Preschool decisions

Elliot and Clarissa have been in a center based daycare since September. We've been pretty happy with it, but I've been wondering if it's the best place to keep them for 2 more years until they start kindergarten. I'd been hoping that they would get in to the preschool that is at the local elementary school, which I hear is excellent, but is very small and entry is by lottery.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago - DH and I both got full time jobs, which we will be starting very soon (I have been working part time for the past year+, and DH has been unemployed since February - we were both looking for full time with the hopes that one of us would find something, and as it happened we both got great offers one day apart!). And then last week we got the letter saying that the twins got into the preschool. Yay!

Except, preschool runs from 8:40 - 3:05, is closed the first Wednesday of each month, is closed for school vacations, closed for snow days, closed for summer . . . how can we manage this?

We've figured out a schedule that will work for the most part. I will work 7:00 - 3:00, DH will bring the kids to school. He will work 9:00 - 5:00, and I will pick the kids up. But what to do on all those no school days? There are all sorts of programs around here for kids - vacation camps, summer camps, the local youth center runs programs on snow days, there is after school care, etc. - but it's all for "school age" kids, starting in kindergarten. I'm afraid DH and I will end up using all of our vacation time just to manage the school year, with no time to ever take a vacation.

DH is all for sending them to the preschool and we'll just figure it out as we go. I'm a little more hesitant, as I feel like we might be setting ourselves up for a very stressful two years.

I've spoken to several moms I know who've had kids in the preschool program, and they all say it's fabulous and that the kids are super well prepared for kindergarten . . . but then they also say that most of the other kids, whether they were at daycare or home with their parents, also seemed well prepared.

Ugh. How do we decide? Any words of wisdom?

Rachel

 

Something to consider: real school will have holidays, snow days and summer, too. I guess it depends if you want to get used to that schedule right now or not.

 

Can you talk with your daycare or others about drop-in options? I know ours has a drop-in option, the more notice they can get the better for staffing purposes. They also offer a summer camp program. Or maybe there is a high school student in your neighborhood who could babysit on those days, since she/he'd be off school too?

Our preschool hours at the school district run like that too, but they do offer aftercare for working parents. I think what I will do is send them to the preschool program at their daycare when they are 3 and at 4 send them to preschool through the school district. But I work from home and preschool is just up the street, so the logistics work in my favor.

We were contemplating sending them to Montessori preschool this year, but they had all the school holidays off and more, plus their summer rates are astronomical. So we went with another daycare, and I'm actually very happy with it.

 

Check with daycares and see if the kids can go there on "off" preschool days!

 

Many daycares do before/after and no school day programs. Another option would be to find a babysitter for the days they don't have school and only utilize the daycare during the summer. I do think your DH is right in that you will find a way to work it out.

 

another option- could you find other working parents- and then you could 'rotate' school days off ( you take thier kids, they take yours) , that way you only use 1/2 ( 1/3- depending on how many people) as many days.

I would also make sure that the preschool does not/does have drop-in option. Ours DOES NOT and also is a school district run program- so days/school breaks off are school closed, period.

A responsible college age/HS student is a good option as well.

If that is the preschool you really want, I would stick to it. Our preschool is 1/2 the price as other ones as well...so if money is a factor look at the total cost (paying for a sitter/ versus a more pricey preschool)

KC