Did anyone start Preschool at 4 instead of 3?

[slashin8r]

@afolabi1024 Before being a SAHM I was a teacher. I taught kindergarten for several years. Of the kids that went to preschool, the overwhelming majority started at 4 not 3.

 

[peggyleggy]

@afolabi1024 It’s fine. Work on independent hygiene, waiting/walking in a line and identifying emotions and you’ll have a great student when they start school.

 

[darlene1]

@afolabi1024 My older two never attended preschool and are doing great in 1st and 3rd now. My youngest wants to start but I didn’t have everything ready, they start next week. Instead of rushing I talked with her dad and we’re going to wait until next year. She’s 3 birthday in February, she’ll be 4 when she starts.

We are planning on going to the library class weekly and she’s signed up for fall soccer. After soccer I’m thinking about a gym membership so we can go swim throughout the winter.

 

[afolabi1024]

@darlene1 I like this. I'm considering signing him up for 1 hour of gymnastics next year. He'll get to socialize with kids his age and follow instructions from another adult, but it'll be 1/3 the cost of preschool. Also, we love our library storytimes.

 

[grandmaof4]

@afolabi1024 My oldest turns 3 next week. We are waiting until next year to start preschool.

 

[f0ggi]

@afolabi1024 We were going to wait until 4, but an opening happened at my friend's preschool and our boys are BFF. So he started at three. We lucked out because they potty trained him - he would not do it for us.

It's been great for my mental health since my kiddo is very attached to me and I got no breaks. Now I'm pregnant and just sleep until it's time to get him.

He's super enjoyed it (though had a hard time with me leaving him a first.)

 

[f0ggi]

Oh... he did spend the first year like always sick. Of he wasn't sick then we were sick because of it. They we'd get better and he'd be sick again. Just minor colds and stuff, but annoying all the same.

 

[neilgram]

@afolabi1024 My daughter starts this fall. She has an October birthday so she's right on that line. Technically she will start at 3 but she will be 4 for the vast majority of her school year so in my mind we waited until 4. I am not worried at all. I think she's had a lovely time at home with me these last few years, and she will do splendidly in school making friends!

 

[babygirl2364]

@afolabi1024 Mine’s about to start Kinder and never went to daycare or pre-k.

Between sports, the library, & lots of playground play dates, he’s had a ton of socialization. Organized sports have also taught him how to listen to his coach, follow commands, sit and wait his turn, etc.,

For Kinder “readiness” I read a list of skills kids should hopefully have when they start and I focused more on the social/emotional aspect, independent dressing, and hygiene—than on the academics.

 

[ngochang]

@afolabi1024 I started my daughter at 4. I just enjoyed staying home with her and didn’t want to put her in school yet. My son however just turned 3 & I’m seriously considering putting him in preschool.. he’s way more of a handful

 

[kapws]

@afolabi1024 We started at 4 and my son did great! We tried at 3 (bc he wanted to go to school like big sis) but it didn’t work out. I had a random health scare and an extended ICU stay (so no kids allowed to visit) in the weeks before school started. My son was, understandably, extra clingy after I got home. When I took him for his first day he bawled and clung to me. By day 3 his anxiety was increasing and he told me repeatedly that he was “so scared” of his teacher. She tried to pry him away from me and I just had this moment of “This does not feel right. At all. My child is hyperventilating and telling me he’s scared of this person and I’m letting her physically take him from me? What is this teaching my son? WHY am I doing this to us both? Nope. Nope. Nope.” We pulled him out and he stayed home with me another year. I’m so glad I followed my gut and we still talk about how much fun we had together that year, just the two of us, at home! Play dates, errands, and lots of snuggles!

Tl;dr - Tried to start at 3. Kid wasn’t ready. Did fine starting at 4! lol

 

[cippy]

@afolabi1024 My brother skipped pre-k entirely and started kindergarten at age 5. He was fine. I was the only one of my siblings who attended school at 3, which was called nursery school at the time, but only because my sister who is a year older was starting pre-k at age 4 and my mother figured she might as well send us both. I hated it and my mother kept me home most of the time.

My daughter is about to be 2 in 2 weeks and I have friends with kids who are asking if I’m sending her to 2 year old school and I didn’t even know that was a thing but the answer is no. Not that I’m against the idea and if it works for people then great but I’m just not at all prepared for her to start school this year. I might look into a 3k program next year but only if part time is available. She’ll start pre-school at 4. I thought that was the standard and that nursery/3k were kind of optional if you want your kid to socialize mostly.

 

[z_alan_bridges]

@afolabi1024 I did. IMO... and experience after working in schools/preschools/daycare... anything before age 4 is daycare, not "school". At 4 my child went three days a week for 2.5 hours a day. The school was ran like a condensed kindergarten classroom and focused on things that kids would do in kindergarten.

 

[frukt]

@afolabi1024 I started my child at 2 last year, 2 days a week and 130$/month. It was 9am-1pm. This year at age 3, she goes 4 days a week for 111$/month because I am working there 2 days a week.