Playgroup | Imamother

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Playgroup

Forum -> Chinuch, Education & Schooling

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amother

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 8:18 pm

What age can I start sending my child to playgroup?

mushkamothers

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 8:20 pm

Whenever you want/ you need to. I wrote an article about this with things to think about or consider
https://betweencarpools.com/to.....roup/

amother

Ginger

Tue, Mar 14 2023, 8:28 pm

You mean babysitter vs playgroup? (whatever age there are playgroups near you)

Or you want people weighing on whether you're damaging your kid for life by daring to send them out to play with other kids under a different adult instead of spending all your attention on them?

amother

Charcoal

Wed, Mar 15 2023, 4:55 am

I can explain my reasoning for my decisions. My daughter will be 2.5 in Fall '23. She's toilet trained, and I want to maintain that. She's learning so many life skills by being home with us- both in the home and when we go out.
I'm planning on incorporating activities from a homeschool preschool curriculum to have something each day.
I don't know when she'll start school. I don't have to know- I can decide next school year for that year, and go from there.
I agree with a lot of what Musha said. You have to make your own decision, based on what you believe is important at this time.

#BestBubby

Wed, Mar 15 2023, 6:51 am

Maybe you an find a neighbor child of similar age and you Alternate having children play together for a few hours.

amother

Chocolate

Wed, Mar 15 2023, 7:42 am

amother Charcoal wrote:

I also agree with a lot of what Mushka said. That said, my not-yet two and a half year old is also toilet trained and is doing fine with that in her current daycare. And in fact, she only started really getting excited about the potty when she saw an older girl in a small group program go to the potty. After that she became a million times better.

(In a previous daycare it wasn't as good, but I think it's because they didn't proactively take her every couple of hours, and even though at she went on her own, in daycare she needed more reminders because she has fomo and wouldn't want to leave the fun. They weren't a bad daycare but they were much more hands off, and she needed more reminders initially.)

Not that that changes anything about what you said, I'm sure your kid is doing amazing with you, I just wanted to mention that pottying by itself shouldn't be the reason one is scared to send to daycare.

amother

Wed, Mar 15 2023, 5:07 pm

I am working so I don't feel guilty sending her to playgroup. My question is what age do they start accepting children into playgroup versus babysitting?

amother

Ginger

Wed, Mar 15 2023, 5:11 pm

amother OP wrote:

I am working so I don't feel guilty sending her to playgroup. My question is what age do they start accepting children into playgroup versus babysitting?

That probably depends where you live and is really just a name thing. It's generally anywhere from 18 months-3 depending on the town

mushkamothers

Wed, Mar 15 2023, 5:26 pm

amother OP wrote:

I am working so I don't feel guilty sending her to playgroup. My question is what age do they start accepting children into playgroup versus babysitting?

If you live somewhere where it's all happening in someone's home, it's tomato-tomahto like same difference. Depends on the morah and how seriously she structures it, and what her own ages are that she takes. About 18m is usually more "playgroup". Official programs like a daycare center usually begin at 18 months minimum.

amother

Lightpink

Wed, Mar 15 2023, 5:28 pm

amother OP wrote:

I am working so I don't feel guilty sending her to playgroup. My question is what age do they start accepting children into playgroup versus babysitting?

Usually at 18 months. There are some 12 month playgroups as well. That's around the age that children can start using more stimulation and get bored at the sitter.

TwinsMommy

Wed, Mar 15 2023, 9:37 pm

I sub at 8 of our area playgroups and babysitting groups. The groups that have kiddos under 12 months and are just as much about napping as about eating and playing, they pretty much consider themselves babysitting even if they also take 18+ month olds. Parents pick up and drop off at all times a day generally. The wider the age range and the larger the group, the more loud and chaotic.

The groups that have no kiddos under 12 months and nap kids once a day if at all.... they pretty much consider themselves a playgroup---- eat at the same time, nap at the same time. If all the kiddos are over 2, davening is sometimes added for less than 15 minutes--- just songs like Modeh Ani, Torah Tzivah, Little Torah, HaShem is Here, Shema, etc. Generally these groups end at a specific time and parents pick up early only for a doctor's appointment or a specific reason.

It's about what your child needs. If s/he is under 12 months, you'll want someone willing to be flexible to your child's nap and meal schedule. That's a babysitter. If s/he is older and is ready to eat with the group and nap once a day with the group you'll want a playgroup that fits your child's personality--- ask if they daven and for how long..... ask how many kids and ratio of boys to girls because boy heavy groups have a different energy than girl heavy groups once you get past 12 months.

For kiddos above 2 and a half, ask about parsha and holidays and craft projects and pre- preschool type activities too. Sometime between 2 and 2 and a half playgroups tend to transform into school readiness quite naturally I find.

Hatzlacha!

TwinsMommy

Wed, Mar 15 2023, 9:40 pm

oh also--- about toilet training, if your child is past two, try not to have them be the oldest or youngest in the group--- if they're the oldest they might feel pressure if they toilet train before their peers---- if they're younger they might feel weird about still being in diapers and parents aren't even trying yet. I've seen both of those happen.

I felt for the ONE kid in the group who toilet trained many months before everyone else, know what I mean?

So try asking the Morah about the group makeup in terms of age.

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