Preschool for Post-9/01 Birthday Toddlers?

Have you tried St. Peter's, Creekside, Concy's or Sunshine School, maybe Fraser too... there are so many options, Golden Years in Linden Hills is another.... good luck! Don't hold him back, you'll find something.

My son has a 9/26 birthday and we started him in a day care preschool room for this first year-- a day care will move kids into the preschool room as soon as they turn 3 and will often take part-timers.

Look also at the park district classes. most of the rec centers have classes for 3 year olds that run seasonally, so again, as soon as someone is 3 they can join. The parks are a GREAT way to meet other kids and families in this city.

You should probably also check into the kindergarten you want to send him to -- Many school districts around here are also strict with the 9/1 cut off for kindergarten enrollment...so in my case I'm looking at 3 years of preschool and an almost-6-year-old kindergarten start.

I hope this helps you!

Lorna

Hi M.,

What is the cut off date for entrance to kindegarten in Mpls? We're in Hopkins, where it's 9/1, and my son's bday is 9/7, so I understand your dilema. As I understand it, early admission to kindergarten is an option for kids with these inconvenient bdays, at least out here in Hopkins. Anyway, what we're doing ECFE, which has been great. My son will be in preschool next year a couple days a week, and if he's ready, we'll look into early kindegarten. If he's not ready, he'll also go to preschool the following year and won't start kindergarten til he's nearly 6, but oh well -- never hurts to have that extra experience I guess.
I guess I don't have really concrete advice except that you might want to look into ECFE for next fall. If you go to a class where the parents separate from the kids, it will give your son a chance to get used to being in a school setting on his own.
A.

I am looking for the same thing for my son. If someone responds with a recommendation for you, could you let me know, too? I am getting frustrated, trying to figure something out for my son for this fall.

Thanks!

Hi M.,

When faced with the same problem many years ago, my mother forged my birth certificate, moving my birthdate up a month. Not very honest, I know, but this solution didn't hurt anyone and got around the issue with no fuss or pleading.

My son also has a 9/20 birthday, so we he is the oldest one in his class. I had found a school that would take him (we lived out of state at that time) but it was a private school with a very high tuition. Some of those expensive private schools may accept him; you just have to search. There are private day care centers that, in a sense, are like a preschool and some of them let you choose 2 or 3 days a week. I'm sorry I'm not familiar with names.
If it serves as a consolation, it is better to be the older of the class than the youngest one. I was 1 1/2 years older than my classmates and was really hard emotionally. It could work out well academically if your child is smart, but when the teenage years hit there is a big gap if you are the youngest one in your class. I would recommend finding a private school or day care that would take him in the meantime, and then letting him do the regular preschool and kindergarten following the cutoff dates.
Hope this helps a little bit.

Hi M. -
I think a lot of times preschools will be a bit flexible if the child is potty trained, also check with local daycares, church centers, etc - they usually have the option of a few days per week/or 1/2 day preschool programs incorporated. Also have you looked into ECFE in your area - great for parent and child classes and a good way to meet moms and other children.
Good luck,
G.

Have you tried a Montessori pre-school? My daughter was born in November but our Montessori pre-school in Maplewood took kids as young as 33 months as long as they were potty trained.

I share your pain! I ran into the same problem last year w/ my son (9/24). I am just putting him into preschool this fall and he will be turning 4. I joined the YMCA and put him in Kids Care (their childcare center) 3 times a week. He loves it and it gives him a chance to interact w/ other kids. There are some places who have programs for 2 & 3 year olds for those who miss the cutoff. Shoreview Rec Center has a Monday Funday program I wanted to get my son into, but it filled up too quick. That is another problem I ran into. The other problem is that you have to register NOW (or even by January) to even get your kids in for fall programs and we didn't move here until June. I hope this helps.

R.

Unfortunately or fortunately, the kindergarden cutt off is 5 by Sept.1 so your son would get 2 years of preschool. You can have your child tested for kindergarden readiness to get him earlier but not for preschool. I know in my area, there are 3 places that take 2.5 year olds for preschool. Our community center has a program, a local church has one and there is another through the ECFE in our school district. Maybe check these out in your area. My Oct. born daughter will be attending the ECFE program in the Fall. Other than that I just try to get her into many activities...swim class, gym class, etc. Good Luck.

Hi M.,

Judson Preschool in Southwest Minneapolis will take children that are just a little under three if they are potty trained. They are located at 41st and Harriet Avenue South.
Sorry, I do not have the number off hand.
S.

M.--
My son was also born on Sept 22 (2002). I am going to send him to preschool this fall. I know there are programs that you can enter mid-year once he turns 3--and some I have heard of (Like Joyful Noise in Champlin) takes children before 3--30 months, maybe? I opted to just wait until fall. He is just now showing readiness. Actually, my decision was more selfish--I didn't want to be dragging him to and from preschool for 3 years! (I have 3 older kids in school--we did preschool for 4 years straight)

Hi M.,

With your son's birthdate, it may be that he would start school at almost 6. Some school districts have cut offs similar to 9/01. You might want to look into it. That being said, we're sending our daughter to Fraser in the fall. It's at 62 and Penn, and is also a daycare so it might not have a strict age cutoff.

Also, have you looked into ECFE? The spring session has already started but you could potentially get into a class with openings. You'll meet other parents and your son will have a great chance to play with other kids. They also have a "Prime Time for Preschoolers" class that you might like for the fall if you can't find a preschool. We've taken ECFE classes since my daughter was a newborn and it has been a wonderful way for both of us to socialize! It is on a sliding scale for payment too.

Finally, the Mpls Parks and Rec system has some great preschool programs that run on a trimester system. You could always put your son in one of them starting in the winter session.
(Google Fraser school, Minneapolis ECFE, or Minneapolis Parks and Rec to find any of these).

Hope this helps!

C.

Hi M.! I am much in the same situation. I have a 2 1/2 year old with bottled energy that could fuel a small country. Our solution is going to be that we put him in individual classes next year rather than a preschool. I don't know if that would work for you but it is an option. We are going to do some classes at Family Village (www.familyvillage.net) and I believe we are going to do a 13 week session of ECFE (check your local ECFE for locations and times). Maybe throw in a swim class or gymnastics and I hope that will keep him somewhat occupied! ECFE is particularly helpful because they do sibling care (I have a 1 year old) and they do classes where the moms separate from the kids for part of the time, i.e. breathing time ;) I hope that helps and good luck! Let me know if there is anything else I can help with

J.