To take my dd out of preschool?!

[Wishful80smontage]

Cba to namechange anyway here goes.
I found a preschool that offered sessions for 2 year olds only locally my dd only turned 2 end of jan but we did 4 settling in sessions and there was only her and three other 2 year olds so it seemed perfect for her as she's not used to big rooms and mainly does play dates.
After the settling in sessions she's attended twice (its weekly) and went earlier to find the group had an extra 7 children all a lot bigger so said to manager- you've for lots more for this one and they said yes they'd increased the class size . I said the children looka lot older and she said there's a slight a difference the others are 4 years old.
Anyway got home didn't feel comfortable so I went back and said just that 'I'm very sorry but I don't feel comfortable id got used to her a in small session for 2 year olds and this is a much bigger older group' so I said I wanted to take her out and bring her back in the future when she was older. The manager seemed off and said they'd see if there was a space for her in the future.
Was I being unreasonable to expect a class for 2 years to be a class for 2 years olds of at least some prior notice before I turned up?

Our pre-school was mixed age group. From about 2.5 years right up until starting school.

From my experience it was unusual to have a class only for two year olds. It didn't happen except in private daycare nurseries as far as I can remember.

If your daughter was happy and enjoying herself I wouldn't have had a problem with it provided it was a properly registered childcare place.

I fail to see the issue if your daughter enjoyed it?

When DS1 started preschool the settling in sessions were only for the new 2 year olds, of which there were about 8.

When he started preschool properly, he went into the class of 15 2, 3 and 4 year olds. Throughout the year, more children joined as they passed their 2nd birthdays until the class size was up to about 20 children.

I thought this was normal.

My DD's preschool accept children from two up until school age. I think you're being a bit unreasonable to expect them to run sessions only for two year olds - I doubt very many two year olds attend preschools (due to no government funding, and because they probably attend day nurseries, if their parents use any childcare at all).

Preschools need to fill their spaces after all, so not placing any age restrictions on sessions would be fairly standard in my experience.

All the preschool classes near us are 2.5 - 4 years

Think I would have delayed starting her for a few months at least if it was a mixed age group as she's quite small for 2, but as it was a 2 year old only group thought it might be a good way to get her ready for starting preschool slowly. Maybe I'm a bit pfb :)

Just to clarify it was advertised as a group session for 2 year olds only that's why I started her

Why would you name change?

I'm not sure, my DC go to a private nursery so the nearly 2 yo is in the toddler room. I wouldn't love him being in the preschool room with almost 5 year olds,I don't think. But if this is a preschool proper and not s private nursery I wouldn't have thought they could cater for you.

Our preschool splits the children into two groups, one for 2-3 and one for 3-4. They are in different rooms but all play in the same outside area. I think that system works well as they do different activities and have different toys out.

Was going to nc as this would out me to people I know in RL and they could look up my past threads but I'm hoping not anyway

DS2 was just turned 2 when he moved into the pre-school class at his nursery. They asked first, and said if we wanted to keep him in the toddler room a while longer we could, but he seemed perfectly happy in his taster sessions so we let him move up. He loved it and came on leaps and bounds in the first few months.

I think it's not BU necessarily, just being a little over-protective. When she goes to school she'll meet older children in the playground, this would've been a precursor to that I think.

There is nothing my son loves more than 'big kids' - it's one of the main attractions of pre-school for him!
If she enjoys it, then let her go, if she's overwhelmed, then don't - there are no hard and fast rules.

Was your dd terrified of these hulking four year olds, did she cower in a corner and cry at the mere prospect of having to socialise with them?

Or was she actually fine and quite happy?

Or did you not even let her stay long enough to find out if she could in fact play with children OF A DIFFERENT AGE?

I run a pre school and we have children of 2-4 all playing together
They do things in smaller groupssometimes but they do play together a lot
The 2 year olds cope fine. In fact they love it.
Our youngest 2 year olds were 2 in Jan and Feb so they are only just 2
I think you are being a bit hysterical
Its a shame that your daughter will miss out. She obviously got the funding for a reason

Not funded I pay myself for it

Posted to quick
I pay for the sessions myself.
She seemed happy enough there but equally was happy to leave when we did

Were you only going to send her until she turns 3 then and upturn her routine to find a new place ?!

If your daughter was enjoying herself then you were being rather overprotective to take her out. What exactly were you worried about? Mine all played with the full range of toddlers to four year olds about to start primary school when they were at pre-school. Never a problem.

I guess the manager was rather surprised that you didn't seem to want her to mix. When she starts big school in reception she will be mixing with children from a much greater age range (4 - 11). She will seem tiny whilst the older ones will seem like giants. Surely she might as well get used to mixing with children of different ages a bit now? You can't shroud her in cotton wool really, tempting though it is to try with your first one.

If she was enjoying it then it was a good experience for her and she was gaining from it. Perhaps take her back and try again.

Both nurseries my son has attended have a separate room/education for the 2-3 year olds and the 3-4 year olds (as did all the other nurseries and preschools I looked around). Their school hours are 9-3 or 4 so before and after that they are mixed (if you need childcare) It sounds like they sold you one thing but gave you another.

My DS's preschool is from 2,5 -6 (although they often move up the primary at 5 if they seem read). The mixed age group works really well and is actually much more natural (rather than stuffing absolutely loads of children exactly the same age together).

The kids get to teach the younger ones which is great for empathy and development and the age range means whatever their development there's likely to be someone on their level.

I do think it requires more supervision though. My DS has 2 teachers and no more than 10 kids, I don't think it would work otherwise.

If you didn't feel comfortable I think it's fine, she's only 2 and will be fine with playgroups and play dates for a few years.