did anyone decide not to send their child to preschool at age 2.5 and wait till mid year or the next

[Anonymous]

I am hesitating on sending our child to preschool. i have looked at a few and really liked one or two of them but I also feel like she is still a baby and why push her into school - where she will be for the rest of her life. Also, she is at home with an amazing nanny who does letters and numbers with her and they go to an activity every day - music, gym, library etc. so I don't feel as though she is missing out. She would only be going two mornings or three mornings a week but I still think it is a lot. I know socialization is important and we are working to form a playgroup in our neighborhood. Otherwise, I feel as though it may not be necessary to send her to school yet. How did people make this decision and did they have any regrets either way? thanks

[Anonymous]

I don't think you need to send your kid to preschool. I didn't send mine until he was three and he's perfectly fine. He had the same kind of nanny...they had outings every day with a regular group of kids so I wasn't worried about socialization. Honestly, unless you're super low-income and keep your kids inside all day long, I don't think preschool is really that important.

[Anonymous]

I thought about this, but decided against it for a few reasons.

1. Socialization: All the other kids are in school. Who would he play with? Our DS ended up going 3 days/wk at 2.75 and on his two off days, he really hung out at the park or did activities with much younger kids. (Why the other parents in his class weren't interested in playdates is beyond me.) Are the kids in your playgroup going to preschool next year? If so, things will change with that schedule.

2. Getting in: I had enough trouble getting him into preschool at what seemed to be an entry year. If I waited another year, I was afraid we'd get shut out entirely and he wouldn't have any good options.

3. Independence: I work, but DS was REALLY attached to me when i was home. I thought it would be good to give him somewhere to go that was just his, esp because we were expecting #2.

In the end, he LOVED going 3 days/wk and I was really glad that I sent him.

[Anonymous]

My daughter started this fall at the age of 4. We are extremely happy with everything she's learning and know she will be ready for K next year. We just wanted a solid introduction to school that she would love and it worked out perfectly.

[Anonymous]

2. Getting in: I had enough trouble getting him into preschool at what seemed to be an entry year. If I waited another year, I was afraid we'd get shut out entirely and he wouldn't have any good options.

Regarding getting in---we applied to a bunch of preschools (NW DC) at both 2 years and 3 years (decided to swtch schools) and found it to be much easier to get in at age 3. There are simply more 3 year old programs and spots. The 2 year old spots are difficult to get.

[Anonymous]

My son is 2.5 right now - he is not in school. We are putting him in the fall if he gets in (we are on a waiting list). I dont know what the rush is? We have a great part time nanny that engages and teaches and when I am home, I take him to play dates, gyms, playgrounds, museums and he is getting enough socialization. I think it just depends on what else you have going on in your kids life. If I lived in a small apt, and did not have play groups set up - I would consider school a few days a week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought about this, but decided against it for a few reasons.

1. Socialization: All the other kids are in school. Who would he play with? Our DS ended up going 3 days/wk at 2.75 and on his two off days, he really hung out at the park or did activities with much younger kids. (Why the other parents in his class weren't interested in playdates is beyond me.) Are the kids in your playgroup going to preschool next year? If so, things will change with that schedule.

2. Getting in: I had enough trouble getting him into preschool at what seemed to be an entry year. If I waited another year, I was afraid we'd get shut out entirely and he wouldn't have any good options.

3. Independence: I work, but DS was REALLY attached to me when i was home. I thought it would be good to give him somewhere to go that was just his, esp because we were expecting #2.

In the end, he LOVED going 3 days/wk and I was really glad that I sent him.

I really disagree with #1 and #2. Although I put DS in a 2 day a week, 1/2 day preschool at 3, he still hangs out with his nanny playgroup friends almost every day in the afternoons. With the exception of 1, they are all in half day programs too. As for #2, if you're not shooting for a "feeder" preschool, there are more options for 3 y.o. and even 4. y.o. out there.

[Anonymous]

OP here my only concern is that we don't have a regular play group at the moment since we recently moved. I hope that will change (and likely will between now and sept) but I just am not sure whether to push the preschool issue. I know that I can always hold off till Jan or even next year and I think some of the schools were are applying to will understand. I guess I think it is a big deal and can't really seem to figure it out....