Okay....my darling is 16 mos old and we are starting montesssori school on the 2nd........he will be going 5 days a week from 8:00 am to 12:30 pm.....my heart is just sinking as the date is approaching closer. I think I am having a harder time with this then he will next week......everybody has been telling me to brace myself since he is not going to like it in the beginning and that is just making things worse for me.........
To give a little background we have a very spirited child....he needs to be constantly invovled in things and also doesn't distract easilly when he sets his mind.....he loves the company of other kids....my husband and I feel that he will benefit from being in school with having some strcuture, learning oppurtunity and being involved with other kiddos........the school we have picked is smaller classes and his class goes from 16 mos to 2 years....he will be the youngest in class......he doesn't talk yet but is very communicative in his own language......we also feel that the longer we wait the more difficult the transition will be for him.......I am looking for some words of encouragement so that I don;t have a meltdown on school day next Monday!!!!
Anybody else experience this much angst over kiddos going to school/day care?????
I think if he doesn't have to be there, that 16 mos is too young. He will be going to school for 12 plus years - why does he need to start so young? I would think a mommy and me play group or something similar would suffice, but that's just MO.
I really do not understand why as a society we are sending our babies off to school. Kids under 3 should be playing with mom, or a sitter.
I also couldn't imagine sending my child off if he/she couldn't talk.
Why do you think that he won't like it? If he likes being around other kids he will love it. I think it is much harder on the parents when kids start school or daycare. It's normal to worry and miss your child. You may have a few days in the beginning that he will cry, but just stay positive and have the teachers distract him (trust me if they are good teachers they are used to doing the distracting).
Montessori schools are great for little ones like your son.
We started our oldest in morning daycare when he was two. He was also very, very spirited. Best thing we did for him! He was a late talker and within two months of starting, he was combining words. The first couple weeks were hard, but after that, he'd run off in the morning and forget to give me a hug!
Be strong. We've enrolled our DS in daycare starting May 1. He'll be 19.5 months when he starts. We are looking forward to it, and think he'll have a blast once he gets over the adjustment. We've put him in for 2 full days (9-4) a week in May, and 3 days a week begining in June. The daycare center accepts kids as young as 6 weeks old. All the children seemes happy and well adjusted during our visits there. The caregivers looked patient and caring too.
I think our DS will enjoy the company of the other children, and will take real strides in using his words to communicate in that context.
Good luck to you and yours,
F. B.
Why would people tell you that your son won't like school to start out with? My girls LOVED the Montessori school they went to from day 1. So did most of the other kids in their class. It was rare to see a child who had trouble transitioning. Hang in there, and also please remember that even if your son doesn't talk yet, he can certainly pick up on your emotions. So be positive and tell him how exciting this is going to be. Don't let him know that you're stressed or he will become stressed too.
Hi - the first couple of weeks will likely be rough however he'll likely be ok shortly after starting. At that age my son didn't seem to care when we left him at daycare but then cried when we picked him up!!!!!!!!! It was 2 years later when we had to change daycares that he had the separation anxiety - lasted a couple of weeks and after that started talking about how much he liked his new friends, etc.
Best of luck to you - it's cool when the kids get social - you have a whole new group of parent friends!!
Oh I remember when my wonderful maternity leave ended with both my boys and the first drop off occured. Of course, they were much younger than 16 months. It is scary, but I try to look at it as an adventure for them. It is new, it is part time it is something to allow him more and different exposure to activities and things you may not have thought to do. For example, my kiddos teachers put leaves under plastic taped down so the little guys could swat at and poke them - I am not doing a great job of explaining, but it was fun to them and something I would never have thought to do:)
Take a deep breath, plan and prepare your morning the night before and cut yourself some slack. It is right to feel nervous/anxious, but don't let it disuade you from offering your child an adventure - even at 16 months, they can have them:)
Best,
Do you have to end him to school/daycare because you have to go back to work?
If not, you could try delaying sending him.
Or you could consider starting him 3 days a week iinstead of 5.
Honestly, he most likely won't benefit from the structure or other kids quite yet.
Hope that helps!
Honestly, I can't imagine in a million years sending my less than 1.5 year old baby off to School!!!!!
OMG! I just wrote a post about enrolling my son (20 months) in a Montessori school. And then I started thinking about how nervous I am about leaving him with complete strangers! I'm a wreck also and he isn't starting as soon as yours. So I have no words of encouragement. But I just wanted you to know that you are not alone. I'm going to check out the school tomorrow and I'm nervous even thinking about it. Because I know that soon he will start. And I just don't want to leave him all alone :s LOL! Please let me know how it goes :). GOOD LUCK
I started my youngest in a two day a week program when she was about 17 months old (I was working part-time). There were days that the separation anxiety made it difficult at drop-off but overall she LOVED the program. My best advice to you is to get him involved in something and leave quickly - rip off that band-aid!!!! If you have to stick around and hide around the corner or something, fine, but don't let him see you. You'll see that once YOU are gone, he'll adjust fine. Trust me, they know how to manipulate our emotions ha ha. Mine is about to turn 5 now and still in the same program and very happy and well-adjusted. He is going to be fine!!!!
You MAY be surprised! Not all kids have a difficult time at this age. Usually the hardest time is the actual separation (that is, him seeing you walk out the door.)
If he DOES have a hard time at first, try not to let it bother you too much (easier said than done I know.) Remain calm and smiling, don't hang around too long, that just makes it harder on both of you. And remember the teachers are specifically trained to help your son adjust. I'm sure he's going to have a great time :)
I see from a prior post you work full time and have a nanny. I'm in the same position and also had a super social 1st child. So when she turned 2, we sent her to a preschool a couple of mornings a week where they did some structured activities but in a way I felt like we were just paying for a playdate... I'd had my second by then too so this way she wasn't confined by a baby's schedule. So I know where you're coming from in terms of feeling like he needs a social outlet. Same time, our daughter was 2 and definitely talking plenty when we sent her. Looking back, we spent a lot of money on preschools (we also did Montessori later) and it's not necessary. In a lot of ways I think it's more for the parents than the kids and you and I are/were both already paying a nanny to play with our children. So I'd say if he doesn't like it, don't force it yet. If he enjoys it and you can afford it no problem, then go for it and keep sending him. But no need to push it at this point. So that way no need for you to worry. He'll only go if he's happy about it. If he's not, just wait. He certainly won't remember when he's 2 or 2.5 - "last time they did this to me, I cried and then they didn't send me again..." And I don't think it's true that the longer you wait the harder the transition. My youngest is a shy one and not that social and things have changed in that area for the better as she's gotten older. She hasn't gotten MORE hesitant about leaving me as she's gotten older.
My D started a Montessori program 5 mornings a week when she was 3 1/2 years old. (She's now in her second year and starts K in Sept) She was ready to be with other kids and loved it right away. I had more separation anxiety than she did. She was potty trained and could communicate well.
