2 year old programs...

Hi!
im planning to put my daughter who will be 2 in september, in a 2 day a week preschool program. its not a daycare center, its a preschool. Its for an hour and a half, 2 days per week. I am expecting a baby in Dec so i dont want my toddler to be cooped up in the house this winter,since i will have to be indoors most of the time with a newborn
i feel like she should be doing something productive and interact with other children.we are in all kinds of playgroup, library things, mommy and me right now .... but has to stop for a little while once i have the baby...so i cant see pulling Bella out of all the interaction shes been getting all this time.i dont want her to be a TV kid!!
Just wondering if anyone else has enrolled their child in a 2 year old program and what your experience was like with it?! im also curious how long it took for your child to adjust...i know that my Bella has a little seperation anxiety (which i hope preschool will help her get over) so i am aware it might take her a while to get used to "school"
i look forward to your responses!

Re: 2 year old programs...

DS#1 was in a 2yr separation program at 21 mos (he is a dec bday so he was the youngest in his class. The class was form 930-12p Tu/Th and in Jan I added Friday as well. He loved it. It was gradual separation, I sat there for the 1st week and then I separated out. Some moms were there till Nov, each kid was different. I feel that it was the best decision I could have made.

FM if you have any other questions or concerns.

Re: 2 year old programs...

Can you please tell me where you go? Thanks

Re: 2 year old programs...

Jacob started camp this summer at 22 months- 2 hrs a day, 2 days a week.. It was drop off so there wasn't really a seperation part of it.. He is one of the younger ones in the class...

He did pretty well. He would cry when I was about to leave him and would continue for a couple of minutes and then he would stop for the past five weeks.. Last Thursday was the first day I dropped him off and completely no crying.. Of course Camp ends this week but he will be at the same place for a toddler program 3 days a week for 2 hours a day in September.. Unfortunately, since it is a Jewish Center they are off for every Jewish Holiday that you can think of so his first full week of school isn't until October...

I was very nervous with the seperation part with him... It will take a couple of times for your child to get adjusted... It is very usual to cry the first couple of weeks so don't get discouraged...

She will be fine just don't give in. It happens to all of the children if they have never seperated before...

Message edited 8/4/2007 7:21:39 PM.

Re: 2 year old programs...

thanks for all the good advice and encouragement that im doing the right thing...you think 5 years of being a preschool teacher i would know and what to expect but its SO different when it comes to your own child!!! i know the benifits of it is good and its for such a short amount of time that my daughter will be there.
just curious, did anyone have a list of things to bring in to school to keep there? (crayons, glue ect) im going to see the classroom this fri as well as get the list of items needed.

Re: 2 year old programs...

I signed DS up for this Sept. He will be 2 Oct 1st but they will take him in Sept. I'm a little hesitant also but my mom watches him (I'm a teacher) so how many activities can I ask him to do with him so I figured the social interaction would be good for him!

Re: 2 year old programs...

My son has been going twice a week for an hour since he turned 2. Now that he's 2 and a 1/2 we're upping it to 3 days a week 2 and a 1/2 hours. My only problem with the old place was that it was too short of a time. He'd just be getting settled when it was time to get going.