My son was in speech from a very young age. I knew that he wasn't 'babbling' the way that his peers were. So I pushed for testing. He qualified. Long story short, I pushed for testing again when he was older and got him moved to work with a speech therapist (at a younger age than most would have).He tested out of speech. But when he was 2, his speech teacher suggested that I put him in preschool. I hadn't even entertained the idea! I planned to put him in at 3, but not 2.
After some discussion with Hubby, I checked into it. Talk about being nervous. This was the first time that I had been away from Lil Man, and the first time that I had trusted anyone to care for him.
It was the best thing ever - for us.
It was great that he and I had some time apart - time for him to grow and explore without my hovering - and time for me to let go to allow him to do some things without me.
We've been at the same preschool for going on 3 years now. He's now in the 4's class. And he loves it. During our Winter vacation, he kept asking when would he be able to go back to school and see his friends. (On a side note he insists he's never going to kindergarten because his friends won't be there).
But as he's playing with play dough behind me (I refuse to take a peek at the floor), I couldn't help but think how preschool was definitely one decision that I did right. In the last 3 years that he's been there, we both have grown so much.
I don't think (for us) that would have happened with the magnitude that it has without our preschool.
I don't believe children at a young age are meant to sit still for hours. I believe in interaction. I believe they learn by play. And I feel that he gets what he needs through play and structured time. And I'm so glad that I took the leap of faith and put him into the preschool that I did.
Here are a few tips when looking for a preschool.
- Ask around - word of mouth has been one of the best tools in finding resources for Lil Man. I've found that Moms (and dads) are brutally honest when it comes to services for their kids.
- Visit the preschool - either call the school and schedule a visit or a lot of schools have open houses that you can attend.
- You know your child - find a school that you think would be a great fit for him/her. If your child craves structure than maybe a more structured curriculum is best. However, if your child needs a lot of free play, then a highly structured class might not be the best fit for your situation
- It's not always about money. A more expensive school doesn't always mean the best choice and the same goes for a less expensive school.
- Don't get overwhelmed with all of the choices and options. Take each option one by one and see what works best for you.
In the end, I think it comes down to you, your family and your needs.
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