Readiness for playschool

[Chelliebee]

my 20 month daughter just started attending star tots playschool. Its now her second week, and I know its normal for kids to have separation anxiety, but my kid is inconsolable if i go out of the classroom. Today i left for an hour, so she was crying for an hour. I peeked into their classroom after having gone for an hour, and my kid is crying while standing next to teacher, while teacher is helping another kid do some artwork. Its really heartbreaking. If i am around, she will play with other kids.
I am having doubt now if i started her too early. I just wanted her to be more sociable with other kids.
What age did you start putting your child to playschool and how long did it take for your kid to adjust?

 

[richiemccaw]

We sent our #1 to infant care at 3.5 months, and she was promoted to playgroup at 18 months old. Cried every morning for about a month and pretty much kept to herself for the first 1-2 months. It was heartbreaking but we tried to console ourselves by saying we dont have much of a choice and the daily separation will happen anyway.

Then after she began to settle down at the playgroup, we had to shift houses so we had to move her to another childcare centre in early January this year. She cried every morning for a month and a half and did the whole keeping to herself thing for about two months. She has only just began to settle down and knows a few of her classmates' names too.

I guess the way to look at it for us would be that we dont have much choice since every adult in both families are working so she has to go to playgroup unless something drastic happens. The early exposure to other kids and the classroom would hopefully help her adjust better when the time comes for real learning to begin, be it at K1/K2 or primary school.

If we had a choice, i.e. mother-in-law helping to take care, would we still send her to playgroup at such a young age? Yes but not for the whole day. Probably just 3-4 hours a day to expose her to other kids and the classroom setting.

 

[Lostkitty]

My LO went to PG at 26 months and it takes her 2 - 3 months to adjust the environment and new friends. I remember there was a teacher whom will carry and comfort her when we brought her there. It only takes awhile for my LO to stop crying and the teacher will pacify her with toys and etc. You will feel heartpain but think on the bright side that she will learn and socialize with other children. Half a yr later, my LO was transferred to a new CC and again, she have to re-adjust new teacher and friends. Again, there was a teacher whom my LO will rely on and slowly for about 2 - 3 months, she adjusted to the new school. Don't worry too much but what you need to worry is your LO not getting sick. Boost your LO immune system and everything will be fine.

Like richiemccaw said, we parents have no choice to put our LO in CC or playgroup. But our LO will learn alot of things from school which we parents have no time to teach.