My daughter is almost 4.5 years old and attended preschool last year. She is enrolled in the same preschool for this upcoming school year and the first day is Sept. 2. We just found out that my husband has been promoted and we're moving to Memphis in late September/early October. We're won't know an exact date of the move for another week or two because the relocation company has to clear everything to buy our current house and we have to find a new house and close on it. We've been going back and forth trying to decide if we should put her in school for the four or five weeks we will be here during the school year. She is an incredibly social child and loves to be around other kids but I worry that pulling her out and putting her in a new preschool so close to the beginning of the year would be traumatic. If she had not attended this school last year, I would not even consider starting her next month but she will have the same teacher and one of the same classmates. She normally adjusts so easily and is quite flexible but the last time we moved (April 2010) is affected her more than we thought it would. Obviously, if she were in elementary school this wouldn't even be a question and we'd enroll her, but since it's 'just' preschool and we work on skills at home most days, I just can't decide. I also have a 9 month old son and having my daughter in preschool those 9 hours a week allows him some one-on-one time with Mommy.
I would love any input and experience you other mamas have, especially those that move frequently. Thank you!!
Id send her and let her have fun while she can and explain that she will be going to a new school as soon as you move. This also gets her out of the way to prepare all the house for the move. Id grab every minute shes gone to do the stuff with her out of the way. She will need friends to take her mnd off whats going on at home as the time gets near to moving.
I would definitely let her start school until you get the other details worked out. School will be good for her. It will occupy her time and her little mind while you work out the adult stuff.
I would let the teacher know that you will be moving so she is aware of it and can help your daughter with being excited and transitioning to a new school. My daughter started kindergarten at 4. We transferred to Sacramento with my husband's job 4 months later. My daughter did just fine. She made friends easily and I guess it was like an adventure to her.
I personally think keeping her in the routine of school is best even though the routine may change somewhat at her new school.
That's just my opinion.
Good luck with your move.
I think you should send her. I would probably tell her even before the first day that it's only temporary and that you'll be moving, etc. I would also tell the teacher. Honestly, if you're not sure when you're moving and you think it's going to be at least 4-5 weeks, I mean that's a long time! Most of her friends will be in school so you can't really set up play dates, etc. and if you're going to be getting ready to move, you don't really have the time to teach her a curriculum either.
I see it as win-win honestly. She gets to go and learn and be social and you get to have a little bit of time to organize. Yes it will be hard for her to leave and say goodbye to her friends, but she'll also be more school ready for when you move and she starts school there.
The one benefit to enrolling her is that it frees you up to get the house ready and to wrap up loose ends while she is at school. One drawback is the cost. As long as they are made aware of the situation, and the situation is portrayed in a positive light (how exciting for us to move and meet new friends!!), then kids can be really resilient and she will adjust fine. Congrats and Good Luck!
We were in the same situation, with our daughter at the same age. She had made good friends the year before and really liked her teachers, who were the same for both years (only the schedule was different as the year-before-kindergarten class attended one additional morning. We consulted with the enrollment office, because we felt guilty about her taking a slot and leaving it after 4 weeks, but they said it would be filled with no problem. That being resolved, we had no doubts about enrolling her briefly. It helped her have a sense of normalcy with all the changes about to happen, it gave her some structure, and she got to see her friends as much as possible before we moved away. For our daughter, it was the right decision. Just make sure you follow the schools policy for withdrawing her. If you pay by the term, you may get some money back if you give enough notice.
I only have one thought. You have already had her stop going (for summer break I assume?) so why start her to make her stop again? Might be easier on her to not start her at all until you get to the new school. Well wishes on your move, may it be a smooth one for you and your family!
No direct experience, but my daughter is very sensitive to social things. She would do better not startign the school year, than to be pulled out away from her friends and teachers. But it might be good if you gave her a chance to say good bye if there are any people she is really connected to.
You could also pose the question to her and see what she thinks? Some children can get this sort of concept but some will not.
If it were me, I would probably send my 4.5 year old. I have a son who is the same age, and also very social and flexible, and I would just explain to him what was happening. I assume you've told her you're moving to a new place, and just tell her that means a new school too. I'm sure she'll be fine not going for that time period too, as most of preschool is just for socialization, but if I was faced with this I would let him go. We moved over this summer, so he'll be attending a new school, and he'll tell people, "I'm going to so and so school now because we moved." Good luck, and I know you'll do what you think is best for her and your family!
Are you a stay at home mom? There is a really great program through www.learningboxpreschool.com that you can purchase a ready made curriculum from them for a month. I used to be an elementary teacher and this is a very comprehensive program. My kids are 2 and 3 and love it. We work on skills for a couple hours a day. I like the basic skills it covers and the activities are fun, engaging and hands-on. Take a look at the website and see what you think. I think putting her in her preschool for a month would be more disruptive. Good luck and congratulations on the promotion and move! How exciting!
A.
Call her teacher/school and ask them their thoughts on it--they will likely have a good idea how it might effect her and how it might effect the transition to a new location.
I think that going, and then have a "goodbye party" would be a good way to end it and give it closure, but for some kids, that might make it harder.
Since she is out for the summer, and you are sure that you are moving, then I would keep her home. It would be less disruptive to her to have to start, make new friends for 3 weeks then move and start over. If you keep her out until you move to Memphis, then I would think it wouldn't be quite as hard on her to start over in a newer preschool.
I would look into the Memphis pre-schools as they may influence your house search.
We recently moved. Some things that made the transition easier for kids 2.5 and 4.5 were keeping as normal of a routine as possible up to move date. Letting them see their friends. Talking about the move. Letting them hear us tell friends that we would be moving. Talk about the good things about where you are moving and how things will be different.
We moved during the summer so we didn't have to worry about preschool. we kept going to classes at the Y until we moved.
For you preschool would be getting back into school routine, so how much added stress is it? It would allow you more time w/o her to get things ready to move and time with your son. Can you afford the registeration fee for new and old schools? If she is friends w/ kids at preschool even if she doesn't go, going for one day to say goodbye would be nice.
