Daycare and Religion Question

[ssmjlm]

I'm going to caveat this with I'm fully aware that I may be projecting my own issues with my own ethnicity, religion and my geographical area.

When you were touring daycares, did you ask about their observances of other religions besides Christianity? I'm mostly curious b/c we are hoping to tour some facilities and with it being Christmas I'm wondering if they talk about/learn about Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.

I know I need to find out if it's more in a "Santa" vs "Jesus" method, but DH thinks it's silly of me to wonder if they teach about other religions. He also doesn't understand that just b/c I'm not a practicing Jew, doesn't mean my upbringing didn't shape that part of my culture as it's not just a religion to me.

[gmail]

It would be important enough to me to ask. We are in a synagogue daycare center, so it's a non-issue, but *if* we didn't have that, I'd definitely ask about their religious/holiday leanings.

However...would LO be in this center from infant to pre-school? If s/he was only going to be there until 1, and then to a new place, I wouldn't bother. But if it's a place for a few years, then yes...I would want to know before my toddler came home with a coloring of Santa and started talking about Christmas.

[ssmjlm]

The plan is to hopefully utilize the same place until they are in before and after school care.

[h]

My kids went to a Jewish daycare when they were babies, so we knew that the teachings and practices they would be exposed to would be Jewish. I still inquired as to what sort of religious instruction they incorporated into the daycare curriculum and how they addressed things like Christmas to the extent that it ever came up since we aren't Jewish. My kids are at a Montessori school with a very international bent now, and it was made clear up front that the kids learn about a wide variety of cultures, religions, and holidays at school, though the school observes a Christmas break and hosts a Christmas book exchange party.

One of the daycares that we initially looked at was run by a very conservative Christian church, and we were worried about the limited perspective that would be offered there and some of the teachings that the school seemed to espouse--enough so that we chose a Jewish daycare over the Christian one, despite the fact that we are Christian.

[drloretta]

We did not. But I only toured secular daycares.

DD is at a preschool a couple days a week, and the director made a point of telling me the celebrate NO holidays. The way she sees it, she'd rather not introduce a bazillion (or forget/overlook one). The kids are more than welcome to talk about holidays, they just don't celebrate any. We were fine with it--we can choose what we talk about at home. I've met one mom who was totally turned off by it, though.

[Deleted]

I am actively looking for a preschool that is NOT religious in any way and it's almost impossible here. It's pissing me off. I don't want strangers teaching my kid about Jesus when we don't believe in it.

If he were at a public school and they tought about all different religions in a historical/respectful way, I would be ok with that.

[ssmjlm]

I'm amazed at how religious folks are around here. I mean yes, I live in the southern part of Virginia, but really, one of the questions you ask me in the first dozen or so should not be "where do you go to church?"

[imimahoney]

I did not ask but I think it came up in conversation when we toured our current daycare. They are awesome. My DS is the only Jewish baby there (out of 8) but they have Chanukah decorations up everywhere and have been doing Chanukah crafts with the older toddlers teaching them about the holiday.

They do not teach about holidays that are not practiced though (ie Kwanza).

[speckledfrog]

It's not weird at all to ask. I wouldn't want a school teaching my child about religion (I know it comes up around the holidays but it being part of the curriculum isn't okay with me) so it's certainly an important question.

[Deleted]

Note: my daycare is a private, secular center.

I didn't have to ask because when I went for a tour, they told me about the diversity of the students and teachers, and that they expose them to many different religions and cultures. There are quite a few Muslim women who wear hijab, and I know some of the teachers are Jewish.

I'm not super happy at how they handled Rosh Hashana (they learned about it ON Rosh Hashana, so all of the Jewish kids were not there. fail) but they seem to be doing better with Hanukkah. Their classroom is already decorated with a tree, menorah, and Kwanzaa candles.

I'd be more concerned if I lived in an area that wasn't diverse, honestly.