Not doing JK?

[2boysmom]

My eldest son (now age 11) did not attend JK at all. We had just moved to this house/neighbourhood a couple of weeks before school was to begin & our life was chaotic enough at the time & we did not feel he was fully ready or wanting to go, so we kept him home with me for that year. He did attend Sk (every other day for full days on a bus) the following year however & did really well!
I think it's really & truly a personal decision about whether or not to send one's child to JK. Some kids are more than ready & very excited about going & then other kids are completely not ready or not wanting to go. You have to do what feels right for your family & your own situation. Some people will be extremely vocal & opinionated regarding YOUR decision but is is YOUR decision as I previously stated, so let those comments & opinions if negative, go in one ear & out the other

[luckymama]

We homeschool but I think I can still answer.
In Europe, they start school at 6. I remember signing my 3yo daughter up for JK and I thought it seemed so young! 2 of my children are born in Dec so would have started at 3.5.
With all of my children I start schooling around the age of 6. It is incredibly how much they learn on their own! All of my children could count to 100, were reading really simple books and generally had a good knowledge of the stuff around them. I don't set up activities for them to work on and I don't try to teach them this stuff before they are 6. I think a lot of kids pick this stuff up like talking. I think I taught my oldest stuff starting at 3 because I wanted her to stay caught up with school kids but soon realized they do anyway! Kind of neat!
I can't reply about getting them ready for older grades because we didn't do that. lol If kids are in daycare, I would imagine they would transition ok but I don't really know. I just wanted to give the point of view of not teaching until 6 because it is interesting that they learn all of that anyway. Well, my 6 so I am thinking most would but maybe not all.

[Eleanor Rigby]

My son will be going to jk full time in the fall. He is an April baby and is more than ready to go. My older son is in SK this year and he went to full day jk last year. I was a little nervous for him due to some speech and social issues but he has done amazing!

To answer your preschool question, both of them had 2 years at Village Co-op Preschool in Lambeth

[Tutumom]

My daughter started JK this past year. We sent her M/W/F until after Christmas break. The only reason we started sending her full time was because the teacher was thinking it will help strengthen her peer relationships as she wasn't letting herself form those relationships because she knew the other friendships continued on when she wasn't as school. She was doing exceptional academically even with going 3 days a week. I struggled with sending her full time, but she has adapted well and the teachers notice a huge change. I miss her though and I miss her for a playmate for my 2 yr old, especially now that I just had a new baby. Do what feels right to you and don't let anyone tell you any differently.

[gogomom]

We did pre-school instead of JK.
It was Mon, Wed, Fri mornings - kind of a PITA when I was working, but we managed.
We went to Sommerset Preschool in Byron, but she's retired now.

[one ordinary girl]

both my kids went to JK

My oldest was only 3. Her birthday wasn't until November. I wasn't originally going to send her. Had absolutely no intentions of doing so. Not that she wasn't ready, she was. We moved the last week of August and suddenly I felt it would be good for her. At the time our school was half days. ( If it had been full days I'm not sure what I would have done. Possibly just kept her home some days or only did a few half days from time to time.) I was pg with our second and started thinking that it might be good for her when the baby came. And good for me to have a few hours to bond with #2. It was a good decision for all of us. She had her thing. Made some friends quickly and really enjoyed her time at school. I enjoyed the 2 hrs of bonding time with the baby. She's currently in grade 7.

dd2 was more than ready for school. She is a January baby so was one of the oldest kids in the class and was more than ready the year before. She could not wait to start. She couldn't understand why she couldn't go to school. She wanted to be like her big sister! She went all day every other day when she started JK and then for SK went all day every day. Occasionally I'd take her out after lunch just to hang with her or keep her home a full day cause we needed it. heck we played hookie a little over a week ago just because! She is now in grade 2 and is doing fabulous in school.

I have no regrets sending either of them to JK. If I had to do it over again I'd likely still send them. I had days where I missed them terribly and frankly some days even now I do! You need to decide what's best for you and your little one. I think you said 2016 is the start date and that's a ways off yet your child might change a lot before then and be ready or they still might not be. Follow your gut and don't let anyone tell you how you should feel and what you should do. There is no right or wrong answer here. At least imo. There are both benefits and draw backs to both.

[momx2]

All our 3 children did not go to jK/sk, and the fourth won't either. I stay home with our children so it was an easy decision for us. (we actually home school now but didn't know we were going to when we first kept them home for jk). Why not keep in home daycare if you like it?

[lilabelle]

We kept my youngest home from JK this year, because I think full time kindergarten is too much. We have all our lives to maintain a FT schedule. I work PT and want to spend this precious time with her. It goes too fast!

i just got home from SK orientation, and was coming here to start a thread about FTK.

The teacher was trying to illustrate how well cared for and bonded the kids are to the teachers and enjoy it, and then commented, "we spend the better part of their waking hours with them"....HAULT... That right there is WHY I'm apposed! It would be different if I were sending her to daycare anyways. But I'm not. Selfish? Maybe. So what?! She's as smart as a whip, and we do tons of great stuff. Child led learning.

im torn about sending her FT next year. I do think she should do some kindergarten.

[Ingalls]

I agree, lilabelle. I don't think anyone is bad for sending them, and I get that every kid is different. But i know that mine won't be going to jk, and my others didn't,
and they'll be fine.

When we were going to be staying at our present school, where recesses are divided by jk-3 and 4-8, I thought I might send her the last month or two next year (jk)
so she could have recesses with her sister who would be in grade 3, just to help ease her into it. But now we're moving and so far anyway the next school doesn't
have balanced day so I'm hoping their recesses are more normal.

Anyway, I just know I won't be sending dd. Lately especially I have had so many moments of "only one more year of this?" with her. She's at such a fun age,
and she's my little sidekick. I don't want to give her up until I have to, and while I'll probably send her to sK, I highly doubt I'll go with f/t. I think it is too much, too
young, and not necessary for us.

[MPow]

I'm just re-reading this thread now. For those of you with children that are JK age but aren't going to JK, what end of the city are you in? My little guy is 4 and I'd love to have meet ups. I still feel a bit torn about not sending him I think mostly because of pressure from others as well as now that my little baby girl has arrived, it is harder to give my son the time he wants. That being said, I still feel that keeping him home is best and we have been doing fun learning activities. It's my last year with him. If it was mornings only, I think I'd be more up for that but I think full days will just be too much for him. Anyway this thread has been so helpful for me. Thank you so much ladies

[Ingalls]

I'm in NW London and my daughter turns four the end of Oct, and she's not going to JK. We live right across the street from a four year old boy who's only doing jk two mornings a week, despite the
school having a f/t every day program. so if you happen to be in NW london, we could meet up.

I know for us, I'm going to have her in swimming lessons, and take her to the library circle time once a week, and go to a playgroup or two.
That's more than enough for her, I think. She's got siblings, she's got cousins, friends, plays with random kids at parks or libraries, what more does a child need at that age?

[MPow]

I'm in Byron. We decided to definitely not do any JK. They weren't really open to any sort of PT option and I prefer to just keep him home for now - I think it's best for him. I'd love to meet up with others. We're doing a playgroup one morning a week, he'll go to daycare one day a week still I think, and then library times, etc.

I'm in NW London and my daughter turns four the end of Oct, and she's not going to JK. We live right across the street from a four year old boy who's only doing jk two mornings a week, despite the
school having a f/t every day program. so if you happen to be in NW london, we could meet up.

I know for us, I'm going to have her in swimming lessons, and take her to the library circle time once a week, and go to a playgroup or two.
That's more than enough for her, I think. She's got siblings, she's got cousins, friends, plays with random kids at parks or libraries, what more does a child need at that age?