Recently, it dawned on me that at some point in the future Dylan will not be spending all of his days at home with me. Preschool is a topic that I have not yet given much thought, so it is time for me to learn what it is all about. Today I decided to start at the beginning, with the question of determining when a child is ready to begin preschool.
Dylan will be two and a half years old this month. That is the age at which many preschools begin accepting children into their programs. For some reason, I have a gut feeling that Dylan is more likely to begin preschool after his third birthday which is in November. Of course, this is my initial impression that I have made without knowing anything about preschool and when is a good time for us to sign him up for it.
Deciding when a child is ready for preschool is not a simple task that can be accomplished just by checking items off of a list. That said, there are lists of helpful questions that you can use to assess whether it might be a good time to send your child to preschool or whether it would be better to wait a bit. You may want to enlist the help of other people who know your child such as grandparents, day care providers, friends, and even your pediatrician in answering such questions about your child.
What kinds of questions will help you decide whether it is time to start your toddler in preschool? Things like whether your child is fairly independent, meaning that she can do things like wash her hands, eat lunch, go to the bathroom (most places require children to be potty trained) and sleep with little to no assistance. Another factor is how accustomed your child is to spending time away from you. The transition to preschool will be easier if your child attends day care or even if he spends a few hours a couple of days a week with an aunt, uncle, grandparent, or other caregiver. Independent play is another indicator of readiness, as is the willingness to participate in group activities like library story time or kicking a ball around with friends. Some kids need more rest than others. If naps don’t exist in your toddler’s universe, or if your child has plenty of energy to get through the morning than she should be okay since post-lunch siestas are the norm at most preschools.
Those are just a few of the factors that will help you to determine whether your child is ready for preschool. After looking at the list, I am still feeling that gut feeling that Dylan will be happiest if we wait until he is three to introduce him to the world of preschool. He’s plenty bright, loves to socialize, and is a bundle of energy but he could use some more time to get used to spending time with caregivers as well as playing and doing other things independently.