Every child is special. That’s more than a cliché, especially when it comes to deciding if your bundle of joy is ready for the big leagues, also known as preschool. No matter what the enrollment age or textbooks say, the decision to enter your toddler into preschool should be entirely up to you.
Gauge your child’s readiness and your level of comfort with the idea. Then, proceed from there. To help you along the way, here are some things to chew on:

“Preschool will help my child’s social skills”
Most parents assume preschool provides opportunities for their children to develop social skills, but a 2005 study from the University of California Berkeley and Stanford University adds some caveats to that belief.
The report—“ The Influence of Preschool Centers on Children's Development Nationwide: How Much Is Too Much?”—revealed that children from middle-class families only benefit modestly from pre-school, while children of poorer families experience two times the gains in early language and mathematics learning.
In addition, the level of cooperation, sharing and engagement in classroom tasks of white middle-class children who attended preschool for more than six hours a day were actually diminished when compared to similar children who stayed at home with a parent prior to starting school.
The results show that there is no universal good when it comes to entering preschool. What benefits your child receives from preschool depend a lot on what experiences your child has outside of preschool.

“When my child is at preschool, I’ll have more time to concentrate on work”
If you’re a busy mom and dad with little time to attend to your child during the workday, perhaps a preschool environment will be more beneficial to your child. On the other hand, if you’re a natural educator with books, educational toys and play dates galore, then your child may already be reaping the benefits at home.
Ask yourself this question, “What kind of environment does my child have at home? How will preschool complement that?”

Click here to read on about how preschool gives your child a head start in life.