The Pre-School Dilemma

With kiddos at the pre-school age, we have been presented with the dilemma of when to send them.  Do we start them in 2 day 2's?  Or should we wait for 3 day 3's?  Or just hold off all together until Kindergarten?

There are a few schools of thought on this topic that range from "children need to stay at home with mom as long as possible" to "Oh my gosh, I need a break!  2 day 2's, here we come!" 

Although I have received various perspectives on the topic, I think it's important for parents to realize that no matter what anybody says on the issue, you know your children best.  Nobody can judge the situation better than you can.  Trust your own judgement.  Again, there is no right or wrong answer...it's not a moral issue!

For us, we decided to let our oldest go to preschool at 2 for a few reasons.  First of all, he was not talking.  He had maybe 30 words but had no interest in further communication.  Secondly, he is not the best when it comes to change and we were not only moving to a new city but we were also moving from a rental to a new home, having a new baby, AND his dad was going to be leaving for deployment.  For these reasons, we felt that it was the best plan for him to have a constant amongst all of the change.

Now, our middle daughter, Little C, is 2 now.  She could have gone this fall but we chose to keep her home.  While I know she would have a ball, I do feel like its important for her to have some time at home without her brother.  They are two peas in a pod and I want to make sure she knows her place with or without him.  We have been reassured in our decision because, honestly, she has a really hard time not having her brother around for 3 hours every other day.  She asks to go get him almost every 10 minutes.  It breaks my heart but I know that she'll benefit greatly from getting some quality time with her baby sister and mama.  We have considered letting her go in January but at this point, we're just going to play it by ear and trust our gut.

So, when trying to decide on the best age to start pre-school, don't be pressured by anybody around you.  Rather, have confidence in your mothering and knowledge of your pre-schooler.