Baby Safety Zone - Preschool

Preschool

When Does Preschool Start?

Private preschool can start from as young as 2 years old in some institutions. Most children, however, enroll in preschool at the age of 4.

What are the Merits?

Preschool is not mandatory, but it is a great way to ease your child's transition into kindergarten, especially if your child has been cared for at home.

When choosing a preschool program for your child, preschool safety should be one of your highest priorities. When looking for safe preschools, check out the condition of playground equipment, cleanliness of the facility, what the preschool's sick child policy is and what the policy is for who can pick your child up. (A safe preschool will have many ways to track who picks your child up and when. In fact, you generally should have to provide a list of who's approved, tell the preschool teachers when someone on the list (other than the parents) are picking the child up, and then that person should be required to sign their name and show ID.)

Children who have received child care from outside the home will already be used to interacting with other children and being disciplined by others. By the age of four your child will probably be ready to take on some visual learning in a nurturing environment. This will prepare your child for school and may benefit them throughout their lives.

Choosing a Preschool

There are numerous preschool programs to choose from. Some parents opt for a serious, structured and academic program, while others prefer a Montessori approach, that allows more freedom of expression and encourages learning through play.

It is important to visit a range of preschools to get an idea of the type programs they offer, and whether this would suit your child's needs. Talk to other parents and check out reviews on the internet. If your child has never attended any kind of daycare you may want to start them off slowly by enrolling them in a part-time program.

Educating at Home

Some parents prefer to educate their children at home. This is not as easy as it may seem as children often do not respond as well to their parents as they would from an outside educator.

Additionally, it is important for children to socialize and get used to obeying external rules and regulations, as well as receiving discipline from others.

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