Apprehensive About Sending My Son to Daycare/school

yes your son will learn things from the other kids in daycare. But he is 3 now.. and it is time for him to at least start some preschool nursery school program. He needs to be around other kids to learn how to play and socialize.

Good day cares have rules about acceptable behavior. So the teachers will stop the bad behavior and not allow it.

You have to get over the anxiety- becuase sooner or later he has to go to school- and if you dont send him until kindergarten or first grade he will be behind all of the other kids that have been to some program at age 3 or 4.

C.,
Get him exposed now before he starts kindergarten. That way you'll be able to teach him and talk to him about the other children's behavior. Most christian centers are better with discipline and follow-up or having the ability to kick children out of the center. Good luck!
B.

If you have a CDC (Child Development Center) in your area I would check them out. They have different sections for each age group so you dont have to worry about your little guy gettng picked on or ran over by the older kids and they do different educational stuff there with each age group. I'm possibly goinh to be sending my two little ones to the cdc on kvcc's campus while I'm in my classes. There are also a ton of daycares in the phone book. Good luck with your little guy.

HI C.,
I had the same worries when I first sent my 2 year old to daycare. I was terrified. After I dropped him off the first day I thought to myself " what have I done, Why did I just leave my child alone with strangers lol. However, it does help if you take your time looking for a place that you and your child can feel comfortable with. Take your son to all the places that you interview to see what his reaction is and if he feels comfortable. It also helps if you know someone who has their child at the same place. I was referred to my Son's daycare by a cousin whose daughter was also attending. When I took my son in for the tour he did not want to leave. But be prepared for at least 2 to 3 weeks of crying when you leave your son. I felt really bad because everytime I left my son the first couple of weeks. He would cry and I'm sure he was wondering if I would ever come back again. It took some time before he was okay with me leaving him.
As far as bad habits go. I don't think that my Son has done anything that he would not normally do. My Problem is that within the first 4 or 5 months my son was sick all the time. He was constantly catching colds and even came home one day with pink eye. before Daycare my son was rarely sick. Last winter was the worst I was sick, my husband stayed sick as well as my younger baby. I think the worst is the illnesses and the germs that toddlers pass back and fourth. So, now its been about 4 months since my son has been sick so things are looking up.
I'm a full-time working mom. So, I feel that my son's daycare has been a big help to me with getting my son to sit on the potty. He has also learned his ABC's, Color's and numbers. His speech has also improved. He is saying prayers before eating. Also, My son was never around children his own age before daycare. I think that exposure was good for him. And I believe that there are more polite well mannered kids in his school than those who are not. I feel that maybe if he was home with a relative all day he probably would not be as "educated" as he is at this time. We really only have the weekends to spend much time together. When I get home from work we basically have a few hours together. We eat dinner and get ready for the next day.
Sorry this is so long, but just realize that your child will have to go through an adjustment period. And if he is in a quality daycare setting (one that does not just watch kids but teaches them too) he will thrive.

Why do you want to send him? Do you have to because you work or do you just want him to have the experience. If you are a SAHM then I would just keep him home with you and do things together. You could join a playgroup or something if you just want him to have more social interaction. My son will be 5yrs old in June and he has never been to preschool or anything. He is very social and does 1st grade workbooks. So, just because he is 3yrs old does not mean that it is time for him to start something. And of course, the thought of my son starting kindergarten does make me sad sometimes, but now I know that he is ready.

Personally my kids have been in daycare since about 4 months old, I had to work. But then I started to work at the daycare and it made me realize what a really good daycare can accomplish! I have twin girls that are 2 1/2 years old. They have learned a lot of stuff from daycare that I haven't had time to teach them. My girls started saying their ABCs at 18 months. They know almost every song under the sun. Daycare is a very good thing for kids just make sure that you check the place out really well before you send him. Most daycare centers tend to have a smaller ratio then at home centers. A preschool center would most likely benefit him.