My 3-year-old is an only child & not around many children. Should I enroll her in preschool for interaction?

Question

She spends her weekdays between my parent's and my wife's parents who were both teachers. I feel she's got two very good resources to help her grow from an educational standpoint.

However, she does seem "a little" standoffish when interacting with other children her age. I just don't want her to get a late start developing socially. Should I be worried? Do you think enrolling her in preschool would help?

Answer 1

Yes, enroll her ASAP. At her age that's what she needs for all aspects of her development.

Answer 2

People say you need it, but you don't. Keep in mind, most kids weren't in daycare for the last 40,000 years of human existence. Hell, most kids didn't even have neighbors (in the familiar sense) until about 80 or 100 years ago. Compare the achievements of the greats (Henry Ford, Einstein, Socrates) who didn't have daycare... to the greats of today. Oh wait, there aren't any. That being said, when my first day of school and seeing peers was at age 5, i had no problem making friends and quickly learning how to properly interact with others. Some say all daycare really does is test how well your kid's booster shots work. I won't go that far, although that's definitely part of it (hygiene is never good enough in these places). They do teach a lot of stuff, especially if your kid is able to learn it. My daughter is 3 and they are already teaching her how to write. She knows all the letters and can kind of write her name. Will it make her a better kindergartener? Doubt it. It will probably make her bored in kindergarten. I can't recommend anything to you , because I don't know where you live. It is best to check the places out, and talk to patrons. Sometimes it is worth the extra money for a better place. Sometimes the cheaper ones are like bio-hazard zones. You make up the cost in doctor's visits. The biggest thing about being an only child is learning how to share with others. This includes not just your child sharing his own toys, but also your child realizing that not all the toys i, everywhere, belong to him. Being around other kids helps that.

Answer 3

I wondered the same thing with my son whos 3 and a 1/2. He just started preschool for the first time last week. I was worried he wasnt going to be able to handle it there with all the kids, but it worked out great. Even though my son has only been there 1 week, I can tell hes enjoying being there, along with his interaction with other kids. I say preschool is a good start for kids to prepare for school. You shouldnt worry about anything and make sure you pick out a great preschool! I wish you the best.

Answer 4

Yes, it would help. But be careful to allow her to participate at her own pace. Most preschools are pretty understanding about these situations and will allow you to go with her for, say, 10 minutes the first day, 30 minutes the next day, leave for 10 minutes and return, depending on your kid's temperment, she'll start mingling as she becomes familiar with the teachers and kids there. It may take some time, but will be well worth it! Good luck.

Answer 5

I would enroll her in preschool. She needs to learn not to be so shy near the people her age and and make some new friends.That way when she hits kindergarten and first grade she wont have a hard time making friends and maybe talking to the people older than her.

Answer 6

I too have an only child.

I enrolled my son in pre-school for this very reason. I think it's a great for social development, as well as preparation for Kindergarten (like learning to stand in line, follow directions, sit quietly and listen, etc.) Besides the fact that my son LOVES going, he actually told me he cannot wait for Kindergarten when he can go every day!!

Answer 7

I definitely don't think you should be worried. I do think Preschool is absolutely wonderful for developing social skills. My son started Preschool when he was three. We just did three days a week for three hours/day. He loved it and I believe it helped build confidence, friendships, and showed him how to respect authority figures (other than mom/dad/grandparents). I think Preschool is a time for them to realize that life is not all about them. They do have to share, take turns, wait until they are called upon, etc.

Answer 8

Yes you should enroll her in preschool especially if there is any doubt. What do you have to loose by doing that?
Go for it especially if you want her to have a good social life. There is nothing worse then feeling left out because you are shy.
Good luck!

Answer 9

if you read about child development, like in the book "The Irreducible Needs of Children" you will learn that at your child's age, she needs to spend her time with you. Her social needs are minimal and are met by playdates. She is not going to be helped thrown into a preschool environment. First of all, preschool is not pedagogically sound for kids and second of all, the social setting is unnatural. It's an unnatural grouping of kids by age. It's an overwhelming set up for shy kids.

You don't need to worry, preschool won't help. She doesn't need many social interactions with peers, and all of them should include mommy or daddy close at hand.

It's also worth noting that being away from mommy for more than 10 hours a week in the first three years of life (even with daddy or grandparents) puts a child's self-confidence, social skills, and attachment to mom at risk.

Answer 10

hi, my son is 18months and has just started at pre school, he is an only child and since we just moved i found it difficult to find other children for him to play with and when we did he didn't know what to do with them and spent the whole time fighting and when it was just him at home he was unbelievably bored. He absolutely loves going to pre school and stay without fuss and without me. I think it's a good thing for children because they learn so much more, social skills, how to cope without mom, also my son is sleeping so much better at night now too! and eating better and behaving better around other children and is generally alot more happy all round.

Answer 11

I think preschool is an excellent way for her to develop social skills. I don't think you should be worried quite yet tho, every child develops differently.