another preschool question

[mamaalysson]

DS will go to preschool in the fall.  A good friend is opening a preschool in the fall.  It will be in her home (she has a perfect set up for it), a small group of kids for the first year (between 6-10), and she is a fabulous teacher.  She has been taking her time this last year really planning this and wanting to do it right, and I know she's going to create an amazing program.

But, she's a good friend.  And I feel like our experience at DD's preschool kind of burned us.  Preschool is only 2 years - I just want to put DS somewhere where we are all going to be happy and there will be few complications.  Am I asking for trouble mixing schooling and friendship?  Are there downsides here that I need to be wary of?  WWYD?

[quesyrah]

I wouldn't do it. I would worry about crossing that line between fiends and parent/teacher

[dizzycooks]

I agree with quesyrah. I wouldn't do it. I'd be concerned about the friendship to start, but also that it's only 6-10 kids in a home. Imo part of prek is being away from a home setting and with a variety of kids and teachers. I'd want a bigger experience than would be provided in what you are describing.

[abs]

I wouldn't do it either. Preschool should prep them for elementary school and an in home school won't do that.

[lala]

No, for various reasons. It's the first year, she's a good friend and I'd want a more "school" experience. Not in terms of curriculum but in terms of atmosphere.

[cjcouple]

Well my kids went to a friends preschool. She was director of a center and a mutual friend of my sisters. It mostly went ok. BUT she did cross the line. She would tell my sister stuff that happened with my kids.

So my sister would call, "oh i heard B kicked someone?" Annoying.

It wasn't bad with my oldest but my youngest is a little more of a handful so it was happening a lot his first year. This did cause me to remove him and enroll in our public school prek for his second year. Luckily he was chosen in the lottery so there were no hard feelings.

I only say this because while it may be fine, you should be prepared that your friend is immersed in your parenting.

[Kcthepouchh8r]

I'll be the voice of dissent and say I would do it. I would most definitely want a more formal setting for the last year of preschool in prep for K. For a 3 year old class? I would have no issues sending my well developing kiddo to an in home preschool given it were structured similarly. If there were any developmental concerns I would find it pertinent for two years in a more formal preschool setting.

[mamaalysson]

Thanks for the feedback. The in home and small size doesn't bother me, but you've brought up some other good points to mull over. I think that my friend has the potential here to create a really great program, I'm just a little worried about being the first, you know? He only gets two years for preschool, and I don't really want to spend those years experimenting. But then I feel a little like I'm not supporting my friend by not sending my preschool-aged child to the preschool she's starting. Like no matter how much I tell her I support her and that I think she's doing a really cool thing, my not trusting her with my kid speaks volumes more, you know?

[momin2013]

I think the biggest reason I would not do it is because at this age I'm wanting to get DS prepared for kindergarten as much as possible, and I think the small class size and in-home environment wouldn't accomplish that as well as I'd like.

[mamaalysson]

Jan 15, 2016 17:01:54 GMT -5 momin2013 said:

I think the biggest reason I would not do it is because at this age I'm wanting to get DS prepared for kindergarten as much as possible, and I think the small class size and in-home environment wouldn't accomplish that as well as I'd like.

I think that's fair.  I'm not super worried about that because I think whatever he experiences in preschool, kindergarten is still going to be a huge adjustment.  DD was in a more typical classroom setting for pre-K, and was very prepared to enter K, and the first 2 months were still pretty rough.  But that's my take for my kid...I totally get where you're coming from too.

[cjcouple]

Jan 15, 2016 16:46:41 GMT -5 mamaalysson said:

Thanks for the feedback. The in home and small size doesn't bother me, but you've brought up some other good points to mull over. I think that my friend has the potential here to create a really great program, I'm just a little worried about being the first, you know? He only gets two years for preschool, and I don't really want to spend those years experimenting. But then I feel a little like I'm not supporting my friend by not sending my preschool-aged child to the preschool she's starting. Like no matter how much I tell her I support her and that I think she's doing a really cool thing, my not trusting her with my kid speaks volumes more, you know?

Just say you don't want to cross that line of friendship into parent / teacher. Blah blah

[NandaB]

What they said (well, most of them, lol) I wouldn't want my kid to be her guinea pig

[lala]

I also think home preschools like this might be regional? I've never heard of one here but I know I've had a few friends who say they're very common in Utah - they're also LDS, not sure if there's a connection or not. I know you're not in Utah, mamaalysson, but just adding another thought.

[penguingrrl]

I personally would not be interested for a few reasons. The most important reason is that I really wouldn't want to intertwine friendship and business like that. If something goes wrong in either side it could ruin a friendship.

But I also want my kids in a more formal and structured school setting at that age. Even in the 2.5 year old class the practice things like walking down the hall in a single file line when going from the classroom to the playground or inside "big room" (a church hall they run around in in bad weather). It sounds silly, but I think it helps them get familiar with school procedures.