When should I start preschool for my daughter?

She is turning 4 in April and I'm wondering about preschool. She has never been in any kind of day care & hasn't been exposed to babysitting much. I'm worried about putting her in preschool, but don't want her to be behind when school starts. I also know she could use the social interaction but am afraid preschool will be too much for her since she isn't use to being away from home that much. Any thoughts/suggestions from other mothers of preschoolers? She is 3, but will turn 4 in April 2008. There seems to be some confusion.

Public Comments

1. I think this fall would be the time to start her. you can make it very part time if you kind of want to ease her in. Maybe just mornings or even 3 mornings a week?

   Wait. I misread. She turns 4 NEXT April. So, next fall for preschool. ALthough, again, a couple mornings a week might be a good place to start.



2. YoUr DaUgHtEr WiLl Be FiNe BuT bEfOrE sHe GoEs ShE sHoUlD gO tO dAyCaRe PaRtImE!


3. She has turned 4 or is turning 4? I just put my son in childcare last year (3) and it made him more anti-social. I put him in a different one this year (4), and it has helped bring him out. The one he is in now prepares him for Pre-K, which in turn will get him ready to deal with going to different classes. I think you should really research a daycare, and place her in one for a couple of hours a day to get her used to being around different people. That way, when school starts in August, she will be used to being around other people.


4. I would definitely try to get her in pre-k if possible since she hasn't been around other children much. Yes, it might be a little difficult for her, but it has to happen sometime. Also pre-k is not a full-day thing, so she can slowly adjust to being away from you.

   Good luck!



5. I put my daughter in preschool at 4 years old. She loved it. I would put her in it when school starts.


6. around 3


7. I think both your daughter and you could benefit from a few mornings away at a preschool. She'll get much more from the experience than the ABC curriculum, and she'll be better prepared for the full-day experience of kindergarten. You will probably be able to find a program that offers a two or three-morning per week experience, rather than every day. I had a great experience with a church-sponsored preschool, starting with 3 mornings/week, then the next school year we did 5 mornings/week. It eased us in to the routine of school. Try it.. you'll always be able to withdraw if something doesn't seem right, but I bet you'll both enjoy the time.


8. My original thinking on daycare was that it was all about negligent parents who didn't want to spend time raising their kids....then I had a daughter and had no choice (because my wife and I both worked) but to use daycare....

   The most pleasant surprise was finding out how good daycare/preschool is for a kid. The sooner the better!!!

   There will be a period of weening away from the security of the parent's protection (and that will be for both you and your daughter). But again, better sooner on this than later. My own belief on this is that its easier for girls. Boys cling to their parents a little more.

   The social skills developed by having a child in daycare are incredible and vital to those first years of school where hopefully your child can get passed socializing and actually begin learning some reading, math, some science, and other important stuff!!!

   As you may see from some of the other posts, not all pre-schools are created equal---find one thats right. Hopefully one with moderately ambitious goals for your child.

   Good luck!!!



9. No worries! Many children don’t start preschool until they are three or four. It will be best for her to start in September so she will be better prepared for kindergarten socially. Social readiness is so important! She will get two full years under her belt before kindergarten. Children who have experience with school before starting kindergarten do much better than children who do not. They are better prepared to make friends, take direction from their teachers, understanding a classroom routine, join in playground activities, and have a greater respect for their classroom.

   You don’t need to put her in an all day program. She can start 3 days a week, no more than 3 hours a day. When she gets older you can add another day. Many Montessori schools offer this option. If you haven’t, check a few out!

   Make a list of several schools in your area to look at. Give the schools a call and ask any questions you may have (Hours of operation, tuition, sick policy, CPR training, school philosophy…). Ask how long the teachers have been at the program. Good schools keep their teachers. Once you have selected a few, go and observe each program without your daughter, if you can, so you can get a good feel for the program. Be a “fly on the wall” and watch how the teachers and children interact. You may want to ask the teachers a few hypothetical questions such as “What would you do if a child refused to sit at circle?” “What would you do if a child bit another child?” “What would you do if a parent brought their sick child to school?” just to get an idea if their ideas fit yours. Go with your gut!

   Once you have found a program you can then take your daughter for a visit. Do your best not to feel apprehensive about it or she will pick up on your feelings. You can arrange some play dates with some of her classmates before she starts to help her feel more comfortable. Between now and September, you can take her for a few more visits and drive by often. This will greatly help with the transition of separating from you and give her a little time to have something to look forward to.

   Relax and good luck!



10. You could start her this coming year or wait and put her into a preK program next year. Its really up to you but you want to start her in a program before school to prepare her for being away from you and the social interactions with a large group of children. I taught prek for a few years and have seen many children who have been home with mom only who start out in prek for the first time. The beginning is always an adjustment and as preK teachers, we expect that. The kindergarten teachers actually prefer the preK program to jump start the kids into getting into a routine of school. And you can look for different programs that let you pick your schedule. Some are as short as 2 hours, 2xs a week. You could do a program like that this year and then move her up to maybe 3 days for prek. It might make the transition easier. Do what you are comfortable with. I'm home now with my son and don't plan on putting him into a program until preK and have already started asking around to find the best one. (He's not even 2 yet)


11. Well a daycare would be better She is not Old enogh for most pre schools unless you have a 3 year old class!