Need Help/advice/thoughts on 5Day Preschool.

Updated on August 23, 2008
A.D. asks from Royse City, TX
8 answers

I promise I am not easily offended so I am looking for honest opinions on this please! If you feel more comfortable you can email me.

My daughter has been begging me daily (3,4 or 5 tines a day) to go to "big girl" or "real" school for going on 4 months now. I thought for sure that it would pass but it just hasn't so I did some searching and found a school in Rockwall (Children's Park).
They do offer a 3yo program but she already has all the skills that they would teach her in that room. She has excelled here at home in all those areas. I am not willing to pay for a program to review the things that she already knows. The programs stay full so they have no reason to offer a part time program. The director told me that the learning day goes from 8:30am-3:30pm. I am planning to head over there today to do some more talking today to find out just what happens in a standard day (and to hopefully meet the person who would be her teacher). The school is actually open with a pre and aftercare program from 6:30am-6:30pm in case you work and need the extra time.

They will place her in the 4yo preschool class which is great for her and I really think that she will excel at it. She is already learning to sound out words. My concern is that it is a full time program (8:30am-3:30pm) 5 days a week. I am not sure that I am ready to give her up for that long. I am not sure how she will react to it.
We are members of a few playgroups (so she has pretty constant interaction) and she always falls in with the 4-5yo's for playtime as well. She is an only child and maybe that has something to do with her advanced level of maturity....or it could just be part of her personality. She is also very tall and she has met or spoken to believes she is 3.
She is currently 3.5. Her b-day is in January so that puts her directly in the middle. Her father and I were both advance placement/honors kids as well. Not that it means she will be or that we have expected more from her based on that.

Does anyone have any insight they could offer me?

I know there are tons of kids in daycare programs forever but I am not sure that thrive with no problems. And I know that in time she will adjust to the schedule but will I?

I am not sure why this is weighing on me so much other than I was planning to have her with me for another 2 years before she went to school.

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G.C.

answers from Dallas on

5 day Preschool is just daycare intended for children who's parents work. It sounds fancier than babysitting. She is not going to get any better educational value there than what you are giving her at home, and there are so many negatives the environment will expose her to. She will be in school for so long and then she will leave home and you'll wish you had these next 2 years back. Keep her close to you and take her out and show her the world. Museums and zoos and libraries, take art classes or ballet lessons to make her feel like a big girl but keep her home and cherish every moment.

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D.B.

answers from Dallas on

Some of my friends and I do a little "preschool" together with our kids - 2 hours a week 2 days a week, and we switch off who is "teaching". We do fun activities, sing songs, go over some basics, like letters and numbers. We have theme each week that goes with the letter of the week. For instance, A - airplane, B - bugs, C - circus, you get the idea. Then we do activities related to that theme, and sometimes we had "field trips" where we went to various places related to the theme. For instance. When we did A - airplane, we made paper airplanes, read some books about airplanes (from the local library), and I have a CD with some kids songs that had a song about airplanes that we listened to and they got to "fly" around like an airplane. We made some little air foils on a straw and put them on a length of yarn and turned on a fan to see how planes go up in the air. The second day I arranged for us to go up to the local airport (the small municipal one) where an older gentleman met us and told us about airplanes and let them climb around in a few private planes. The medic helicopter was there too, so they got to go and see that as well.

I like doing the basic theme idea because you can adapt it to whatever the kids are capable of doing adn what they are interested in. Last year we worked on just recognizing the letters of the alphabet. This year we'll be working on writing and hopefully learning to sound out words using the letter sounds.

As far as your decision, that has to be up to you, but this could be a fun option for you. It would give you a few hours to your self each week to get something done without her, but still allow you to be a part of her preschool experience. My son loves it and he's been begging all summer to do it again. He'll be 4 at the end of September, so he won't be able to start for 2 more years as well. He knows there's a school for bigger kids, but he's been perfectly happy with what we do.

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D.D.

answers from Dallas on

Your daughter sounds just like my oldest daughter (now 10). She has always been mature for her age, loves school and is very bright. That said, if I were you I would not put her in a program every day from 8-3:30. My daughter attended an academic based preschool program two days/week from 9-2. If you can find a program like that near you, that would be better. She'll still feel like she's going to "big" school and will be challenged academically without getting burned out before she hits elementary school. Believe me - once they start going to school every day, you lose a lot of quality time. If you are lucky enough to stay at home with her, I would urge you to put her in a 2 day program and then enjoy your time with her - explore museums, parks, play games, invite friends over for her to play with, etc. That will stimulate her enough. And although my daughter was very mature academically and also enjoyed playing with older kids (she still does), she was still at her actual age emotionally. So, your daughter may not be emotionally ready to attend school every day. Also, she is just 3 1/2; when she begs you to go to school, she probably doesn't understand what the reality of all day school is like. My two cents - the last two years before kindergarten are precious and I wouldn't have traded them for anything. Let her go to school a few days a week and enjoy your time with her!
That said, you know your daughter best and your 'Mom instinct" is the most accurate gauge of what will be right for her. So, go with your gut. If you really think it's the right thing, put her in the program and see how it goes (and if you do put her in the progam and it doesn't work out, you can always pull her out). If you are really having a hard time with the decision, don't put her in. There's always next year. Good luck!

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P.P.

answers from Dallas on

My advice is let her go. If she is asking to go, then that means she is excited about school. Having come from a family that hated the thought of going to school, I think this is great. Encourage her to be independent and she will excel even farther than you can imagine. We all want to hold on to the babies that we have but they do grow up and we have to let go. Believe me.. my baby is 30 and my grandkids are older than your daughter and I still cry when they leave my house. It is definitely harder on us than it is on them. Maybe you could plan on volunteering or something at the school, not in her room but close enough to check on her throughout the day (for a little way anyway).

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C.H.

answers from Dallas on

Oh my goodness, please come by my home first. I have my own home preschool in Rockwall, about 2 minutes from Children's Park and I only have 6 preschoolers at a time. Small group setting with learning and fun! I currently have 3 spots open for the new school year! I have 3 girls right now and they all sound as if they are on the same level as your daughter. Please see my ad on craigslist...

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/kid/777339768.html

You can call me at ###-###-#### if you would like to come by and take a look before you make you're decision! Hope to hear from you! This could give your daughter what she wants in a setting that you're more comfortable with!

***I have references and I am Registered with the State.

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E.C.

answers from Dallas on

My daughter currently goes to Primose in Rockwall. I have been very pleased with her level of learning. It is an accredited (sp?) school that puts academics as a priority. I have also heard that the Methodist Church in Rockwall also provides a good learning experience. I would actually prefer to send my child there; however, they end at 3:30 with no after school care (I work). They have college educated teachers from what I have read. You may want to check into that one.

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T.J.

answers from Oklahoma City on

All day every day school for a 3 year old is too much in my opinion as is too much emphasis on academics at that age. There are many mother's day out programs that are for 3-5 hours a day 2-3 days a week that would be much better options. At the "school" where my girls went they did lots of learning activities but most of the emphasis is on learning through play.
3 years olds ask/demand a lot of things that may not be in their best interest to do. Maybe you can do more structured school things with her and then find a part time program for her to go to a couple days a week.
It would be a shame for her to get burnt out on daily school before she even starts kindergarten. And for you to miss out on those extra 2 years with her at home.

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J.R.

answers from Dallas on

I would start with a good Mother's Day Out for two days a week (and make sure you call it school!). Then you can add a dance or gymnastics class if she still needs more structured learning classes. Or try out classes at the YMCA or local recreation centers, some of those you can both attend together. Kindergarten and full time school comes so fast, you don't want her tired of school before then.

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