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Off to School We Go
Should You Send
Your Toddler to Preschool? By Lisa A. Goldstein
Your Toddler to Preschool?
"Benjamin Franklin and Martin Luther King Jr. probably did not attend nursery school and lived successful lives in which they succeeded both academically and socially," saysLandow. "I think we could also assume that their 
toddler days were not filled with Montessori, Mozart CDs and the big parachute that children love to run under these days. Sending your child to preschool will not make or break the academic years. That being said, I agree that kindergarten is closer to the first grade of yesteryear, but I do not believe it has moved the children of today up an entire year."
The concept of using preschool as a respite for parents is popular and falls into the category of "what works for you," saysLandow. "Some moms are just not the 'amateur nursery school teacher' type and know that sending their 2- or 3-year-old to a nursery setting will be both entertaining and educational for them while giving Mom a few hours to focus on the other parts of life she is juggling."
Landow concedes that nursery school for a 2- or 3-year-old is a type of daycare. "I do not think calling it that is tarnishing its name, however," she says. "Children need to have someone taking care of them at any given time, and if nursery school is part of that weekly schedule, I do not see anything wrong with that. In fact, many nursery schools are daycare centers and vice versa, creating a nice hybrid for dual-career families who feel a nursery school experience is a priority for them."
Does a 1- or 2-year-old need to go to nursery school? "Absolutely not," says Dr. Landow. "If they go, will they have fun and benefit from the social interaction and exposure to pre-academic tasks? Sure!"