Anyone NOT have their 3-4 year old in kindy??

My 3.5 year old isn't in kindy either... I didn't even know he was of the right age to go! :redface: - bad mum alert :P

He doesn't start school until 2012 though cause of being born at the end of the year.... I have thought about sending him to childcare or something once or twice a week next year to get him used to not constantly being around me, and get me used to him not being around... especially to let me get used to him being elsewhere... as I'm terrified of letting him go cause of fears regarding his father finding him etc.... but yeah that's another story...

But no kindy here, and I never even thought about sending him to kindy, only childcare! :)

I personally don't understand WHY people put their kids in kindy any younger than the school kindy allow. Most kids aren't ready for kindy before then, and really as a parent it is OUR responsibility to be teaching our children to write and read before they go to school.

Here, the child has to be 4 years old BEFORE the 1st of January on the year they start. So for us, Jaidan was almost 5 as his birthday is the 6th Feb, before he went into kindy at the local primary school. Chase was 4 years and 10 months (April baby). By then they could both read some words, and could write their name and other peoples names. They were both 100% ready emotionally to go as well. Kindy here is 3 full days a week.

I wouldn't have dreamed sending them earlier than that. I even contemplated not sending Jaidan to kindy at all as it's only Prep that is compulsory, because I wasn't sure he was emotionally ready as he was very shy, but he came out of his shell a couple of months before he started.

As for being hard with a child and a baby, it's not ;) I am on my own and it really isn't that hard at all. And I almost have 4! LOL

Things like kinda gym, reading together at the library, playgroups, mothers groups, pram walking groups, and play dates with other kids, are MUCH more beneficial to children at 3 then kindy.

I don't buy that kindy enhances entry into school. Everyday activities are very educational, even if you don't consciously sit down with books and numbers etc. Somehow, DS has picked up counting in spanish...I didn't think I did it much, but I must do it without realising! Simple things like trips to my horse where I'll ask DS to get me something from my tack box - the green brush, two carrots etc etc. I just consider that in various cultures there are different values placed on what kids need to learn. IQ tests that, as much as possible, take out academic 'intelligence' find that traditional societies produce kids who know a lot about things like numeracy - currency (helping parents sell at village markets), counting stock etc; vocab through oral traditions and then other knowledge that we just wouldn't rate as important in the West, like weaving, fabrics, animal husbandry (seen Weeping Camel?), hut construction, childcare. Kids around the world learn heaps by involvement and observation, not by structured programs, necessarily :)

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My sisters DD goes to kindy and it is basically a social thing for her. My DS1 who is a year younger knows more colours, letters, can count to twenty, speaks more clearly and has a larger vocabulary. This could be because my son has been to daycare since he was little but he has thrived and developed faster than my niece who has a SAHM. Please note I am not trying to be offensive to SAHM but my sister (a wonderful mother I might add) simply does not spend the time like they do at daycare on those things.

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I am not offended but wanted to point out 2 things.

1. you are comparing 2 totally different children. As a mother of 3 I can tell you that I had one who didn't talk until he was 2.5, one who was speaking in sentences at 12 months and one who at 19 months has about 50 words, but doesn't speak in more than 2 word sentences. All have had the same attention, all have had the same upbringing, 2 have been to FDC at some stage of their lives, kids are just different! If anything you would think the eldest would have spoke earlier because he had more 1 on 1 attention, or the youngest would have picked up more things having older brothers, but nope they were all different. (same with their physical development) So saying that your niece is not speaking as clearly as your son is very naive.

2. I 100% believe that as parents it is OUR responsibility to teach our children the basics, not someone else. WE should teach them to count, begin reading, write, know the alphabet, colours, shapes. Not daycare. Much the same as when my kids get home from school, the learning doesn't stop. We do reading, art, cooking etc at home on the weekends and after school if we get time. So while what you think is better for your child, other people do not agree at all.

No offence intended at all. I am a SAHM and will always be. I wont return to work while my children are not at school, and while I put the older boys in FDC for 2 days a week when I was pregnant with Ashton, I soon pulled them out as it didn't sit right that someone else was enjoying my children while I was sitting on my bum missing them :( I don't spend ALL day being a helicopter parent, as we speak I am having some time on the computer while they are playing together in the toy room :) I might not be teaching Ash to count at this moment, but I can guarantee to you he is learning so much from playing with his brothers (even solo play is VERY important). I can also tell you 100% as someone who has worked in ALL the child care fields that your son does not get 1 on 1 time half as much from his daycare that your niece would be at home considering you've said she is a wonderful mother ;)

I send Ash to CC more for social side but yeah you can get that thru other places. She can speak really well, count, knows the alphabet, can half spell her name and thats just learnt thru us.
I agree with mayaness bout everyday activies can be educational. We go out and DD will point out birds that we count. Talk about whatever we see along the way, she asks questions and we discuss it.

Jodi ... my DD has been going to 3year old Kinder since she turned 3 last year.

Last year was $110 per term, that's just for 2.5hrs on a Monday (only that one day per week for 2.5hrs yep not much) ... then this year without warning it had risen to $145 per term for the same hours.

Anyway, just before my DD started 3year old Kinder last year i will never forget the comment her Kindergarten teacher (Kinder Director) mentioned she in her words said " Three year old Kinder is just for socialising, it's the Four year old Kinder where it gets more ' serious ' as it gets the children ready for school " !!

... and she wasn't wrong 3 year old Kinder has been just that just another form of socialising, yeh she gets to do arts & crafts but that can be done at home (and we do at times at home) ... and there are toys (not like she doesn't have toys at home) ... and the other materialistic things at Kinder she could truly survive without if need be, like a huge cubbyhouse, etc ... sure they do great things like have pets come in, etc but not like she can't visit animals somewhere. They have a book read to them at Kinder but i have been reading books to her since she was 2weeks old, and since a toddler have read her a book at bedtime.

I can't see any significate change in her since starting Kinder other than yeh she might seem more independent but then she has that inbuilt character in her anyway.

I'm the one whom has taught her how to count, know the alphabet and write her name and her speech and communications skills are wonderful.

We decided to keep in her 3 year old Kinder cause as DP said i never have time to myself so gives me a break for 2hrs each week by the time & i drop her off & pick her up at Kinder ... as we don't have family we can call on to babysit her if we need time out for ourselves ... BUT more than anything we still have her in Kinder purely cause she LOVES it ... Anyhow Jodi if my DD had to be pulled out of Kinder she wouldn't be devastated as on Xmas holidays she didn't appear to miss it nor her friends there much.

I think at this age as long as they have some social interaction with children their age or close to their age and also have HANDS ON activities like craft, painting, dressing up, cut 'n paste ... anything that gets their creative & imagination juices flowing ... and playing outdoors in the fresh air they will be SUPER fine :D

We live in rural PNG, no kinder here. My girls wont be going to kinder but i have lots of craft activites, learning tools, books and toys, and we have a group of kids that get together regularly for the social interaction. I'm not concerned about it and think i can help her to have a great start myself.

I'm with missymoo on the comparing apples thing. My DD is 2.5, never been in any kind of care, can count to 20, has a fantastic vocabulary, knows her colors, sings the alphabet, can 'read' books she know well (from memory, not reading) and i don't spend huge amounts of time teacher things, she is just a little sponge.

If we had a choice i would probably send them to kindy, but i'm not overly fussed. i don't feel like i am doing my kids a disservice, i think they will be just fine starting their formal education in grade prep. Sure they might take a little more adjusting initially but i think they will be fine. :)

I didnt do 3 yr old kinder.activity group. I sent to day care twice a week. He will go to 4 yr old kinder before start school in 2012.

It does cost alot, especially with No HCC now. but ill be sending him 4 yr old kinder.