For Suz, because she asked, and even though she scolded me, a formula:
Take one baby who’s home with a nanny all day and could use some extra stimulation
Add a personality that is not suited for full-time daycare*
Subtract most of the local preschools because they don’t start until age three
Subtract the remainder of preschools that have two-year-old programs but wouldn’t take a kid that is 1 year, 10 months in September 2007
Carry the one, divide by seven million other factors floating around in my pea brain, and I am left with one bridge program available to kids ages 18-36 months. It’s five minutes from my house, three hours/day for a max of three days/week and he would start next summer or fall, assuming he gives up his morning nap by then, we work out the transportation connundrum, and I convince my husband that we can put up with some religious content for a year until he can go to a secular preschool in 2008.
* I think some babies thrive in full-time daycare. You gotta know your kid. And be lucky enough to have choices. And even then every choice involves some kind of sacrifice.
I think you should do this. It is a scientific fact that red-headed babies are smarter than all other babies and therefore require extra stimulation.
I think this is a good idea. Anything that eases the transition for a kid that needs more stimulation is a major plus. You’re lucky there’s a program like that near you.
my son LOVES his full time daycare. i’m very lucky that he does or else i have no idea what i would do.
Better late than never – I hope! Thanks so much for this! I worry about preschool simply because I don’t have a plan or a place to start and, well, you just provided it. Look at what your kid needs and what your family needs and narrow it down from there. Hopefully, my choice will be obvious!
And you have a head start on getting him ready.
I don’t know how Mimi would do in preschool or a real daycare. I know that being with 2 other kids all day makes her very happy. I don’t know how she’d feel about 11. And it wouldn’t be full time for Gatito.
If it’s awful, you can always stop. He may just love it, you know?
Oh and.
The countdown is on to the big bday and you haven’t mentioned it. Plans?