Is 3.5 too old for waldorf parent child class?

[whoami]

My local waldorf charter has a 10 week parent child group that I've been wanting to enroll my son but couldn't justify the $300 cost so never did. I still need to contact the school to see the age range for the group, but I'm curious to know if you think he might be too old for this type of setting?

They have a preschool program, 5 days a week that he could go to but the drive is 20-30 minutes and I think that's too much. The playgroup is once a week for 2.5 hours.

I am considering sending him there for Kindergarten, despite the drive, so I'm thinking this might be the best way to get our feet wet and see if it's really a school he could thrive in, and a drive we can handle 5 days a week. Also, I'm due in January and the class would end right before I am due so this would be like our last hoorah alone together.

What do you think?

[jbailey313]

I took the last Waldorf class with my LO's this past summer. I would have continued if they let me but they said that if your child is 4 by June 1st, that child cannot attend the next years classes. My daughter was 4 this past April and still took the class in the summer when she was 4 and 3 months old. My son was 2.5 years of age. I would ask what their policy or recommendation is at the school you will be attending b/c I am not sure if it is different at each school? But I highly recommend the Waldorf class, I think you and your son will love it!

[zoebird]

i would contact the school.

here, kindy starts at age 3, and so the playgroup is designed for children under age 3. the developmental differences between age 2 and 3 are big.

right now, we have a just-over-3 yr old in our group. the rest of the children are between 18 mo and 2.6 yo. she will start kindy in 5 weeks. we are currently on break between sessions of play group.

the last three weeks of playgroup were really hard on her and on the other children. what the two yr olds need is very differnt than what she needs. her imagination is more developed. her ability to communicate is more developed, and her physical capacities are also more developed. what she can do in hand games, for instance, is so much more complex than what my son can do at age 2.

this has lead to some difficulty on her part. there has been some aggression--which of course no one holds against her, it is just her age, where she is, and her own frustration at being "in between." she's too old for this group of children, and therefore no longer has the connection that she had with them even a few months ago. she isn't able to go to kindy until the next session, but when they went for her "trial day" to meet the teacher and see how it went, she was like a duck in water and wanted to go back the very next day, and communicated to all of us that "kindy is better." and was able to more or less discuss how it was more fun for her.

so, for the last two weeks, she was feeling very "in between" and struggling to find her place in our group. this lead to throwing blocks at my kid's head, pushing over another one, and nearly ripping a doll in half in frustration. She's a really good kid, but it became very clear that she was *so* ready for the kindy.

so, it is really important to understand whom the playgroup is striving to serve, to see if it will serve your child. it is also important to see whom the preschool group serves.

the steiner kindy here ha two different groups for different aged children--a 3 yr old group and a 4 yr old group.

so, our playgroup would not be the right place, btu the kindy would be.

[zoebird]

i would contact the school.

here, kindy starts at age 3, and so the playgroup is designed for children under age 3. the developmental differences between age 2 and 3 are big.

right now, we have a just-over-3 yr old in our group. the rest of the children are between 18 mo and 2.6 yo. she will start kindy in 5 weeks. we are currently on break between sessions of play group.

the last three weeks of playgroup were really hard on her and on the other children. what the two yr olds need is very differnt than what she needs. her imagination is more developed. her ability to communicate is more developed, and her physical capacities are also more developed. what she can do in hand games, for instance, is so much more complex than what my son can do at age 2.

this has lead to some difficulty on her part. there has been some aggression--which of course no one holds against her, it is just her age, where she is, and her own frustration at being "in between." she's too old for this group of children, and therefore no longer has the connection that she had with them even a few months ago. she isn't able to go to kindy until the next session, but when they went for her "trial day" to meet the teacher and see how it went, she was like a duck in water and wanted to go back the very next day, and communicated to all of us that "kindy is better." and was able to more or less discuss how it was more fun for her.

so, for the last two weeks, she was feeling very "in between" and struggling to find her place in our group. this lead to throwing blocks at my kid's head, pushing over another one, and nearly ripping a doll in half in frustration. She's a really good kid, but it became very clear that she was *so* ready for the kindy.

so, it is really important to understand whom the playgroup is striving to serve, to see if it will serve your child. it is also important to see whom the preschool group serves.

the steiner kindy here ha two different groups for different aged children--a 3 yr old group and a 4 yr old group.

so, our playgroup would not be the right place, btu the kindy would be.

[lyrebird]

I was just going to respond “fabulous opportunity, go ahead, but find out the age range of the children who would be in the same group”. But then I read the other posts so I thought I should expand.
Obviously talk to the school (preferably the teacher) and find out age range, how is it run and what are the group dynamics like? In some groups it works beautifully to have a wide range of ages (babies to 4 year olds!). The older children take care of the younger children and the younger children look up to the older children. This mimics a family setting more, which is natural for children. I am not of the opinion that they all have to be at the same age of development, and in fact I think it is good if there is the possibility for a mix. Just like it’s good to have a nice balance of girls and boys. But not all groups are like this, and indeed if there are lots of children the same age/stage of development and just one who is a lot older, then I could see that could present some problems. Teachers need to be flexible and able to cater for a range of stages of development. In my few years of playgroup I have found this has always worked well because the playgroup leaders AND PARENTS have always been sensitive to these issues and provided a rich environment to suit all of the children.
Good luck, I hope it works out, sounds like a great thing to do with your little one – you (and he) will hopefully build some great memories from this time together before the baby arrives.

[Melaniee]

Originally Posted by zoebird

i would contact the school.

here, kindy starts at age 3, and so the playgroup is designed for children under age 3. the developmental differences between age 2 and 3 are big.

right now, we have a just-over-3 yr old in our group. the rest of the children are between 18 mo and 2.6 yo. she will start kindy in 5 weeks. we are currently on break between sessions of play group.

the last three weeks of playgroup were really hard on her and on the other children. what the two yr olds need is very differnt than what she needs. her imagination is more developed. her ability to communicate is more developed, and her physical capacities are also more developed. what she can do in hand games, for instance, is so much more complex than what my son can do at age 2.

this has lead to some difficulty on her part. there has been some aggression--which of course no one holds against her, it is just her age, where she is, and her own frustration at being "in between." she's too old for this group of children, and therefore no longer has the connection that she had with them even a few months ago. she isn't able to go to kindy until the next session, but when they went for her "trial day" to meet the teacher and see how it went, she was like a duck in water and wanted to go back the very next day, and communicated to all of us that "kindy is better." and was able to more or less discuss how it was more fun for her.

so, for the last two weeks, she was feeling very "in between" and struggling to find her place in our group. this lead to throwing blocks at my kid's head, pushing over another one, and nearly ripping a doll in half in frustration. She's a really good kid, but it became very clear that she was *so* ready for the kindy.

so, it is really important to understand whom the playgroup is striving to serve, to see if it will serve your child. it is also important to see whom the preschool group serves.

the steiner kindy here ha two different groups for different aged children--a 3 yr old group and a 4 yr old group.

so, our playgroup would not be the right place, btu the kindy would be.

Exactly what she said. Ours went to age 2.5 and even those last weeks for my 2.5 yo, and her peers, you could tell they were just no longer right for the setting. It wouldn't hurt to ask, though, in case they have a day for older children.

[whoami]

Well I haven't heard back from the school. I'm guessing he's too old.

[Melaniee]

Originally Posted by whoami

Well I haven't heard back from the school. I'm guessing he's too old.

In my experience, it can take quite some time for a waldorf school to get back to you on things. You might want to just keep calling until you get a person instead of voice mail.

[dogretro]

There are two classes at our school. One is for 18 mos- 3 yrs and the other is 2 - 4 yrs, so your son would def not be too old at our school. That said, we are in the 2 -4 class and there are nine kids. Seven of them are two, one is three, and one is four. I thought there would be more older kids, but the mom of the 4-yr-old said that most parents start their kids in the transitional nursery class at age three, so that is our school's culture *shrug*. I really like the class & would like to do the whole year this year & also sign both of my girls up next year, too.