Well with both parents working, today the age of school going children has decreased to 2 or 2.5 years. When on one hand child experts have already stated that it is not mandatory for children as young as 2 -2.5 to join even a play group, increased work pressures have forced parents to make their toddler join a play group as early as 1.5 years old. However, like I have already said, a child may not be physically and mentally ready to join even a play group at the age of 2. So what should parents do?

I am not expert and I am in the same boat. I am also in a dilemma whether to send my toddler to a play group or not. After doing a lot of reading on the internet and talking to many mothers in my neighborhood, I have decided that I should wait until my child is at least 2.5 years old before she is enrolled in a play group. By 2.5 years a child is relatively independent and is able to do many simple tasks. These tasks include drinking water from a water bottle, dressing and undressing, inform parents if they wish to use the toilet to pee or poop and when they are hungry or thirsty and so on. Other things to consider is whether the kids enjoy playing with other kids or not and whether they like parallel playing where a kid acknowledges the presence of other kids playing but doesn’t really play with them.

Now, coming back to the topic at what age we should enroll our kids to school. The answer to the question lies in the fact whether both parents are working or not? If one of the parents especially the mother is a stay-at-home working mom or part-time working mom or freelance working mom, and she can spend more time with her kid, it is better to wait until the age of 2.5 to enroll their kid to a play group. By age 3-3.5 a kid has to join a nursery. Before a child goes to a formal setup even if its a play group for only 2 hrs it is the duty of parents to get their kids mentally ready for such a formal setup.

It is not a very difficult task to make a preschool like atmosphere right at your home. You can buy a few educational toys, which are age appropriate such as magnetic alphabets, charts of domestic animals, wild animals, and pet animals and so on. In addition, you can buy many story books or CDs where basic rhymes, numbers and alphabets are taught with examples. Also, it is important for you to take your child outside your home to familiarize him/her with the things around, both animate and inanimate. Parents also need to create a social atmosphere for their children to familiarize your child with strangers and how he or she should behave with them. Creating a social atmosphere is as easy as going to the play area that exists within your apartment premises.

However, if doing these things is not possible on your part, then you are left with only one choice and that is to send your kid to a good play school. After all, parents want to leave their kids in a safe environment and in right hands in their absence- isn’t it? However, it is important to assess your child’s ability and how he or she reacts to different strangers before enrolling him/her in a formal school.  

Reasons why parents wish to enroll their kids as early as 1.5 years is because, we live in a nuclear family where both parents as are working. In such a case it becomes important for parents to give their kids an environment which facilitates social interaction coupled with learning and play time. In addition to all the points cited above, it is an important fact that parents, even if they are working in a full-time job, need to spend quality time with their kids. Kids emulate their parents and hence parents need to be watchful of their behavior and the kind of language they use. It is okay for parents to allow their toddler and kids to help with small household work. This gives them a sense of satisfaction and confidence that they are at par with the adults activities. It is imperative to make learning a fun activity at such a tender age so that a child willingly goes to the school and it doesn’t become a forceful activity or a burden on the part of the child.

  Finally, to wrap up I would say it is important to choose a good school, by good I mean good teaching staff and a clean, safe and healthy environment where a child can grow, play, and learn both physically and mentally, and socially. It is better to do a thorough research by asking parents of kids in the neighborhood and people you know. A preschool should be carefully chosen, since it is going to lay the foundation for your child’s future.