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

DH has recently scored a new job. Problem is that he's taken on a lesser pay than we're use to as he's in training. Give it 12 months and he'll be earning more than he ever has, but until then we can't afford to send DD1 (who is 3.5 yrs) to kindy. She goes to kindy at a daycare centre here. Unfortunately here I can't get her into a community kindy until next year (she doesn't qualify any earlier due to age). So I'm taking her out. Just wondering, anyone NOT have their child in kindy at this age? It'll probably be for the rest of the year and she'll go back (hopefully) the start of next year. How did your child cope? I know it'll be hard on me being heavily pregnant, then having a newborn baby, but I reckon I'll cope. Just more worried about Nina.

Hi Jodi,

My son is in 4 yr old kinder. I didn't send him to 3 yr old, because I thought it was a waste of time and money.

He absolutely loves kinder!

If your DH is on less of a wage, there is a government subsidy available for 4 yr old.
Might be worth checking this out if need be?

Many daycare centre have a really good kinder program.

I personally wouldn't stress about her not going to an 'official' kinder. You might just have to do a bit of research on the net to come up with some activities if she gets bored.

Good luck

my kids aren't in kindy. I simply can't afford it and there aren't enough places.

My DS isn't. Having moved up from Victoria where 3yo kinder is much more widely available, I've been stressing over this, worrying that he is going to be disadvantaged in some way. I simply couldn't get him in anywhere until next year for 4yo kindy (C&K).

However he does have various activities like playgroup, swimming lessons, kindergym so he still gets to interact with other kids. I am worried though, that I won't be able to keep this up because Number 3 is due in less than 2 weeks.

I tried to put him in daycare and he hated it so much that we had to pull him out and now he won't even entertain the idea of trying a different daycare place, although he does like the idea of kindy next year.

I keep telling myself that there must be heaps of other kids in Qld not going to 3yo kindy!

Hi Curly,

all of my friends sent their kids to 3 yr old, and I thought the same as you, and that I must have made a terrible decision.
But once we got to 4 yr, DS was not the only one who hadn't been to 3yr old, and there was no problem.
There are heaps of things you can access online to keep them entertained etc.
The socialising has to be a huge part of it, but if you have so many activities going anyway, you shouldn't have a problem.
Even if you only had one day a week, he's interacting with other kids, it's bound to be better than none at all.

My DS2 goes to creche once a week and they have the 3yr old kinder program in his room. I also get the rebate so it actually works out better and about the same price as he gets a whole day of socialisation and also 3yr old kinder.
I did some research into 3yr old kinder and found it was just going to be much mucking around with only 2 sessions at 2hrs.
So I get one full day at home with DD, we also do swimming with DS2 and Mother's Group on another day (we alternate between houses and play centres), so he has plenty to keep him occupied. I also take hime grocery shopping and helps out and enjoys it.
He will be doing 4yr old next year and I will then take him out of creche. Hoping to get a 12hr of 3days session.
It's quite a bit cheaper and you can claim some of the fee back through FAO for 4yr old kinder as well.

no kindy here :) Various reasons - we have one day at creche, a morning of playgroup with a kindy session in spanish-language, other activities during the week and I'm going back to finish my course in semester 2, moving area and completing the last unit after the move, in semester 1...we have enough to think about! Plus, DS' birthday is in June and it was too soon for him last year.

My 3+ yr old is not in kindy either at the moment due to moving, no places in community care and then the prospect of moving again and not wanting to muck him around too much. He is the age for school next year though so I am keen to get him in somewhere now we have moved and settled so he can become reaccustomed to some of the routines like things more like school and also to make some other little friends since we are new to a small town and know nobody.

Given he is the second child I don't think he's missed out on too much (including mental stimulation) over the last 9 months though cause he's always involved if his brother is doing homework etc. Wants to read, count learn etc. in reality there is not too much except writing - he won't do that for me cause he doesn't want to be wrong - that he doesn't know, so academically he is ready for school next year but I think at least 6 months of a couple of days for the rest of the year will help him socially fit in better next year and know a few children before he starts with "big" school.

My 3yr old DD isn't either and not about to in the near future. Maybe next year when she is 4 but even that is not definate. My 1st went and other then my eldest been more sociable I can't say there is a difference between them acedemically. DD2 doesn't do anything but stay with me or DH.

:hello: me either.
DD was going to daycare until December but like you we dropped money (I resigned) and couldn't afford it any longer.
Now we've moved to a different state where the schooling is different and people are horrified she doesn't go to kinder but we are still in transition and won't move to a permanent home until end of June so I couldn't if I wanted to.
Initially I was really worried she'd suffer, but truely she's fine. We don't even really have the range of opportunites open to us that many others do and she's still ok.

Thanks so much for the responses guys. I've been made to feel (by a few people IRL) that I'm doing a really bad thing by Nina by pulling her out :( But it's good to know that I'm not the only one.
I've looked into the community kindy, and don't really like the sound of it, and the fact that it costs more than daycare, so as of Jan next year she'll be going back to her daycare. They've put her name down for that room.

My 3 yr old DD isn't at kinder - and doesn't go to CC or anything.
We go to playgroup one day a week, have a mothers group meeting once a week, and she goes to sunday school on Sunday mornings :)
I dont think 3 yr old kinder is necessary. I will prob send her next year - but haven't booked her in yet.
Dont feel bad - just think, she is getting security from being with her mummy xo

I won't be sending my kids to kindy as their daycare centre has a recognised kindy program for the oldest room (which my DS1 is in). He will be there 2 years before going to school.

I work full-time so would not be able to take them to kindy. I also looked into what they do at kindy and to be perfectly honest, they do more at the daycare centre. The kindy's around here concentrate on social interaction, motor skills and language development. This is what they do at the daycare we attend and more.

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.

I have babbled here so to cut a long story short - I expect the first year at primary school will get all the children at a comparable level so kindy is not necessary. As long as your child is happy, then do what you as a family see is the best option.

DS1 was 3 in Jan and he is not in Kindy yet. I am planning on getting him into 3yr old next year. I do differ from your situation though as i have had him in FDC. Initially it was only 1 day a week but then in preperation for me returning to work it increased to 2 at the end of last year. I do admit it is extra stimulation for him and a break for me. Do you have an option of a day in care at all? I'm sure everything thing will work out and your daughter is still quite young and they adapt to change. Hope it all works out :)

God if your a bad mum for doing that then what must I be, DD2 should be going to school next year ( I want to hold her back) so she should be in kindy here but guess what she isnt, so if she goes to school next year she will be going from my house right into school without having been to daycare or kindy( we arent even going to a playgroup ATM), DD1 did the same thing and she is fine, kindy up in QLD is very expencive so no wonder people cant aford it plus the wait list are long so she may not get in anyway... Prep in QLD is play based so its very much like kindy anyway, so I wouldnt worry about it, she will do fine...

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The kindy's around here concentrate on social interaction, motor skills and language development.

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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Not offended at all, but just concerned you might worry others reading this thread so just pointing out...

As a SAHM myself, it's the social interaction thing that I am wanting most from kindy because DS hates daycare - we tried for the 3rd time in his life to put him in daycare earlier this year and he only lasted 6 half day sessions before we had open rebellion.

He knows his entire alphabet, can count to 20, all his colours and shapes, knows heaps of songs and nursery rhymes off by heart etc etc so I'm not bothered about that at all. He is just naturally good at that kind of thing - I don't think it's a SAHM/daycare thing at all, just what a child's natural bent is. I don't consider that I've spent a lot of time teaching him those things, he is just interested so has picked it up easily.

On the other hand I think his gross motor skills are only average for his age so I believe even at this age their natural inclinations are already there.

My 3.5yr old isn't in kindy/creche/preschool yet either...

I try to do something educational with him every morning when his 20mth old brother has a nap and he is forever asking questions about everything, so has a wide vocab and more knowledge than I ever though possible for a little kid, lol...

I have #3 coming in just under 6wks, and will assess how we go then as to whether Jack needs some other form of stimulation/learning...but would like to be able to keep them all at home as long as possible before school, I just want to spend as much time with them before they go off to school and think mummy knows nothing, lol...

Ash goes to childcare one day a week and thats it atm. I try get her out to parks and friends kids just so she can run around with other kids. Next year she'll do 4yr old kindy as well as the one day in CC.
You could look at occasional care? See if she can do couple hours here and there.

Jodi, if ppl make you feel bad about it just tell them you'll be more than happy for them to fork out the costs for her to go!

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.