Pre-school playgroups - some questions

[dogindisguise]

My son will be 2 in November and I'm planning to send him to a preschool playgroup for a couple of half days a week. There are three near where I live so I need to go and visit them. One is where he currently goes to a toddler group, but as I don't have a car during the week it would be a bit difficult to get there and back. I'm mostly a SAHM but do some work from home and this might allow me to do a bit more - although I'm expecting another baby in early January.

I wondered how others have found them. Did you go straight from your child's second birthday or wait until they were a bit older? Did your child settle in straight away or take a while to do so? Are they worth it at that age?

At the moment he can be very clingy and unhappy when I leave him, even with his dad, though this may change by November. However, he enjoys his toddler groups and hardly notices if I go off to the loo or to talk to someone.

I also want him to go to the nursery attached to our local school from when he's three, so I hope it wouldn't be too disruptive to him if he went to preschool for just over a year and then moved to nursery.

He probably enjoys his toddler groups at the moment because he knows you're there. I think it might be a bit much expecting a 'clingy' child to go to something like that by himself. I don't plan for either of mine to do anything 'groupy' until they go to preschool for their 15 hours per week. I think it might also be bad timing if you're having the baby a few weeks after he starts - he might feel shoved out.

We never used playgroups as I was back at work at this age, but a friend of mine had a clingy two yrold who went and loved it. As you say, it was only a couple of mornings a week, and the sessions were not very long. If he goes in Nov/dec and you have the baby in Jan , he will be settled in playgroup by then and should nt feel pushed out, it will also give you some precious time with your new baby.

I'd say go for it- if it doesnt work out, just stop the sessions

Sent mine at two and a half, for couple of mornings a week, but I honestly only think he was mature enough once he reached his 3rd birthday and seemed to have a huge jump in his emotional and sociable development.
He certainly didn't hate it at 2 1/2 as would have taken him out if so, but he seemed to tolerate it rather than actively enjoy it IYSWIM.

In terms of the baby, I started him a month before DS2 born and this seemed to be spaced out enough. In fact, DS1 seemed happier to go to playschool after DS2 born as it was 'his' grown up time, away from a crying baby!

my DCs went and are going at 2.9 and 2.6 -for 2 mornings a week that was about right - however they were/are in other childcare -
if you need the childcare I would think about a childminder maybe - some might take a couple of mornings a week - as I would say a clingy child would be more likely to settle in that kind of enviroment
also in some area waiting lists fro pre-school are long so it might not be possible for him to go in november -

I sent my first at 2.5 and she loved it and settled straight away. I sent my 2nd at just turned 2, because of when her birthday falls, and to be honest, for her it was too soon. She took ages to settle and was a nightmare. With hindsight, I should have waited til she was two and a half or 3.... Mind you, I'm not sure that would have made any difference. She's 5 now and still cried every morning for the first half of her reception year.....

I work in a playgroup that takes children from 2. I realise this is a generalisation but some children - and it tends to be boys - seem to be better starting at around 2 and a half. We have had a couple of boys who have started at 2, not settled and have therefore left, but then came back six months later and loved it! If you feel he's not settling, take him out again and try again later.

They do all settle and enjoy the sessions but some just take that bit longer than others