My daughter is 3.5 years old now and the thought of pre school is coming into play. It's not mandatory, but I know some feel it's absolutely necessary to send their children right away. I also know some view it as free child care, which I personally do not. So I thought I'd see what other mother's of the same age children think as well. I know we each have different children and situations that will come into play, so please state yours and why you think the way you do on the subject.
In my personal position: I'm a stay at home mother and have been since I had my daughter. I'm currently pregnant with our second child and due beginning of July. We are a military family and are about to make a big cross country move for 8 months, meaning we will be leaving that duty station in Oct- Nov and go somewhere else. My daughter is very smart and capable and I work with her on school things, such as reading, writing, numbers, letters and word recognition at home already. I know she would enjoy the other children around in a class room setting, but my main concern is enrolling her for only a couple months and whether that would benefit her or confuse her schedule she's already used to. And with other large family changes such as new sibling and new places to live (her first big Army move) I'm worried it will be too much for her to handle emotionally. She's very attached to mommy but at the same time at play dates or with sitters she's fantastic and has never had problems with separation anxiety before from me. I'm torn.
So what's your situations and ideas  
oh, lets have a nice conversation, like I stated before everyone has different opinions so lets not "bash" others -just give personal what you are doing and whys. Or if you, like me, are military then please share your personal experience! Thank you ladies!

My son started preschool at 31 months. He only goes 2.5hrs, twice a week. He LOVES it. It's all he talks about all week. He's the oldest in my family and doesn't get the chance to socialize very often so that's why I signed him up.

We're waiting until it's mandatory, he knows so much and has no problems learning. He's turning 4 at the end of March and right now knows things my little SIL was getting thought in Kindergarten. We teach him things and we also got a year membership to ABCmouse.com as a gift, and he loves it.

ds is going to be 4 in April. We are sending him to pre k this fall. My only concern is the bus.

As a prek teacher I suppose I'm biased but I do feel it is good for all children. It is fine if she starts and then moves. We have kids do that all the time and do just fine starting a new center. Sometimes it's a little adjustment to get used to new routines and new teachers an friends. But if you guys are staying military and could move often it might be good for her to get used to makin new friends.

It's great u work with her at home and you absolutely should!!! But a lot of prek is social skills. So it's definitely something she will benefit from. Plus it'll Leo her adjust slowly to getting into more of a structured environment in kindergarten. Preschool is slightly structured do it will help her adjust slowly.

My oldest is in Pre-K and my youngest is in preschool. Not only did I want them to get an early jump on learning, but since all the public schools here are awful and I want them in private it was kind of necessary. The private school they're enrolled in you have to pass a test to get into their kindergarten program. Almost all the kids who do get in went to their preschool/pre-k to get the skills to be accepted.
As much as I'd love to be able to teach them what's necessary for kindergarten at home, as a single mom I simply don't have the time with work. We do some math/phonics/reading at home after school, but I just don't have the time it takes to get them up to the level they need to be for the school I want them in.
And honestly with my youngest she NEEDED the interaction preschool provided. She's never been very social with other children and her class has really brought her out of her shell.

Kaylee started right after her 4th birthday .. honestly it helped her so much for kinder.. even the kinder teacher said that the pre-k kids catch onto alot of things faster then the kids who didnt go and they kids who didnt go tend to need more one on one time or attention when playing with other kids..

I'm still debating this in my mind! DD just turned 4 and she COULD start next year. It's only 3 hours a day... but idk how I would handle not knowing who she's with, what she's doing, who she's around... scary scary thoughts! I like her to be in my presence at all times unless she's in her room.

i think i would help my daughter's class 2-3 days a week.. so i knew what was going on.. and the teacher loved the help

My oldest started preschool when she was 3 years 9 months and absolutely loves school. She's in her second year this year and is ahead of the kids her age (class has 4 and 5 year olds) Our middle started 3 years 8 months and this is her first year (she turned 4 in December) I think it's great for them both. They're learning so much and are only gone 2 1/2 hours 4 days a week. Though I don't think two years is needed, I think they should at least go the year before kindergarten so they'll get the swing of things.

<blockquote><b>Quoting JessicaMatlock :</b>" i think i would help my daughter's class 2-3 days a week.. so i knew what was going on.. and the teacher loved the help"</blockquote>


I'm gonna be honest I would hate that. I have so many parents that come in and it just stresses me out because they end up getting in the way and doing things for the kids that they can and need to do for themselves, and they throw off the other kids routines. It's just a huge hassle to teach the kids when the parent doesn't follow the way we are supposed to do things. Our state had a very rigid way of Doing things, from classroom set up, to discipline, to teacher/child interactions. We have to do everything a very specific way and I just can't train a parent to do what I do. I'm not saying i wouldn't allow parents as we have an open door policy, but 2-3 days a week is a lot. Plus I find a lot of parents doing thing stir their kids so they're not learnig the independence and problem solving aspect of prek. And the kids sometimes act diff when mom is there. They'll be clingy or Whiney or regress and act a little more "helpless" than they typically are. Not that this always happens but 9/10 times it does.

Thanks for your stories ladies! I think I'm gonna wait and see how Ava adjust to the move and new sibling and go from there on our decision when it's closer to time. As for now I'm going to continue with our home studies and school preparations