Nearly 3yr old starting nursery

[MrsWhirling]

My son has been offered a part time place at the nursery attached to our local primary school. He will be 2.9 when he starts 3hrs per day. I'm a bit worried to be honest, he seems so babyish still. He doesn't speak much and hasn't mastered potty training to date. He can't dress himself. He loves being around other kids but I'm worried he's not ready. What would you do?

Ds2 is starting in September doing two mornings a week. He will be 2 yrs 11 months and while his talking is very good, he can't dress himself at all and we haven't started potty training either. I have no concerns on either of those fronts though - as long as they can do both by the time they start school then I don't think there is any hurry. DS1 is 5 and he couldn't really dress himself properly when starting school - I think it was a laziness thing tbh. He has greatly improved over the last year though and I have improved in leaving him t do it himself rather than getting frustrated at him being so slow and taking over. I personally wouldn't worry about those things at the age of not quite 3 though. There is no need for them to dress themselves at nursery and I don't think the nursery staff will expect it particularly. The potty training is something that children do at different ages. DS1 didn't do it until 3.5 but cracked it in a couple of days at that point. Nursery never made an issue of it and we're very supportive. I think readiness for nursery at that age is more about social and emotional development than physical development.

Also, the speaking might improve when he is around lots of other children speaking. I imagine that you may have gotten quite good at understanding him without him properly speaking, but at nursery they won't know all his 'words' and cues and so you might find that he improves in his speech because he finds he needs to to be understood. I am no expert though so happy to be contradicted.

Thank you Sometimesitrains! I hope so, my mum currently has him so I think being around the other kids will be really good for him x

If they're taking them at that age they'll expect some not to be potty trained/ not talking that much. Do they have a settling in process so that you can see he's happy there before you have to leave him all morning?

DS starts in August, 4 full days a week. He's 2.8

I think he'll love it. He's been in cm since 6 months old. He's got no interest in potty training either but nursery aren't bothered. No way can he dress himself!

They're fine. In fact, most kids love it. I'm not worried at all.

Most will be at that stage at that age. The nursery will be geared to that age too

Have a chat with the nursery to put your mind at rest. He will be absolutely fine, but you need to calm your fears by communicating with the nursery. Ask them how they deal with potty training, what stage they expect him to be at (they probably won't expect anything but ask the question to reassure yourself!)

No doubt they will get you to fill in a form of where you think he's up to with speech, development etc, but they will soon get to know him.

it will be great for his speech hanging around with other children. My DS has come on in leaps and bounds since moving from his nursery room where he was the oldest, to the next room up where he's the youngest. They learn so much from each other

Thanks all. We have a home visit and then he's straight into 3 hrs / 5 days a week! Reception was like this for my DD who will be starting YR3. He has to wear the same uniform as her and looks sooo cute... And small!!