Hi,

My first post here. I'm hoping for some advice from others who've either decided against preschool at 2 years old, or done it with regrets, or with happiness. My son is 24 months now, bright and busy, slightly inhibited in public but quite social at home.

We live in a very rural area and know no one else with a child his age who is interested in regular playdates. There is one preschool that will take two year olds: 2 teachers, 8 kids, 2 days a week, 3 hours. I've visited, its pretty backwards but safe, and social. When I visited the two year old room (with kids now 3 in it) I was really shocked at what the kids weren't capable of. On the other hand that may be good because it means they don't stress pre-anything-skills which would just mean boredom for DS.

My DS will be bored for some of the time anyways. But its social. Sort of. Some of the interaction is negative, kids pulling toys out of other ones hands with the teachers intervening only sometimes (teachers not energetic). Teachers occasionally saying borderline mean things out of exasperation(though only to the one kid who was repeatedly acting out). Quiet kids don't get much attention. The play the kids engage in seems sort of dreary and repetitive.

Maybe it seems silly to be worrying about anything that's 6 hours a week. My DS though is a gentle and imaginative kid (terrible twos have yet to arrive), I don't really want him to learn to respond to a question on the weather by saying its cloudy when it isn't, or to stand in one spot and roar for 10 minutes. I wish the teachers were more engaged.

There's nothing else around here that allows for getting to know other kids, have other kids know his name, etc. We do library hours etc so he does see other kids but nothing that has the incremental social learning of a preschool.

I wish in a way the preschool would allow him in with the 3 year olds as he would enjoy their toys and projects much more. I really like their program for 3s, still not his speed academically (and will be even less so next year) but the teachers seem energetic and flexible. Socially though my DS is two.

Thanks for any input, sorry this got so long. What would you do... just wait a year and start with the threes, or decide that a perfectly safe playgroup/school with other twos is a good idea socially speaking.

Polly