Should I send my daughter to playschool ?

foodaholic

My daughter will be 2 in Jan and I'm toying with the idea of sending her to playschool for 2 days a week.

We have a childminder that minds her in our house.

I don't know if it's a good or bad idea.
She is an only child

I would appreciate you sharing your thoughts

Moonbeam

If the playschool takes them that young then do but most will not.

beauf

You might want to explain why you want to change.

Lisha

Normally playschool take kids from 2yrs 9monyhd and up. Kids must also be toilet trained.

beauf

Thats a precise age, 2yrs 9mths. Where are you getting from.

Lisha

beauf wrote: »

Thats a precise age, 2yrs 9mths. Where are you getting from.

From my playschool policy and information document.

Also checkout citizens advice site for details of free yr (ecce guidelines)

Lisha

foodaholic wrote: »

My daughter will be 2 in Jan and I'm toying with the idea of sending her to playschool for 2 days a week.

We have a childminder that minds her in our house.

I don't know if it's a good or bad idea.
She is an only child

I would appreciate you sharing your thoughts

Playschool is only for 3 hrs or so when a child is 2yrs 9 months plus. Normally when kids are in a crèche setting they are still only in playschool for 3ir so hrs. The remainder of day is in crèche setting.

Is it for socialization reasons you are thinking of sending your child?
If so maybe go to a playcentre once a week.

IMHO there is no need. My daughter will be 4next April. She will start playschool after Christmas for 2 mornings.
The following September she will use her free ecce yr. In sept 2015 she will start national school aged 5.5yrs. I probably won't utilize full 5 days until February '15

I feel they get bored of playschool after a while . This is just my opinion.

liliq

I wouldn't unless there is some reason you need to.

foodaholic

I was thinking that it might be good for socialisation - playing with other children ect...

Lisha

foodaholic wrote: »

I was thinking that it might be good for socialisation - playing with other children ect...

If your local playschool has a crèche attached ring them and ask what options they have that would suit you.
Would you know any one near you that would have a child if a similar age that you could have play dates with ?

foodaholic

She has a friend that she plays once a week with. They get on really well.

The local crèche has a playschool for 2yr olds onwards 9am-12.

I just trying to decide will It be beneficial for her or not

Lisha

Well it can't hurt
My only fear is that she'd get bored of playschool before she ready for national school .

If she in 2 in jan 2014
3 in jan 2015
4 in jan 2016
Then she would go to national school in sept 2016 aged 4.5yrs

So her free playschool ecce yr would start from sept 2015 (check out citizens advice site for details. )

So is 2.5 yrs playschool a lot do you think?

foodaholic

I was only thinking of 2 days a week if I was to go ahead with it.

Lisha

foodaholic wrote: »

I was only thinking of 2 days a week if I was to go ahead with it.

Yeah sorry got distracted by xfactor

So 2 days jan 2014
2 (?) days sept 2014
Ecce yr so 5 days sept 2015
National school sept 2016

foodaholic

Lisha wrote: »

Yeah sorry got distracted by xfactor

So 2 days jan 2014
2 (?) days sept 2014
Ecce yr so 5 days sept 2015
National school sept 2016

Yeah 2 days per week and then the Ecce in '15 and school '16

wmpdd3

My daughter hasbeen in creche since she was 1, just for 2 afternoons a week, she turned 3 in Sept, so isnt allowed to do the ECCE year till sept '14.

She has been in with the pre-school class for 2 afternoons a week since Sept. She loves it and I dont thing she would have been as happy in creche making all the same things for another year!

So she will do:

2 days per week Sept 13 - Sept 14 (no idea if they stop for the Summer, creche stays open)
5 days per week Sept 14 - 15 (mornings)
Primary school Sept 15, she will be 4y 11.5 months old starting school.

I am happy for her to do extra pre school as she will be going to a gaelscoil and may benefit from an extra year of math and English.

pwurple

Mine switched from creche to playschool 4 mornings a week since she was 2.5. She absolutely loves it, runs in the door every morning to her teacher and her pals. Comes home singing new songs and telling me all about it. She is also looked after in our house, or my mums house the rest of the time... I think 4 mornings a week is probably loads at her age. I will cut it back to three mornings when next baby arrives (mainly because I won't be able to afford it since mat benefit is reduced). She can do the ECCE then the next year, assuming the govt don't pull that as well.

She's seems to be an outgoing child though.

Her cousin is around the same age, naturally a bit shyer and she didn't take to it.

I'd ask your childminder's opinion on if she is ready for it.

momoxie

could let her go

Moonbeam

My eldest finished in creche just before her 2nd birthday and started in play school the week after and then did 2 years of NaIonra,she loved every minute of it but she was also an exception as they would ot usually take them so young.
My #2 girls started at 2 years and 8 months in irish montessori and loves it.

cerastes

Our child is still under 1.5 years, we're thinking of sending him to childcare so I can return to work as we need the money, its up in the air at the moment as trying to balance trying getting a job that will pay enough to cover care, and still to be worthwhile but also wondering if it is too soon?
It would have to be fulltime, fulldays, is this too much, Im wondering if it will be a shock to the system for him or if will it be good for him.

weetiepie

We sent our little boy to creche a month before he turned two. It is for two mornings a week and for the purposes of socialising. He found it hard saying goodbye for the first two weeks, but now he loves it so much, we are thinking of sending him a third morning.

He really get so much out of it, his speech is delayed but already we can see a vast improvement since we sent him.

Hope this helps, and good luck

sari

What's the difference between crèche and play school?

cerastes

weetiepie wrote: »

We sent our little boy to creche a month before he turned two. It is for two mornings a week and for the purposes of socialising. He found it hard saying goodbye for the first two weeks, but now he loves it so much, we are thinking of sending him a third morning.

He really get so much out of it, his speech is delayed but already we can see a vast improvement since we sent him.

Hope this helps, and good luck

Im concerned about him going straight into 4 full days

Lisha

sari wrote: »

What's the difference between crèche and play school?

Crèche is a child minding facility. The hours depend on how long the parents work. Some kids are in crèche from 7 am to 6 pm.

Playschool is usually from 9am to 12/12:30. It is more structured learning through play. Like a play orientated junior infants.

Montessori is a different type of playschool it us much more structured.

Most crèche include playschool as a part of their day.

sari

Thanks lisha

Moonbeam

cerastes wrote: »

Our child is still under 1.5 years, we're thinking of sending him to childcare so I can return to work as we need the money, its up in the air at the moment as trying to balance trying getting a job that will pay enough to cover care, and still to be worthwhile but also wondering if it is too soon?
It would have to be fulltime, fulldays, is this too much, Im wondering if it will be a shock to the system for him or if will it be good for him.

My 1st started at 8 months and it was fine with one but it cost over 1k pm full time so not practical now with 3.

cerastes

Moonbeam wrote: »

My 1st started at 8 months and it was fine with one but it cost over 1k pm full time so not practical now with 3.

I know, the cost is mad, its making it border on impossible to even consider returning to work and I dont get SW, if I had that, its unfortunate to say I couldnt consider it at all.
Im a bit concerned at fulltime though, I cant go viewing potential jobs and start laying time conditions down.

Moonbeam

start applying for jobs and when you get offered one you want then start the worrying:)
There are some amazing childminders out there and some brilliant creches.

wmpdd3

A bit of topic, but I work evening and my other half is in college / work experience during the day.

Its the only way we could afford it, I have to work long days 2 days a week, so the kids go to creche these days.