but end up doing wonderfully. After a few days/weeks, your child may surprise you!

I hope you’re right! At this school they do half the kids thursday and half the kids the Friday and then everyone starts full time on Monday. So yes there’s somewhat of a transition.