Is 2 1/2 too early for preschool?

[sg64]

Hello,

My 2 1/2 year old very active and aggressive son has just started preschool.  He seems pushing there a lot as per the teacher.  His behavior has become worse.  Also he is not sleeping at all at night.  From Wednesday he has a cold and did not go to school the next day.  He was much happier at home.  Is it too early to go to school?  Also, any advice how to make it easier for me adjust at school will be very much appreciated.  

[sg64]

I spoke to the preschool teacher today and according to her they just tell him to keep his hands to himself.  I had the impression that he is the only one hitting other kids at class!
Do you think this preschool is a good fit for him?

Thanks so much for all your kind help,

[sg64]

Thanks so much for all your help.  I will contact the school and definitely try the other advice.

Just another question.  He was pushy before but now after he started school as soon as he is in the park he will try to find someone to push and get a time-out or leave park.  Is this behavior in esteemed opinion related to school?

Thanks again for all your great advice

[Rebecca Resnik, PsyD]

Hello,
   2 and a half is a great time to begin pre-school, as most kids really need the increased level of stimulation and peer interaction that school brings. If he has developed a repertoire of aggressive or oppositional behaviors at home, he is likely to have some difficulty adjusting to the school's expectations. Pushing the boundaries is not uncommon, however many children who demonstrate behavior problems at home transition well to the structured environment of school.

   I would suggest several things--first off you should meet with the teacher and the director of the pre-school. You want to know how they are handling his behavior. If they are punishing him daily or putting him in time out more than 2x/day, then their techniques are not working (and hence, something needs to change!). Children respond far better to positive reinforcement and rewards than they to do to punishment and punitive time-out. It may be that the school is not a good match for him, but it is too early to say for sure. Hear what the staff have to say.

   You can get his behavior to improve if you are willing to adopt some changes. One way of doing this is to find a psychotherapist who can teach you how to manage your son's behavior effectively. Find someone who offers parent management training, parent guidance, behavior modification training or parent effectiveness training. Your pediatrician should be able to make a referral. The book The Kazdin Method by Alan Kazdin has great advice for how to run a behavior modification plan that can be used at home and school.

Best Wishes
Rebecca Resnik