When is the best time to enroll a toddler in school? Is it the earlier the better, or is it too early? We are breaking it down together in this episode. This is the first of a two-part series on these common questions.
Welcome to Discerning Parenting, the podcast for parents of kids age 12 and under who have learned the hard way that a one size fits all approach to parenting won't shift the needle for you, your child, or your family. Together, We'll explore intentional strategies that see both you and your kids thrive.
Parenting strategies based on well conducted research in the areas of child development, brain science, and neurodiversity. Made practical for you. What if you let go of perfect and embrace discerning parenting in your family instead? If you feel like you've been stumbling your way through parenthood and you're ready to leave behind fight or flight mode parenting, then this is the podcast for you.
I'm Dr. Victoria Ang Nolasco, developmental and behavioral pediatrician and positive parenting coach, on a mission for children. To help you release your parenting guilt so you can become laser focused on what will truly work for you.
Welcome to the Discerning Parenting Podcast, where we dive deep into the heart of parenting, not just the triumphs, but the trials, the questions, and the quiet moments that shape us and our kids.
Do you have a one or two year old and you're wondering whether it's time to enroll your child in a school or an early learning program? Or maybe you already have a three year old, and technically a three year old is already a preschooler and not a toddler, but you're facing the same dilemma about whether or not to enroll your three year old in school already.
Now, this is not a problem. An absolute yes or no answer. Parents often ask me, at what age should my child be in school? And the answer is, it depends. There's no one size fits all answer to this question. There are three factors you need to consider, and be sure to listen all the way through the end to number three because this is extremely important.
Factor number one, your family dynamics and needs. Consider your family setup. If both parents work full time, or if there are no other opportunities to interact with other kids, then enrolling a child in a school or an early learning program might be a practical necessity. Or, there may be a stay at home parent, but you feel the need to have even two or three hours to yourself, then that time that your child is in a toddler class or in a preschool class may give you just the break you need.
But if parents or other caregivers can work together to provide enriching activities and your child gets plenty of opportunities to interact with other kids, there might be less urgency to enroll your child early. So reflect on what works best for your family. Now, factor number two is the school. The type of school is another crucial factor.
Not all early childhood programs are the same. Some schools might be developmentally appropriate. They may have play based curriculums, while others might be more academically focused. So we need to understand what kind of environment the school provides. Does it align with your child's developmental needs?
Be sure to follow the Discerning Parenting podcast because in the next episode, we'll dive into what to look for in your child's first school. And the third factor is the fit between the child and the school. Parents often ask, what are characteristics that kids need to have? before they're ready to start school.
But it's tricky to give a list of characteristics because it depends not just on the child but on the fit between the child and the school. Like potty training, for example. If your toddler is not yet potty trained, how does the school that you're considering handle this? Can they handle kids who aren't potty trained yet?
Or do they need the child to be potty trained already? So in which case, you can either choose to wait or you can consider another school. Another characteristic that's often a sign of school readiness is Being ready for a school environment. So what are these signs? They seem to be eager to interact with peers.
They can follow simple instructions. They seem curious about the different learning activities. There are some schools that need kids to already be ready to interact with kids and follow simple instructions. While other schools might be okay with a child who still needs to develop these and they can help the kids enhance these factors.
Now, every child is unique. What works for one might not work for another. So, there can be this particular Early learning program that another parent might be raving about but might not be the right fit for your child. So it's important to observe your child and consider their individual readiness rather than being pressured by external timelines.
And that's why I want to emphasize this. Don't feel pressured to enroll early. Many parents feel society's pressure to enroll their toddlers in school as early as possible, but we need to remember that there's no rush. If you feel that your child would benefit more from a home environment, from playgroups, simply learning them, letting them play, that's perfectly okay.
And in fact, if you look back at our previous episodes, you will see that kids At this age, learn best through play. So examples are spending time in nature, engaging in what we call free play, which is simply allowing them to play in ways that are acceptable to you. So we're not telling them to like throw objects or destroy the house or anything like that, but We let them play without us dictating and telling them every step that they need to do, or participating in activities of the family and the community.
They are also beneficial for your child's development. Now, kids thrive in environments where they feel safe, loved, and engaged. And having a good quality time with them. Early childhood program, if you enroll them, that's more critical than the age where you enroll them. There's evidence to show that if you have a high quality play based early childhood program starting at age three, this can help.
And most of these research studies were actually for low income families, so this good quality program helped equalize the differences in opportunities, but If you look at an academic program, the research actually says that it can hurt more than it can help your child. So what we're looking for is a program that emphasizes social emotional development, play, and exploration.
What I will caution against are programs that introduce formal academics early because research suggests that they do more harm than good. There are researchers that have linked this early focus on academics to increased mental health problems in kids. So, You want to avoid these types of programs for young kids and be sure to listen to the next episode as well where we talk more on this.
So in summary, there's no set answer for the question, what's the best time to enroll a toddler in school? It depends on your family dynamics. The type of school and the fit between your child and the school. Don't feel pressured to make a decision based on what others are telling you to do. Take your time, observe your child and choose what's best for your unique situation.
Thank you for joining me today on the Discerning Parenting Podcast. If today's episode resonated with you, head over to discerningparenting. com slash toolkit and download our free parenting toolkit. 📍 It's filled with resources on no prep activities, handling tantrums, building early literacy, and more.
Until next time, here's to embracing the beauty of parenting with all its joys and triumphs and imperfections and challenges.