Oldest, tried for a few months at age 4, but quit because we could do more education and playdates if at home. Two younger kids didn’t go to preschool. Just did play dates, museum groups and library groups for their age. Educated at home.

Monday - Thursday 9‐noon

2 mornings each week at age 2/3

3 mornings each week at 3/4

5 mornings each week at 4/5

Preschool is the year before kindergarten. You can call it preschool, pre-K, transitional K, junior K, but whatever you call it, that is when they will actually learn and absorb things like writing their name and learning all the letters and doing some very simple math.

Everything before that is DAYCARE, even if it's a posh expensive place with a waitlist and calls itself preschool. Businesses can call themselves whatever they want, and preschool just sounds better to naive parents. If you can smell the diaper bins, it ain't preschool.

Never heard of the abandonment thing.

2 mornings 2x per week at age 2.5/3 is a good start.

Some siblings get along better than others.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anything before 3 years old is daycare. Most kids start preschool at 3 years old. Mine went five half days a week.

Even the 3 yo year is daycare. The pre K year is the only year that really matters.

The prek year is also the same, at least for play based programs. I still think preschool is great and it’s a bit of a silly distinction. If your kid enjoys it, great. It makes sense to do something before K at some point.

I’ve known several kids who have started as a new baby was being born. Especially if it’s a part time program, it can be great. My kids have been on the very social end so we’ve been happy to have them start in the 2s class, which exists here in Maryland. (FWIW if it matters they were all 2.5+). 8-12 hours a week (over 2-3 mornings) was great for them. Some people feel strongly about waiting until 3— it really depends on the kid. Mine all loved it.

My oldest went 1 morning a week when he was newly 2, and his baby sister had just been born. He loved it. Was it necessary? No.

With my second and third, I waited longer to send them. They attended 2 mornings when they were 3/4, and 3 mornings when they were 4/5.

Anonymous wrote:Anything before 3 years old is daycare. Most kids start preschool at 3 years old. Mine went five half days a week.

Even the 3 yo year is daycare. The pre K year is the only year that really matters.

1/2 day program at a local church

age 3 - 2 days a week (T/Th)
age 4 - 3 days a week (M/W/F)

My kids are 3 years apart. I started my oldest at 1 (almost 2) for 1 morning a week and then at 2 (almost 3) for 2 mornings a week. The next year 3 days a week and then for the year before K, 5 mornings a week. Both of my kids went 9-1pm. Gave me enough time to get errands done without them.

Mine went to our church preschool. One morning a week at 1, 2 mornings at 2, 3 mornings at 3, 5 at 4

I mean we have a full time nanny and I still send my kids to part time preschool beginning at 2. I’m in NY and maybe that’s just the culture here.

I sent my kids to morning 2s and 3s programs that were like 9-11:45 or 9-12. I would do it 5 days a week for consistency. I did a 3 day a week 2s program when one of my kids had just turned 2 and I think it was very confusing for them.

Personally I thought the play, socialization, structure and enrichment they were exposed to during those mornings at school was really nice for them. I think most people here start in the 2s so I’d suggest it, but definitely by the 3s.

I was set on doing Montessori for preschool and elementary. The one I picked started at 2 yrs 9 months (and potty trained). My oldest was about 3.5 when she started in the fall, 5 days per week, 9am-12pm. My other child started just before he was 4, same schedule- I felt like he wasn’t ready to be at preschool daily before 3. Montessori preschool is typically is daily.

Anonymous wrote:Kid 1 & 2 (twins): 1/2 days 4 days per week ages 3 & 4

Kid 3: 1/2 days 5 days per week age 4 only (we made a cross country move when he was 3 & with waitlists etc he ended up starting later)

This is us exactly (including the cross country move at age 3, too funny), except kid 1 was a singleton and kids 2 & 3 were twins. We probably could have pushed harder to find 3 yr old preschool spots for the twins but didn't think it really made a lot of difference with our oldest and once I was able to stay home for a while we signed up for classes and playgroups also so didn't stress about it too much.