Pre School Starting Age - is two too young

[RangTang4]

My dd at 4 was very happy at her preschool until they starting accepting children as young as 2. We then had to change her to afternoons as she said she was getting lots of headaches due to all the little ones crying for their mummies. A friend of mine has just left working at a local preschool becuase she spent all day changing nappies and holding crying little ones. Preschool surely is designed to get children ready for school not be a cheap totally inadequate childcare facility. I believe that in nurseries children are put into different rooms according to their age not all lumped together. I have managed to find the only preschool in the area where children are not accepted until the term before they are three. Even they are under tremedous pressure to take toddlers and for all day. What is going on here?

I don't really know the answer to this one, but I bet these establishments are adding provision for younger children as a way to keep the business viable, following the changes to the ELG which make the free hours to parents loss makers to the provider (as the amount they receive for the place is typical below cost price).

Some kids are fine to start pre-school at 2 my DD did and never shed a tear. I do find the first 2-3 weeks of the autumn term are a bit unsettling for all the kids. I find it only calms down after the october half term.

It doesn't sound that your DD's pre-school is not settling them in properly or else not dealing with the non-settlers. DD's pre-school after a while will advise parents to maybe try the following term if they are really crying too much.

Why don't you move your DD to a pre-school that insists on being potty trained.

It is a question of economics partly.

Hi there,

My dd was potty trained as is my DS before they started. The point I was making was is preschool the right setting. I think though you are right by saying its about economics.

Does anyone work in or run a preschool and if so is it normal policy to have separate groups different ages ranges. My DD initially started doing a few letters and words in a little classroom but then all this stopped when government policy said they were able to take them from 2 years old.

Everyone was too busy looking after the tiny ones. I just felt that my DD didnt get the full preschool experience she should have.

I thought preschool was aimed at getting children ready for school.

They are taking them earlier because they need the money
six months doesn't make much difference
it used to be from 2.5 anyway
my dd loves mothering the little ones
I'm sure your dd is overexaggereating
they don't do much letters etc, they've got years for all that in school

No DD definitely not over overexaggereating although I take your point. She found it very distressing. An adult would never mind a 3 year old.

A friend of mine did voluntary work at the same preschool and said it was bedlam so noisy with several two year olds crying for their Mums. A couple of DD's friends also moved to the afternoon for the same reason.

I just think putting 2 -4 years old together maybe not such a good idea and preschool just be for the year before school.

I have seen so many little one being prised off their mothers I just wonder do we need to rethink the whole preschool education.

Is it for the Mums to have a well deserved break or is it for the benefit of the children.

I imagine it's all to do with money, as others have said. and it would depend on the settings settling in policy. Our pre-school only take a few new ones in at a time to prevent having lots of new ones all at once. With the new Government funding change to flexible funding a setting is actually under alot of pressure to offer more and more sessions. Our preschool could quite easily have 10 sessions a week and fill them as we're quite popular atm, evening turning people away, but they're sticking to only opening 5 sessions, every morning.

I actually do think 2 is quite young. My dd started at 2.7 and ds started at 2.5. DD could've started at 2, she was more then ready but the policy back then was they have to be toilet trained and have to be 2.6. By the time ds started the preschool had to take them from 2 and weren't allowed to state they had to be toilet trained(can't discriminate against a child because they're still in nappies) But each child is different, some are more than ready at 2 whilst others won't be.

Don't forget sometimes drop off time is the worst time to see a child being prised away from the parent/carer and acutally before the parent/carer has even reached their car the child is fine. Also I don't know if you have a school aged child aswell but there are some children that need to be prised off their parent/carer in class R and 1 so it's not just a case that children cry at preschool.

And re the learning, at our preschool we are not allowed to teach the children anything, ie numbers/letters. They can encourage but don't activily sit children down to learn and if they did I would be really against it. They start school young enough and I don't think they need to learn before then. If they picked it up because tehy show an interest in something then that's different but I don't think you should teach young children specifically. Infact my ds has just started at a 2nd preschool and i'm not keen on their 'rising 5' policy and won't be letting him attend their rising 5 sessions. He'll remain with the others and play.

Both mine have started just after their 2nd birthday (well DD was 2 last Thursday and start tomorrow) and DS has really thrived. They have different key workers to the older children and activities are mix and matched.

I think it sounds like a problem with the preschool setting? I don't think age is the issue here because I know of 3 year olds that were screaming and being prised off their mums while DS was waltzing in without a backwards glance.

Possibly the setting hasn't thought through how to handle it?

With regards to the number/letter learning, it is no longer considered necessary or ideal to 'teach' children this young.

Oh, and the younger ones are not encouraged to stay all day. That is more a 3/4 year old activity.

DD was 2 1/2 and was really ready for prep. Never shed a tear and loved starting sound work, christmas plays, all of it. It was the age she desperately needed her mornings filled with meeting other little faces.

Here in Holland a lot of preschool and daycare settings have "vertical" groups. This means 9-12 children aged 16 months or so to aged 3-4. There are 3 or 4 teachers and assistants. It seems to work really well. A lot of settings follow the Montessori philosophy of providing child sized and child initiated activities. Its really cute and quite fascinating watching the older children help the younger ones to butter bread, or thread beads, etc. The younger ones pick up things faster it seems if they are peer taught. My little charge will be starting at a local one soon and I've been visiting lots and comparing them. I do have to say all the children seemed calmer and happier to be left at drop off time at most of these places. Maybe because the majority of them were at daycare from a very early age? The norm here seems to be babies entering creche at 3-6 months old unless their mum stays home. Nannies like myself are a rare breed here so I think I will be crying as much as my charge when I first have to leave her!

Here in Holland a lot of preschool and daycare settings have "vertical" groups. This means 9-12 children aged 16 months or so to aged 3-4. There are 3 or 4 teachers and assistants. It seems to work really well. A lot of settings follow the Montessori philosophy of providing child sized and child initiated activities. Its really cute and quite fascinating watching the older children help the younger ones to butter bread, or thread beads, etc. The younger ones pick up things faster it seems if they are peer taught. My little charge will be starting at a local one soon and I've been visiting lots and comparing them. I do have to say all the children seemed calmer and happier to be left at drop off time at most of these places. Maybe because the majority of them were at daycare from a very early age? The norm here seems to be babies entering creche at 3-6 months old unless their mum stays home. Nannies like myself are a rare breed here so I think I will be crying as much as my charge when I first have to leave her!

Sorry my blackberry seems to double post every time I do a reply!

Sorry my blackberry seems to double post every time I do a reply!

My DS's old preschool took them from two and was pretty unusual in our area, nearly all are 2 years 9 months. I spent a reasonable amount of time in the place and so got to see what went on.

On the whole the younger boys didn't thrive going from two. They didn't have the language skills to interact with the older children, were quick to snatch and hit and wouldn't sit still for carpet time (some older ones were like this too I should say). Older children just ignored them. Younger girls did seem to enjoy the activities on offer but just followed the older kids around wanting to play with them and that annoyed them. So I can see why your DD is fed up. It would be good if more parents stayed and helped/did familarisation sessions with their little ones so they can see if they think they are ready. I don't think the preschools should be expected to provide different rooms/areas, they should be providing a preschool environment (not childcare).

DS is now at a preschool where they don't accept younger ones, which is actually a bit annoying for me as I would send DD at 2.5 but that is not an option. I think she would be ok. Part of that is so I can have time to be with my new baby.

Nowhere really teaches letters, reading etc anymore from what I hear so that part is usual, most places I know do seperate the ones that are due to start school the following September for an afternoon a week and they do different stuff but it's usually just more indepth activities that little ones wouldn't follow.

My dd is 3 and cries going into pre-school ( ...and yes, is even prised from me ).

Should I remove her, lest she gives the other children a headache?

Hmmm thats tricky one. Perhaps your DD is saying that as I am going to spend 16 plus years in an educational setting can I just enjoy my last few years with Mummy my favourite friend.

They just cannot say this though can they.

I know people say they NEED to socialise, well most of us werent in the nursery and I for 1 got 10 o's 5 a's and a good degree.

I think some kids love it some hate it.

Do you have to put her in or can she have time with a Nana or aunty or order for you to get a little break? I know this becuase I have two and going to the loo or even making a call is a nightmare...
Wishing you luck.

I work p/t.

She has previously stayed with my mum whilst I work, but I feel the time is right for her to go to playgroup.

She doesn't like going in and always cries.

It's a different story when I pick her up though - she is full of what she has done and who she has played with etc and tells me she's had a lovely time and can't wait till she goes again tomorrow ...till tomorrow comes when the wails start again...

Ah ha. Interesting post. Yes, I do think 2 is a bit young for pre-school. But, it depends on the child and the staff and environment at the pre-school.

With the older ones, it has worked really one with my son going to the nursery class of the primary school. He is nearly 4 (in October). They only accept them into nursery class when they're 3 and a half, the younger ones start in January (rather like the reception year).

He is really benefitting now from having higher expectations of independence (doing shoes themselves etc), and they are starting a little bit of phonics and doing all sorts of things that maybe 2 year olds couldn't manage.

He went to a pre-school at 2.5, and enjoyed it, or so I thought, but I noticed that he got more out of it once he turned 3 and I think maybe the younger ones are more suited to day-care/better trained staff than the more independent environment of the pre-school.

My DD is starting day-care nursery at 2. Bit of a compromise as I am working but I feel the carers there are trained more (in this particular establishment) in dealing with little ones with separation issues.

I think they are advertising for younger and younger children because they can't find ENOUGH older children to keep the pre-schools going.
Also you can charge for under 3yr olds and they work out MUCH cheaper than childminders for the same amount of hours.

For example, one pre-school near me is offering 3.5hrs at £10! So working out as £2.85 per hour.

Most childminders are £3.50 -£4.00. It really annoys the childminders as well, but some a fighting back by charging at least half of the time the kids are in the pre-school.

Nick Clegg thinks 2 is fine:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11548062

15 hours - that's 5 half days a week.

which is very expensive pre-school fees for the rest of the population if they decided to put their 2 yr olds for that much time.

Unless the 2 year old was in a day care nursery in which case it counts as "childcare"

Unless Nick Clegg reckons 5 half days a week is childcare?

My DD was 2.2 when she started preschool 3 mornings a week. She loved it from the start, despite a few tears at the beginning due to being away from me for the first time.

My DS turned 2 on Friday and he will start at the same preschool in January. He too will start 3 mornings a week.
He goes there every day to drop off and collect his sister and he can't wait to start. He cries most mornings as I drag him out to go home with me.

I think it depends on the child and also depends on the school.
I am lucky that there is an excellent, protective, nurturing, child-oriented preschool close by.