Pre-jitters for preschool Mommy

[cardinalskate]

My DD is going to preschool for the first time in August. I keep thinking I have all this time, but really, it's less than 3 months away! I'm all worried about what she needs to know and what she should be able to do. I'm a working Mom, but I'm lucky enough to have my mom watch her everyday. I'm in no way worried about her communication skills or her vocabulary, but I am worried about a couple things. Should she be able to do these things by the time she gets to preschool? (She'll be 3 years and 3 months old)

Wipe her own tooshie (pee pee only, of course. I KNOW she can't get herself all the way clean for the other one)

Pull up her own pants (She tries so hard. They just end up getting all twisty and we always end up helping her)

Identifying the alphabet by site (26 letters seems an awful lot already!)

I don't know why these three things have me so worried! Just wondering what all you moms thought...

[Traci Reed]

It would depend on the school. Karsten's preschool allowed diapers if necessary but they preferred kids to be self sufficient. Academic skills are not a preeq for most schools I believe. It's more about social and behavioral training in Pre-K. Here's a good article: http://mytidewatermoms.com/content/w...tart-preschool

[mummytothree]

All the preschools my kids attened that kids had to wipe them selves for poo and pee...with my very first at the parents orientation the preschool directed suggested investing in some good laundry pre treating spray cause the kids WILL come home with skid marks it's just a fact of life!!!!

Also at all of them my kids had to know how to pull up their own pants and button and zip them and hook belts if good forbid any parent was crazy enough to make their 3/4 year old wear those things!!!

But no they did not have to really know "anything" academic wise, but all my kids did know some things to different degrees!!!!

Good luck.....I'm sure she is gonna do great!!!!!

[mummytothree]

Oh and a good suggestion for little girls is skirts and dresses....then they only have to get their panties up....if you do that as long as the weather holds it gives you a little longer to work with her in pulling up pants....and you will be surpired how much better she will be at it in 3 more months!!!!

[MissKim]

My experience as a pre-K teacher....

No on the alphabet. Not even developmentally appropriate for a 3 year old to know the alphabet by site. In fact, our 4 year olds going to kindergarten are only expected to recognize about half the alphabet. Traci's exactly right about academic skills. A good preschool would not expect them from 3 year olds. They need to focus on play and social skills.

As for wiping... yeah, that would be good. I teach 3 year olds and most of our group starts in pull-ups and by the end of 9 weeks is in underwear. The pulling up pants will probably come as the toileting does.

Honestly, I don't expect my 3 year olds to have many skills. It's helpful if they recognize their own coat and backpack (and are social enough to speak up and let us know), but three year olds really don't need any skills for school. We start at the beginning and build from there. I wouldn't stress about what she needs... it's preparing yourself and her for that separation that will be the biggest change in your lives. Good luck!

[Milmomma]

I have to think its different by area after reading all these descriptions. Our preschool says they must be able to full dress themselves and potty on their own. They must know their name, recognize it and hopefully be able to write it. My own three year old has learned all of her letters in PreK. She is now four as of last month. In the past year she has grown a Lot! They really start to grow tremendously at this age. I know my daughter has it a bit easier with an older brother to help her. She is not always the best at cleaning her butt but has gotten better. We make sure she baths everyday and changes her undies often. They've gotta learn at some age!
My son before going to K had to know all his letters, numbers, shapes, colors, color in the lines, be proficient with scissors and know all letter sounds. By 1st grade they have to know how to read, subtract and add here. They also have done fractions and adding fractions some in K. Its quiet insane what they are expect to know. This is all from DoD schools overseas. :/

[scrapperjade]

Originally Posted by MissKim

My experience as a pre-K teacher....

No on the alphabet. Not even developmentally appropriate for a 3 year old to know the alphabet by site. In fact, our 4 year olds going to kindergarten are only expected to recognize about half the alphabet.

Really?? I'm surprised by that! Avalynne turned 3 in January and she has been recognizing her letters since December (just a few). By the time she turned 3, she knew them all - which blew me away because I had never sat down and actually told her all of them. She just picked it up as I pointed to large letters on magazines & watching shows like Super Why. Last month I bought her an alphabet book and she shocked me by writing her letters out on the dotted letters!! I just assumed that she was at the age where she should know these things - so that's why I was surprised by what you said!

[MissKim]

Originally Posted by scrapperjade

Really?? I'm surprised by that!

It's great if kids know it, and they are ready for it.

I'm not saying that kids can't learn academics at three. I teach basic concepts like colors, shapes, and lots of vocabulary. As a professional, I feel the focus of preschool (the 3 year old year) should really be about learning social and play skills. Academics (like letters and counting) can be introduced during prekindergarten (4 year old) year. Kids get so little time to just be kids and play, why push them?

And don't even get me started on those stupid "Teach Your Baby to Read" informercials....

[pewtertm]

LOL yeah I hate those Teach Your Baby to Read commercials too.

When I was teaching pre-k, our 3s and 4s had to be able to wipe themselves. We did help them with buckles etc if needed. PLEASE do not dress the kiddies in overalls...they are cute, but I haven't met a pre-schooler who can manage them on their own!

As for the alpha, it's great if they know it, but definitely not a prerequisite. If she can recognize her own name, that will be a great help.

[AmberK]

I agree with Stacy and Kim. Im a pre-school teacher and our school requires that 3 yr olds entering the school need to be potty trained. There are a few who have trouble buttoning their pants if the button is difficult but all are able to pull up their own pants/underwear.

Preschool is about socialization and play skills. We do not expect kids to know their alphabet at 3 years old. That is part of the curriculum that we teach- learning ABC's, 123's, shapes, colors, etc.

[Misty Cato]

For my kids' preschool (starting age 3) they had to be potty trained, including wiping/dressing.

Unless the school tells you otherwise, I wouldn't stress the academics. She'll have plenty of opportunities ahead of her and unstructured exploration is probably best at this age (IMHO). The only other thing I can think of is to make sure she knows if she has any allergies and if so, gets in a habit of asking if what she is about eat contains what she is allergic to. Schools will usually be pretty on top of that stuff, but still it's better if she gets in the habit of double checking.

[coopert]

My son didn't start preschool until he was 4 and 1 month, and still didn't wipe his own bum. It has worked out, because I don't think he ever poops while he is there. He still doesn't wipe after poop, but I told him when he starts kindergarden in September he is going to have to wipe on his own. The best thing is to probably encourage your daughter to pull up her pants, as often as you can. It will take some practice before she gets it right. I think for a full year from when my son turned 3 to turning 4 I encouraged him to dress himself, and most days his underpants and shorts were on backwards. If he didn't mind I didn't mind.

As for the alphabet, my son is learning to write his name and letters in preschool.

What an exciting time. Good luck.

[cardinalskate]

Thank you all for the advice and encouragement!

When I think of my daughter being potty trained, I never occurred to me that, of course, that includes being able to clean herself up and get her pants back on. I was just so proud that she was finally out of diapers! But we're moving on the the next steps now. We'll definitely continue to work on it and hopefully she's got it down pat before mid-August!

[adrianka]

Good luck! :-)

It's been a long time since I went to pre-school, and it was a different time and a different country etc., but the conditions were the same as the ladies above explained - potty-trained etc.

We weren't expected to know anything, academic-wise, and honestly I didn't know any letters until I started school at age 6 (I don't feel it was detrimental in any way, as I've always been an avid reader all my life and ended up as an English major and a translator). What I find suprising these days is when kids are taught reading too early (it's a totally different thing if they figure it out themselves, of course). It's great just being a kid and play!

What I find great about pre-school is the opportunity to learn how to function in a group of children - social skills and all that, a great preparation for school and life in general.