Is 2yo preschool worth it?

[JDAZ11]

Hi!

I've been changing my mind about this constantly. My kids are late august bdays, and were premature (I think they tracked a little more with their due date for milestones, when I happened to notice... but I usually ignore them because they always seems to figure things out eventually, so why worry?).

Anyway, there aren't many twos programs here. And we would have to start paying in July, but they can't go until their 2nd bday. I was only thinking 2 days a week, and it's either 3 or 4 hours. That said, even the cheapest option would add up to about $600/month for the two of them.

We also already have a nanny, so it's not like it would give me a break. I guess it just gives them something to do?

So at first I though yes. But then the more I thought about... they have each other, we play with kids everyday at the park.... so I was thinking its a total waste (I'd still need the nanny since I'm still getting hurt frequently and spending absurd amounts of time in rehab). But yesterday I started to think that maybe I was making a mistake.

What do you think? Any point to going to a 2s program as a young 2yo? With a twin?

All opinions very much appreciated!


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[JDAZ11]

Oh we also aren't religious- but all the programs are. And none are catholic (which is technically our religion, although I haven't been to church for anything but weddings funerals and baptisms in like 10 years....).



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[alotofyarn]

E has learned a ton in preschool, and she's a little social butterfly, which I know she wouldn't be otherwise. They do crafts and activities that I would never come up with. She really loves it.

But is it totally necessary? Probably not.

[spotty_dog]

For my style of parenting and my ideals about growth and education, it's far from necessary. I only did 3yo preschool because it was NON academic and only about 6 hours a week and only about $60 a month (and because they do messy art that I don't want in my house!) For that matter, I only did 4yo preschool because my kids were going to public school. If you need the care or if your kids wouldn't leave the house without it, that's one thing, but if they're otherwise provided for and being toted around to everyday life experiences…I vote nah.

[SoonerTexan]

I just put my 2nd in the two year old class (but he is almost three). He was ready, but the two biggest reasons were to give me a break and because he was flipping out when his sister got to go and he didn't 3 days a week (he goes 2 days now).

I think you could take it or leave it at that age. I am putting #3 in next year, he will be almost 2 with his Nov birthday when he starts. He will go 1 day a week. Again, I'm really doing it to give myself a break more than anything, though!

As far as the religious aspect goes, it tends to not extraordinarily deep at that age. If you don't want them exposed at all, then you might not be happy with it, but if you can take it or leave it, I don't think you will find it to be an issue.

[Thirteen]

Yes. 😆


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[alotofyarn]

Oh, also on the religious aspect. My kids are in a Christian school, which I like. The main things they do are pray before meals (God is great, God is good, let us thank him for our food. In Jesus name, Amen), and occasionally do some Bible-based coloring pages and sing some Christian songs (Jesus Loves Me, etc.) . Some of them have Bible story time too. It's not like hard core evangelism and witnessing though.

[spaz]

In your case, it sounds like a waste. I did a mother's day out program at that age, twice a week from 9-2 and it cost me a 50 dollar registration fee and 7 dollars a session per child ( I hear it is 15 dollars now.) . Well worth it for my only break away from my kids . 600 dollars not so much. I don't know they would learn much and if you don't need the break, I wouldn't bother. For me, MDO was lifesaving as it was the only time I got my hair cut or went shopping for presents or generally had any time away. It saved my sanity.

[MrsC]

C started at 2 yrs, 10 months. October birthday so he's in the 2 yr class. He loves it and it's been good for his social skills. He knew all of his numbers and letters etc before he started and was working on his name at home before they started in school so it hasn't made a huge difference academically. He has also come home sick every other week since he started. He only got 1 to 2 colds a year the first three years so now he's picking up everything. But, he's very sociable so the benefits outweigh that. It takes the pressure off me of having to make it to so many playdates.

Ours is in a Methodist Church and is owned by a pastor's wife. We're kind of between denominations right now (I was raised Catholic) so it doesn't bother me at all.
I would probably wait until they're 2.5 to 3. We went to kindermusik and play and learn classes until then.

[JDAZ11]

For my style of parenting and my ideals about growth and education, it's far from necessary. I only did 3yo preschool because it was NON academic and only about 6 hours a week and only about $60 a month (and because they do messy art that I don't want in my house!) For that matter, I only did 4yo preschool because my kids were going to public school. If you need the care or if your kids wouldn't leave the house without it, that's one thing, but if they're otherwise provided for and being toted around to everyday life experiences…I vote nah.

So the messy art project thing is actually what was making me regret the decision. It's kind of difficult to let two kids the same age even finger paint in your house unless you have help. (They also eat everything, so I'm kind of low on art project ideas that work for us).

That said, right now they still nap - and they nap really early 11a-2p. None of the programs have them finishing before 11. So I was reluctant to mess with that. (I know I'm optimistic, but I'd love for that to last a bit longer).

I also have to admit that I'm not super amazing about taking them everywhere. It's not easy for me physically, and my nanny is a little weird about coming everywhere with us - she would rather use that time to clean, which I understand, but my house doesn't need to be as clean as she thinks. Lol.

We go to the farmers market twice a week and the park every day. There are a few cafes and restaurants that we walk to regularly and hangout. Then they go to swim lessons. Then to the zoo every so often, and we went to story time once a week before I hurt myself last time (and then it was cold and flu season). But that's it really it. So it's not like I'm taking them to the children's museum every day and doing amazingly creative art projects.

How do you know if they are ready? My one friend told me to wait until 3 until they were more verbal. They seem to be abnormally verbal compared to our other friends a few months older than them. I think maybe because they are competing with each other all the time. (They also know quite a bit of Spanish from the nannies).

But I don't know what to be looking for in terms of readiness. I think that a second child is probably ready sooner since they are hanging out with an older sibling. Am I thinking about like actual intellectual readiness? What is that with a 16 month old? Like knowing letters, numbers, colors, animals etc? They are pretty good with all of those, but they are awful with shapes. One doesn't get the point of the shape sorter at all, and the other one was pretty good for about a week, but now we just throw shapes - and either take the top off the sorter or unzip it and put the shapes in. No one seems to understand the concept. I really feel like I lack the skills to get them to understand... so would 2 yo preschool actually help with that or is it just like "socialization." (I feel like they can't learn much in a 2 day a week program, but maybe I'm wrong).


Or am I just looking for boredom? They don't seem to get that bored, but the weather is nice and we spend a lot of time outside. I have no idea how to anticipate whether they will be ready for lots more in the fall.

They are also super mouthy kids still. So the idea of me sending them to school kind of grosses me out. They are constantly putting random toys at the park or playplace things in their mouths. If I'm being honest with myself, I probably don't want them to go because I just don't want to be sick all year since I'm still struggling with my physical issues. It's just not something I'm in the mood for, but I know I need to get over that. And they have been licking all sort of random stuff for 16 months, so maybe school won't be as bad as I'm thinking.... lol.


I totally think they would get a lot out of Montessori- but I'd have to send them all day, and it would be 25K a year. I could live without the nanny then, but I don't know that I'm ready to have them gone all day. I'm not having more, so maybe I'm being selfish about that too.



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[Phoebe]

It sounds like you are leaning towards not doing it. They probably won't remember preschool at age 2 when they get older. I sent all my kids to Mother's Day Out at 2 for me time. If your kids still nap, I would probably wait until they are 3 years old. My kids enjoyed preschool at a church. My youngest gets sick often from being exposed to everything at preschool.


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[MrsC]

C didn't get the shape sorter either haha. He learned shapes from the Colibook videos on YouTube. But seriously, it sounds like they're doing amazing! I think at that age music and singing is probably how they learn best and a lot of classes will focus on that. With our kindermusik classes, we basically just sat in a circle while the kids played instruments and ran around. It wasn't physically tasking at all so something like that might be doable.

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[JDAZ11]

C didn't get the shape sorter either haha. He learned shapes from the Colibook videos on YouTube. But seriously, it sounds like they're doing amazing! I think at that age music and singing is probably how they learn best and a lot of classes will focus on that. With our kindermusik classes, we basically just sat in a circle while the kids played instruments and ran around. It wasn't physically tasking at all so something like that might be doable.

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So I was thinking I would add a music class (there is kindermusic and another one), plus doing the little gym, at least during the hot months (it was too physical for me when I did it last summer, but only because they weren't walking yet and thy made me crawl around. Hopefully that's over...).

I may just turn in applications for two or three and see what happens. I may be late for the less expensive ones.

It's annoying that I did all of this when they were two months old and then we moved. I've already wasted like $500 on pre-school applications.


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[JDAZ11]

C didn't get the shape sorter either haha. He learned shapes from the Colibook videos on YouTube. But seriously, it sounds like they're doing amazing! I think at that age music and singing is probably how they learn best and a lot of classes will focus on that. With our kindermusik classes, we basically just sat in a circle while the kids played instruments and ran around. It wasn't physically tasking at all so something like that might be doable.

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I'll look those videos up!


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[spotty_dog]

Well, I'm pretty far from mainstream with my parenting so I don't think you want to ask me.

But let me put it this way. My daughter's little classmate will be 8 next month. He has a little brother who's 4 and triplet sibs who are turning 2. The dad works as a cable technician four days a week and the mom works as a bookkeeper two days a week (they switch off primary child care duties and both are home Sunday; they're church-goers.) The babies barely even go in the back yard because it's so hard to supervise all of them at once. The preschooler goes to part-time preschool at the local day care. (Yes, THE local day care, LOL.) Finger paint? Museums?

These kids are going to be fine. They have a parade of family helping them out, they have an enriched environment at home with toys and laundry and whatnot to mess around with, they go out on one-on-one outings with various people when it's practical, they go to church once a week. They're fine. In many ways I think they're in a better and more psychologically appropriate setting than some more affluent kiddos.

I'm firmly and aggressively against teaching letters and colors and shapes to toddlers, LOL. Again, not the one to ask. (Did I tell the story of how we had to drill my 5-almost-6 in his alphabet the week before kindergarten? My kiddo who's now reading avidly at a 12th grade level in 4th grade?) Since my goal for preschool is social-emotional growth, that's the kind of readiness I look for: firm attachment to family members but willingness to branch out and trust other caregivers, starting to move from parallel play to interactive play with their peers, etc.

There's not really a wrong answer here, because you're a loving parent and you have their best interest at heart. It's all good.