A few weeks ago, I was having a conversation with a friend of mine about preschools.
In Massachusetts, the preschool age cutoff is generally 2 years, 9 months (2.9, as they say). Younger than that, I believe, requires different certifications, different teacher ratios, and I don’t know what else. But anyways, if you’re thinking preschool in MA, you’re talking 2.9 and up. My kids won’t be 2.9 until next May, so preschool is a full year away for us.
Or is it?
As my friend and I were chatting, I started poking around on the internet for different preschools in my area. I came upon a Jewish preschool (something I’d definitely be interested in, what with us being Jewish and all). Lo and behold… they have a toddler room. Two or three mornings per week, ages 2.0 to 2.8. My heart all but leapt out of my chest.
I poked around, and there was mention of September applications, priority enrollment, wait lists, et cetera. Ah well, too late. Except… you know… it couldn’t hurt to call, right? I called last week and the preschool folks were on vacation, but I left a message in case they ever got around to calling me back.
They called yesterday. They have some spots available and are mailing me some materials and an application. The director is out until August, but will review any applications for open spots when she returns.
I was excited when I saw this thing existed. Now that it’s a theoretical possibility, I’m all kinds of ambivalent.
How do you know if your kids are “ready” for preschool? What constitutes readiness?
Part of me thinks this is a great idea. Some time in a group with a teacher, learning things and doing activities that I might never come up with on my own. They’d be on the younger (and smaller, in all likelihood) side of the age range, but they’re smart kids. Verbal, social, independent. And I think spending time with slightly older kids wouldn’t be a bad thing.
And I would have two mornings per week. All to myself.
But wait. Am I just digging this because I want a break? Is that selfish? Do I want this more for myself, regardless of whether it’s the right thing for my kids?
And have I mentioned that I haven’t exactly visited this place or fully investigated it? I mean, it sounds really good and I have a good feeling about it (certifications, philosophies, affiliations, teacher qualifications, etc.). But I’ve never been there.
And what if my kids are just plain too young? They’ll be only barely two. Two years, one month.
And yet, I know of kids who have started nursery school that young. Obviously many, many kids in daycare/preschool programs from much younger.
And it’s only two days per week. Two mornings. They’d still be with me the other nine thousand (OK, 300) days of the year.
This may all become a moot point for any number of reasons, but it’s got me thinking. Moms of preschoolers, what do you think? What are the age cutoffs or common practices where you live? What do you think constitutes “readiness” for such a thing?
I think if the pre-school is designed for that age, it would probably work. I also think if your kids are already social (ahem, built in with twins), they’ll be okay.
Burke and Maggie are in a pre-school where 2.9 is the cut-off. They were already 3.5-ish when they started, so older than some of the other kids. The one kid in the class who probably should have started a year later was… 2.9 (and maybe a day??)
As I said though – if the class is meant for kids that young, then expectations to sit in a circle and stuff like that are going to be a bit lower (and age appropriate).
AND – it’s okay to think of yourself as well. Unhappy/frazzled mommy means unhappy/frazzled kids. Taking (or making sure you have) time for yourself is self-preservation
.-= Nancy´s last blog ..Anger Management =-.
I agree with Nancy … it’s ok to factor yourself in to the equation.
We started our singleton at 3 and the twins will be in a 2′s class in September (1 month shy of 3). Our preschool is a preschool only (they do not do daycare and there are no older or younger children). They have a 2′s class, 3′s, 4′s, and a pre-k. We looked for this specifically because every facility we toured seemed to have a lot of people coming and going. We thought that it might be easier to lose track of a child with that much activity.
Now having said that…my singleton was more than ready to go … one of the twins … not so much (our son). His sister is very much ready. But mom? … I need it the most right now. I’ve been stay-at-home mom with no break since June of ’05. I’m ready to spend a couple of hours, 2 days a week doing at least one thing for me.
The 2′s program the twins will be in does not require that they can sit for certain periods (they work with them to do that) or that they are potty trained. They are totally geared for that age group. We are also told that a lot of the 2 year olds are closer to 2 than 3. My guess is that your school is the same. I would bet also that once you tour the facility and meet the staff your decision will be made for you.
Emilia has attended “school” (a daycare/school facility for kids age 6 months to 6 years) part-time (2-3 days a week) since she was 14 years old and it has been great for all of us. Of course, she’s always been in an age-appropriate room. You’re right about them doing things you wouldn’t normally do at home. She learns songs and games I’ve never heard of, does arts and crafts I wouldn’t dream of doing in my house due to the mess, and has made some great friends. So if there is a class that’s age-appropriate and you feel good about the facility after a visit, I say go for it!
.-= Tara´s last blog ..Three Weeks =-.
Ummm….yeah…I meant to say since she was 14 MONTHS old.
I forgot to mention I take Emilia out of school during the summer and she misses it. We have a lot of fun, of course, but she talks about her friends and teachers and the fun things they do at school all the time.
.-= Tara´s last blog ..Three Weeks =-.
Here in Cary EVERYONE starts preschool at 2. As a competitive advantage! Literally schools start booking up when the kids turn 1. My day care starts an official preschool program in the 2s room, with official lesson plans and themes. Nate can write his name as well as many other words!
Having had my kids in group care since a young age there are some things I love love love about having them in preschool. With twins especially, I like that they get to act out different dynamics with other kids than they do with their twin. Alex lets Nate walk over him at home but Alex is one of the leaders of the boys pack at school (Nate hangs with the girls since they seem to talk more).
I also love getting feedback from the teachers (who are professionals and see tons of different kids) about my kids. And oh my, the songs, the books, tons of variety. I literally can not believe all that they learn.
I think having them in someone else’s care also helps me learn how to push their limits. I was surprised to see my one year olds lining up to walk in a line to the gym. Or my 2 year olds washing their own hands, drinking out of open cups, etc.
The other thing you can do is TRY preschool. If it fails, pull them out and put them in later. If it succeeds, think of all the quilting time you will have. In Boston winter.
.-= LauraC´s last blog ..Pay It Forward GIVEAWAY and two kids in two rooms =-.
I had my boys in a 1 morning a week playgroup program through EI at that age. It was structured and definitely a learning environment where the boys could work on their speech delays, but also gross motor, fine motor, etc, since it was a mixed group of children receiving services for a variety of reasons. I loved it! Though perhaps that’s because of the approx. 2-1 teacher ratio
I started my boys in official preschool at 3y1m. Besides the one younger boy Nancy mentioned, my boys were the youngest and it definitely showed. Not so much in the social aspect (I think being twins gives you such a leg up in things like sharing!), but on the more school oriented tasks like cutting, holding a pencil correctly, etc. Not that it was terrible, and my boys will always be the youngest so we all better get used to it, but I’d definitely look for a class where the other kids really are the same age as your kids. A year difference in age (heck, even 6 or 9 months!) really makes a difference at 2 or 3 years old!
.-= WhatACard´s last blog ..So THAT’S my problem with the giant burning ball of horror in the sky! =-.
One thing to think about when starting them that early is when do you plan on sending them to kindegarten. My boys started preschool last year at 3yrs 2months only because Hunter needed the speech help through ChildFind and then Ethan wanted to go since Hunter was. They will go this fall and then probably take a year off because they wont need a third year of preschool and I dont want to send them early to K since they would turn 5 after K starts. Both me and my lil brother started school early and suffered socially and in sports.
.-= Leia´s last blog ..Two for Two-sday – Cool Dudes =-.
Sounds faboosh, go for it!! I’m green as jungle leaves with envy. Would totally jump on it if I were you
.-= Jungletwins´s last blog ..Picking Out Their Own Clothes =-.
This is interesting, because we don’t have set ages for preschool that I know of around here. “daycare” and preschool” can exist in the same facility, and overlap. I started my kids a few mornings a week as soon as they were potty-trained, so that was about 18 months. They loved it, and I don’t think it’s selfish to have some hours to yourself to stay sane. Go for it. And trust your instincts about the personalities of the teachers. They *are* the school.
.-= threeundertwo@Lit and Laundry´s last blog ..The Perils of Laundry =-.
Agree with the PPs that you can at least try the kids out. Make sure you know what the cancellation policy is. Most places shouldn’t charge more than a month at the most in advance. If your kids like playing with other kids and have experience with play dates then they will love it! They probably won’t do anything more than hang out and play with new toys. In fact, that sounds great. Can I do that?
.-= Stacey´s last blog ..Slave to the pump =-.
First of all, I think factoring you into the equation is not only okay but important! Moms need breaks. And what better way to give yourself a break than to have a place designed for your children with activities and learning opportunities for them (at their age level).
I would definitely recommend going in and checking it out. If possible, talk to other parents of children who attend there.
We live in Norfolk, VA. I was the odd one out who did not send my two year olds to preschool. I wish I had. Not because I don’t want to be with them but this past year when they went it offered our entire family such peace. I have always hated the saying, “If Momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy” (well, that’s the southern version) but we all found that to be true. After a week of the girls being in preschool (they went four days per week this past school year), my husband said, “Our house seems so much happier.” And we all knew it was because I was much less stressed.
Good luck on your decision. In my opinion, you really can’t go wrong.
you know our story – the boys started pre-school/montessori a few weeks before turning two. i was all kinds of guilty, despite knowing we all needed it, but they loved it from the get-go (and still do!). our montessori, and many others, recommend starting at 18 months! we weren’t quite ready for that for many reasons. but ultimately i think you need to balance it and do what’s right for you AND your kids. are you going batty? do you need a break? the kids no doubt love to be with you 24/7, but they will also love their teachers and friends. with the boys in preschool, i’ve been able to pursue freelance work, and now working part-time again. which so far is AMAZING. just engaging my brain and body in a different place has done wonders for us all.