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Original poster

does my 3yo need to go to pre-school or not?

186 replies

daisybo · 28/05/2007 19:31

have also posted this on the childcare boards, just wondered if anyone had kept their lo at home with them full time until they started school?
is there anyone who didn't send their little one to any kind of childcare and then when they started school were they ok? my ds is 3 and due to start at pre-school in september but i don't really want him to go and he doesn't want to go either! should i send him so he gets used to spending time away from mummy in preparation for school next year or would he be ok if he stays at home til he starts school? i don't want him to miss out on mixing with other children and making friends but i don't want to force him to go when neither him nor i really want him to go iyswim!
should prob add he has never been in any kind of childcare, not been left with anyone except mummy, daddy and occasionally grandad!
what do you think i should do? what would be best for him? he is only just 3 btw, so a young one for his year.

OP posts:
exbatt · 29/05/2007 15:12

Well, I'm 40 and have older siblings and none of us ever went to pre-school. In fact as far as I'm aware there just wasn't any such thing - my mum had never heard of it before her grandchildren went! My youngest sibling (much younger than the rest of us), did have 2 terms in a nursery attached to the school, but that was as a 4 1/2-year old, not as a 2 or 3 year-old.

But then we did live in the deprived north-east... do I get a sympathy vote?!

Anna8888 · 29/05/2007 15:14

cat64 - yes, I agree, I'm nearly 41 and started school in the September after my third birthday, in 1969. And my sister started nursery school in 1971.

In the South East.

LoveAngel · 29/05/2007 15:15

Definitely a gut feeling thing. Disregard everything anyone else says or thinks.

kamikayzed · 29/05/2007 16:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

crayon · 29/05/2007 16:40

Wow Exbatt, I wish DS's nursery had been so understanding. They made me feel very uncomfortble wanting to stay and settle him in.

mozhe · 29/05/2007 17:49

For once am in total agreement with LoveAngel
Anna...yes I can see being an only child it is different.

francagoestohollywood · 29/05/2007 18:00

xenia, Italian men and women don't leave home until they are 38 for reasons that aren't just separation anxiety . Actually, it's absolutely the norm for Italian children to go to scuola materna at age 3 (and it's been like that for a few decades now). And since moving to England, I've never been aware that going to nursery could be regarded as nothing but a positive choice.

thecloudhopper · 10/02/2009 21:34

Working with a N/R class I would say you can tell the ones who have been to pre school and who havent. I would say even if it is for 1 morning it would be good for your child and would prepare her for school.

Dottoressa · 10/02/2009 22:38

OP - good on you! My DS went to a lovely little nursery school for two mornings per week at 3.8. He stayed with his two mornings until starting school at nearly five (he did the last term of Reception). It was lovely for both of us. I did the same with DD - only she has started Reception earlier (she started part-time for the last half of last term, and is now full time at 4.8). I would have preferred to have kept her at home, but she was desperate to get there!

They are little for such a short time. Why hurry it?

seeker · 13/02/2009 19:49

But just remember, they don't have to go to pre school to get used to school - that's what Reception is for!

lljkk · 14/02/2009 18:04

May I politely point out that most of this thread is almost 2 years old? I suppose OP could come back and give us all an update.

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