Preschools- have you looked yet?

[fryjack2]

Who has started looking into them?  I toured a Montessori a few months ago, and plan to tour a few more this fall.  I just can't decide if we should stick with a nanny for 2 more years or enroll them at 2.5 (next fall).  We are in Boston, so there are a few factors to consider.  The cost for 2 at once, the competition to get in, and the limited number of good ones.

I've read articles that say that preschool isn't that big of a necessity unless you are in a low SES.  Waiting a year will increase our 2nd house (or bigger condo) fund a lot quicker, but I am torn on what to do.  Most of the kids in my moms group (April babies) will be enrolling at 2.5. 

What do you plan to do?  I need some other perspectives that aren't HCOL city moms and some that are   

[TrudyCampbell]

I'm feeling really torn. We have been looking into them but I'm 90% sure we will move out of the area by next fall sooo it's kind of pointless. The ones here are over $1000/month and we're spending so much on all of her therapies right now that I just can't decide what to do.

ETA I also have to apply for next year likeeee now. So it's kind of a decision I need to make immediately. 

[katie]

Lillian is in a toddler program at a school now. They have pre-school up through kindergarten there so we plan on keeping her where she is at. After the toddler class they have "early preschool" which are generally 18-24 month old. Then it is pre-school.

[devonpow]

We are lucky that we already went though it all with Henry, so I know where we are sending Elliot. We are in Brookline and I had to start putting H on wait lists before he was a year old! For Elliot I am keeping him with a nanny two days a week (plus doing classes like My Gym and Music Together other days) until next September, then start him in preschool. The program I am hoping he goes to had very limited space for the 2 year old program, so he may go to a different preschool for a year, then switch the the one we really want after he is 3. Luckily since E is a sibling of a student who already attended we are almost guaranteed a spot (in the 3/4 year old program) otherwise I would be stressing and doing wait lists again!

[bean47]

I work in a public preschool that starts at age 3 and although Olivia won't be able to come to my school I plan to enroll her in a preschool either for her 3 year old or 4 year old year. There isn't a need to apply super early here and we will have to see where we are at with a second child and our daycare needs.

[devonpow]

Oh, and as for why we are sending him then,,,,basically everyone here sends their kids to preschool starting at 2.6/2.9. You know how it is...it gets competitive here, and in this town my kids would truly I think be at a disadvantage if they didn't
do preschool. Plus, I saw first hand how much Henry thrived in preschool. I was soooo good for him. I love having the nanny a few days a week for the first few years, but then having the socialization/learning to behave in a group/learning how to listen to different authority figures/all the extra activities they get to do I think is wonderful.

[rjamz]

Aug 8, 2013 9:24:49 GMT -5 TrudyCampbell said:

I'm feeling really torn. We have been looking into them but I'm 90% sure we will move out of the area by next fall sooo it's kind of pointless. The ones here are over $1000/month and we're spending so much on all of her therapies right now that I just can't decide what to do.

ETA I also have to apply for next year likeeee now. So it's kind of a decision I need to make immediately. 

We're applying now even though it's possible we won't be here. It can't hurt to apply even if you move or choose to wait a year

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[laurack]

The daycare Matilda goes to will go through kindergarten if we wish.

however, I recently learned that the public school in our town has a pre school program for age 3+ which we need to look into. This could save us some $$ as we'd only have to pay the after school daycare cost.

[Deleted]

Thad goes now. For us it is daycare, but for a lot of 1s, it is a mommy break. I wanted something that provided play and consistency.

[TrudyCampbell]

Aug 8, 2013 9:47:34 GMT -5 rjamz said:

Aug 8, 2013 9:24:49 GMT -5 TrudyCampbell said:

I'm feeling really torn. We have been looking into them but I'm 90% sure we will move out of the area by next fall sooo it's kind of pointless. The ones here are over $1000/month and we're spending so much on all of her therapies right now that I just can't decide what to do.

ETA I also have to apply for next year likeeee now. So it's kind of a decision I need to make immediately. 

We're applying now even though it's possible we won't be here. It can't hurt to apply even if you move or choose to wait a year

Sent from my SPH-D710 using proboards

Well, a lot of the application fees are $200 and we'd have to apply to multiple places since the chances of getting in anywhere are slim. 

[rjamz]

Aug 8, 2013 9:51:01 GMT -5 TrudyCampbell said:

Aug 8, 2013 9:47:34 GMT -5 rjamz said:

We're applying now even though it's possible we won't be here. It can't hurt to apply even if you move or choose to wait a year

Sent from my SPH-D710 using proboards

Well, a lot of the application fees are $200 and we'd have to apply to multiple places since the chances of getting in anywhere are slim. 

Ugh, I forgot about the application fees. We're applying 2 places and I'm praying we get into 1. Hopefully the cheaper one

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[Deleted]

Preschools aren't competitive like that here. I'm either going to send her to our church preschool or this co-op preschool but I don't need to look into until next summer.

[Deleted]

Aug 8, 2013 9:51:01 GMT -5 TrudyCampbell said:

Aug 8, 2013 9:47:34 GMT -5 rjamz said:

We're applying now even though it's possible we won't be here. It can't hurt to apply even if you move or choose to wait a year

Sent from my SPH-D710 using proboards

Well, a lot of the application fees are $200 and we'd have to apply to multiple places since the chances of getting in anywhere are slim. 

This is so absolutely weird and foreign to me. I can't fathom doing that. But it's just not what I'm familiar with...

[imimahoney]

We will be moving Ari out this in home daycare after he turns 3. He will more than likely go to a Jewish preschool and the ones around here are not full-time until after the summer so he will probably start doing half weeks when he is 3 years and a few months. He will start full time when he is 3 years 4 months.

[TrudyCampbell]

Aug 8, 2013 9:55:15 GMT -5 ladybug said:

Aug 8, 2013 9:51:01 GMT -5 TrudyCampbell said:

Well, a lot of the application fees are $200 and we'd have to apply to multiple places since the chances of getting in anywhere are slim. 

This is so absolutely weird and foreign to me. I can't fathom doing that. But it's just not what I'm familiar with...

I can't fathom doing it either, which is why we are moving! It's so, SO insane. 

[formerlyllizzyb]

G will do a two day a week Mother's Day out program starting either summer or fall 2014, then preschool in fall 2015. Quite a few churches around here have great MDO and preschool programs (ours included) so we'll just choose one based on days and schedule. I'll have to sign him up next Feb when they open up enrollment and the wait lists. Ideally, we'll get in at our church.

I'm not sure what we will do for pre k in 2016. We might stay with the same place he has gone to for MDO and 3 yr preschool, or he can come to school with me at that point and do pre k where I work ( private school that offers pre k-12).

[thedahliharpa]

We kept our oldest home exclusively until 20mos and she has done 3 days a week since then and kept home with the nanny or myself the other days. It gives us some balance. The little one, due to our nanny's sudden departure, will start 3 days in September. It's only slightly cheaper than our nanny so cost doesn't factor in. I just don't want to go through the hiring process and introductory period with a new nanny. They basically put her on the enrollment list when they saw I was pregnant so there are no hoops to jump through this round.

[breezy8407]

Our center now is also a preschool. We pay "tuition" which is funny, but actually would get you a private college tuition for the same price. LOLZ. So they do have a learning program they follow now. But, we plan to move before they start kindergarten so they will probably go through a program at H's school. He is a teacher and gets discounts on the district programs.

If we don't do that, we will either stay at the same center until kindergarten or find a different daycare center/preschool. There are actually a lot around here.

[fryjack2]

Aug 8, 2013 9:46:36 GMT -5 devonpow said:

Oh, and as for why we are sending him then,,,,basically everyone here sends their kids to preschool starting at 2.6/2.9. You know how it is...it gets competitive here, and in this town my kids would truly I think be at a disadvantage if they didn't
do preschool. Plus, I saw first hand how much Henry thrived in preschool. I was soooo good for him. I love having the nanny a few days a week for the first few years, but then having the socialization/learning to behave in a group/learning how to listen to different authority figures/all the extra activities they get to do I think is wonderful.

This is my issue.  If they don't go next fall, am I screwing them somehow.  The preschool you get into impacts which elementary school you get into. 

Or original plan was to do Montessori ( I'm sure you know which ones I'm looking at) until 1st grade and then buy a SFH in Brookline.  But now I'm second guesses a move out of the city so I want to make sure they start out right. 

But the 20k/kid for what, 9 months a year? could be banked for other things. 

Damn kids making me have to make unselfish tough decisions

[fryjack2]

And yes, the nonrefundable application fees are ridiculous.

[eav2c]

Colin starts a PT transitional preschool September 10! When he turns 3 it will turn into 4 days a week for half a day. I think preschool is important but not absolutely necessary. It is however something that I want for him and I think he has everything to gain from it. The program and facility itself are not a daycare - just to specify as I know some places they are one in the same whereas others are not.

[laouli]

Nicolas will be going to the same pre-school my niece went to.. they have an amazing program run by a local finish church close to my day job... He can start as early as 2 if he is potty trained... so I am hoping that by 2.5-3 he will be there

[rubber pants]

Our daycare center has preschool included into the program if we wish to stay with them until kindergarden. We are going to go this route.

[jaime183]

Our daycare goes through kindergarten but next year I will look into some montessori options too. They start at 2.5 here. I want him in at least half day preschool when we have a 2nd baby so that would be 3.

[TrudyCampbell]

Preschool is REALLY stressing me out.

[greenkitty98]

We didn't send B to preschool until he was 3. This year we are doing an at-home Montessori style preschool with B and some friends.

We will probably do the same thing with P.

And maybe I'm not normal, but I didn't stress out about preschool, and I'm not stressed out about kindergarten for B in another year either.

[muppetinma]

We're starting our tours and interviews tomorrow for fall 2014. Kind of crazy.

[Deleted]

I want to but I'm hoping we won't be living in the house we are now in a year so I'm going to wait to figure out where our new house will be. I hope that won't be too late.

[tuck]

TrudyCampbell, I truly think whatever you do for V will be perfect. I think she would do fantastic staying at home with you, but if you need to put her in school so you aren't stressed, she would be fine, too. But, I think you just might be the best person to help her- you are the one meeting with all of the specialists and hearing what they have to say, and you would be the one who is best able to give her all the support she needs.

I know New York is insane, but try not to focus on the preschool-to-ivy-league pipeline. She'll do great wherever she is.

[TrudyCampbell]

Aug 8, 2013 17:17:46 GMT -5 tuck said:

TrudyCampbell, I truly think whatever you do for V will be perfect. I think she would do fantastic staying at home with you, but if you need to put her in school so you aren't stressed, she would be fine, too. But, I think you just might be the best person to help her- you are the one meeting with all of the specialists and hearing what they have to say, and you would be the one who is best able to give her all the support she needs.

I know New York is insane, but try not to focus on the preschool-to-ivy-league pipeline. She'll do great wherever she is.

Thanks for this. It's so hard to not get caught up in everything. I keep trying to remember that she will be TWO.