Pros and cons of preschool

[cori]

I am considering whether to send my 2.6 year old to preschool or not. He currently goes to a childminders 3 days per week, and i take him to a music tots play group, so he has plenty of chance to interact with other children. He recently had a two week stint in a nursery ( when childminder was on holiday) which he really didnt like. I think his day was too structured, and he likes to do his own thing.
However he does have a mild speech delay, and speech therapist did recommend preschool( that was a few months ago though, and his speech has improved a lot since then).
He will be starting school-nursery next september, so do I really need to send him to preschool now.?

My ds is 2.5 years, and although I had him booked into pre-school for 3 mornings one week and 2 the next, i have decided not to send him this year. I feel that he is still too small to take in all that is going on, and that next year will be time enough. He is very advanced for his age, and his speech is good, but he is still just too young IMO. And I work in the pre-school in question.

From your post it sounds like you don't really want to send your son this year. I think you have to go with how you feel. That's what I did after much "will I, won't I", and I'm happy with my decision. HTH.

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If you're not happy sending him then don't do it. Ds1 started at 2.9yrs but only because it was something that we really wanted for him for a number of reasons. Ds2 (19mths) will eventually start at pre-school but only if/when I feel that he's ready for it.

I thought about sending him one morning a week, but what would he really get out of it.?
Part of me wants to keep him at home for selfish reasons, we only have two days a week together ( just me and him) and there is only one year before he starts nursery anyway. On the other hand I want to do whats best for him. I am trying to work out what the 'best' is A) having fun at home and playgroups with mummy or B) preschool. I dont know really what they do at preschool that i dont do exactly

If he didn't much like it and I didn't want to do it, then I wouldn't. IMO toddlers don't 'need' preschool, or nursery, or childminders or anything. Some like them, some don't. Some are much happier at home with their family. No point putting a square peg in a round hole if you don't need to.

I agree with aloha.

If you dont want to send him, dont. It seems the 'norm' to send them nowadays but I know plenty of children who dont go and have never been that are fine. SDtill get on well at school etc.

Go with your own instinct

I agree with Aloha, as well. It isn't selfish to want to spend time with your own child, you'll be able to do so much together and have such fun!

He will miss out on nothing by not going to pre school. If you want to be with him then go for it.

Obviously your ds will get a lot out of being with you and doesn't 'need' to go to preschool. However I can tell you a positive story. My son had a degree of language delay and his pre school has been wonderful in helping him over it. In his report this year they have discribed him as being urecognisable as the little boy who started school at the start of term. (friends have said the same thing) He is more sociable and his behaviour has improved a great deal. In part this is due to the work that the pre school has done with him. If yu are not happy with the pre school than it is a different situation but it was very helpful for my son.

Haven't time to read the rest of this thread. But could your son go to pre-school on one of his childminder days ? My son's childminder does this - drops them off and picks them up and has them for the rest of the day. That way you still have your other 2 days with DS and he gets the benefit of pre-school as well as the childminder.

My DS started pre-school at 2.5 for 1 morning a week (childminder 1 day a week as well), now at 3 and 2 months he is just starting pre-school 2 mornings a week.

Take it slow and see what works for him - you can always change arrangements.

should just add pre-school really boosted DS's self confidence and indpendence. He always says he doesn't want to go but always enjoys himself when he is there. I guess he will never be the really extrovert type, more of a home body - but he really has benefitted from going 1 day a week.

hmb, how many days a week did your DS attend.?

Had thought about him attending on one of the childminders days, but considering she also has to pick children up from nursery at the same time, I dont know if it would work.

I may reassess the situation after Christmas and send him one morning a week. He will be closer to 3 then.

Have you got a place for him booked? most pre-schools get booked quickly. i am putting dd2 name down for pre-school shortly, and she wont be due to start till next year. Where she will be going depends on where dd1 school is. DD2 does have a palce booked at a private nursery for 2 session a week for january but as we have moved away i am having to cancel it as by then dd1 will hopefully be in school in this town and i cant be in 2 towns at once to pick them up.

He started mornings only, so I picked him up at 12.30. We always used to 'do' things in the morning, like M & T groups, so he was used to activity in the morning. I gradually buit up the afternoons over 2 years (!) and he is now in reception. I honestly think that it helped his speach and social interaction a lot. The school put in some very basic SALT for me and we all did the same stuff with him. He realy isn't the same little boy that started last year in his Early Years placement.