My son turns 3 next week, and is not 100% potty trained. He tells me he needs to go about 90% of the time, but he does not seem to do as well when in the care of others. All of his other development is right on or early (with the exception of his fine motor skills.)
Does anyone know of any preschool programs that will accept a child who is not fully potty trained? He REALLY needs to get some socialization with kids his own age on a regular basis, but everywhere I have come across require that the child be fully trained.
Montessori schools do not require the child be potty trained - they work potty training into the program. They are great schools but very expensive. I am sure you could find one out your way.
Try Bethel Early Learning Center out of Westmont, IL. I used to work there and would highly recommend them. I am simply working as a mom now. Julianne is the director. I know they recommend being potty trained as well, but it doesn't hurt to ask them if they'd work with you on it. Good luck.
Call Julianne at ###-###-####. You will get the church secretary first...just ask to be directed to Julianne's extension. Tell her K. Johnson directed you to them!
My daughter attends the pre-K program at our park district, but they also have a program for "getting ready for preschool" for ages 2.5-3.5, which says "child must be in Pull-Ups". We live in Glendale Heights (I love the preschool), but maybe you can check the park districts near you and see if they have an Intro to Preschool where kids don't have to be completely potty trained yet.
Park District of LaGRange has a great program called Ready Teddy. My daughter is currently enrolled in their program. It's 2 days a week or more based on age. Potty training is not required. They do require a pull up and will change your child if they pee. They cannot wipe your child though. You (or someone in the family) has to be available if your child poops to come and clean him up.
Good luck!
I know there's a coop in lincoln park that doesn't require that kids be potty trained. I can't remember the name of it exactly, and I know it's a lottery to get in. My friend sent 3 of her kids there, all still in pull ups.
We thought our son would be fully potty trained, but he wasn't, and since we hadn't applied to any schools that allowed kids not to be potty trained, he ended up having to stay home another year. He started prek at age 4 instead. It wasn't what we had planned, but it also wasn't the end of the world. He's still way ahead of most kids in his class--even the kids who went to prek at age 3. As our doc told us at the time, you can't and shouldn't try to force it. If you do, their development in other areas can suffer. That said, we did eventually get more hard core and we were finished with daytime potty training in a matter of days. Once they are ready, it goes super fast.
There are a few schools out there. Apply asap because you may have already missed application deadlines for next fall for many of them. I'd look into a Montassori. Good luck:)
My boys both went/go to Peter Pan Preschool in Naperville. They also have a school in Westmont. They require that children be "mostly" potty trained. They do allow pull ups. Basically they will allow for accidents. They are not licensed to "change diapers" so if your child has a major accident they will call you to come change him. http://www.preschools.net/
We go to The Growing Place in Lombard. It's an excellent preschool (not a daycare) and they have a 2 year old room (which your son could go in today if you wanted if they have room) then a 3 year old room and a 4 year old room. You do not have to be potty trained for any room. The 2 year old room is 2 days or 3 days a week from 9a-12p, the 3 and 4 year old room has an afternoon option of 12:30-3p. It's much longer than any park district program and the only one around that I found that takes them at 2 and not potty trained. I have two numbers in my phone - ###-###-#### and ###-###-#### - one of them is for the church that the preschool is in and the other is for the preschool directly, but either of them will get you in the right place. The Director's name is Lisa and she is great. Good luck!
