Preschool Price Shock

I tell ya, you see the prices available for preschools and you see how expensive it is for one child. Then you realize, WAIT!!! I have two!! That price doubles! Even with the occasional sibling discount, it's still a bit of a shock. It is school and you do want to get in to the good ones, but wow. At least they'll be in public school through senior year giving us enough time to save up for double college tuition. For all I know, they both may be going to an Ivy League (hey, it's possible!) I am someone that likes to plan for the future, but know that plans can change. I feel it's better to be prepared. I don't expect them to be any better than what and who they are, but I'd rather not get blind-sided with not being able to pay for a good college and possibly two. I want them to get whatever they should in order to be the best they can be (I'm not recruiting for the army!!)

Rambling tangents aside, I just can't believe how much this is going to cost me. We aren't even looking at the most prestigious schools in the area, just really good ones. I guess I shouldn't be that surprised, but ....sigh, there it is. My shock all out on the internet for all to read. If only this were France. I wouldn't have to worry about preschool! I love America, I just wish that good preschools weren't so expensive.

 

I agree with you, we've been looking as well and the cost is something we cannot swing right now. :faint:

 

Yes, preschools are expensive and then when its x2 it is shocking! Hang in there.

 

I am planning to keep them home untill they are at least 3 years old. I hope maybe in next few years something better will happen in my life money wise( winning lottery-now I just need to start playing it)

 

Just remember that preschool isn't a necessity either You can teach them the same information at home as they do at a preschool. And they'll do fine in school even if they don't go to a preschool

We put my oldest into a church preschool when he was 4 because I was very much pregnant with my second child and thought he'd enjoy it, he loved it! But he knew his letters, numbers, could do some counting and some writing already before we put him in, because I was a stay at home mom with no other kids to take care of. We are putting my dd in this fall when she's 3 because I also think she'll enjoy it, and I admit it's harder for me to practice with her with 2 toddlers. She'll turn 4 on sept 5th but misses the school cut off on sept 1st so she'll do two years of preschool.

As for the twins, well we have no intentions of putting them in until they are 4 anyways, and even then we'll discuss the benefits of it, since I'll be home with them with no other kids to take care of again except them. There are many homeschooling resources online where you can find good info about schooling, even a preschooler, for free

Just tossing the idea out there! :hug: I'm already dreading the sticker shock of 2x the school supplies, school wardrobe, school fundraisers, extracurricular activites....etc! :lol:

 

For me, it's not just having twins, but I have to deal with the inflated prices of everything because I live in Manhattan. (A semester of Gymboree is $680/kid and top preschools are $10,000+ a year!!) For a long time I joked that my kids were going to be homeschooled for preschool - which is only funny because I haven't met anyone over the age of 30 that ever went to preschool, we just learned at home from our mothers.

After talking with other mommies I've come to realize it's not just academic lessons that are taught at preschool, a lot of what they're learning is social skills. I feel lucky because I have found a mommy-and-me co-op nursery school that meets 2 mornings a week at a significantly reduced rate to traditional drop-off programs. My boys will start in the fall when they are 18 months old. I also plan to schedule standing play dates with other families and hopefully we can share the responsibility of teaching a "lesson" each week.

 

Thank you for your advice, but I actually have to go back to work (as soon as I find a job). DH is technically not working and I have been out of a job for about 3 years. I was in school for 1 of those years for medical assistant, but then I had the boys and became a SAHM until I was ready to go back to work. DH works from home (he's starting a computer business on his own time). He is great with the kids, but he needs to work. SO the boys will have to go in to a part time preschool. My parents are helping out with the cost, but it's just so much!!!! They are being troopers about it. They know how much school can be. Neither of them ever raised twins though so I know even to the BTDT parents that they are, it looks like a lot to them too. I will be takign over the cost at some point, but thankfully I do have help for now.

 

when I looked into the cost it seemed like it was at least $5/kid per hour x2 = $10/hr... for around $10 I have a nanny lady come to the house... I know its not complete socialization, but the kids are learning from her and its able to work out with my schedule for now... not sure what the prices are you are getting...

anyway, I am able to have the nanny come for a full day and a partial day and that's about the 12 hrs a week that the preschool would have been... I'm able to work during those times so its a win-win for me... hope you find a good solution.

 

To offer some advice, find out what the preschool/daycare will offer you. I pay a medium rate in my area (the school is subsidized since it is a federal daycare) and my daycare/preschool offers all food. This includes formula for infants up to 24 oz during the daytime. My friend pays about $300 a month more than me for her son and they throw in diapers/sheets/blankets. With any child, you need to find the situation that gives you the best return on your investment.

 

Yeah, I already did. The schools here also include lunch. One of the them includes sheets and cots, but you supply the loveys and blankies if your child has one they need to sleep with. The other school that is only a few dollars less has the beds, but you supply the sheets. There are a couple of other schools I rejected. They do not have anything (except lunch)...you supply the beds, sheets, diapers, but the cost difference wasn't much less, and I didn't like the schools for other reasons. My boys are no longer on formula, but they do offer the drinks/milk. The schools I looked at do have diapers, but said you can bring in your own if you prefer.

I'm fine. I was just surprised with the twin cost of everything. I appreciate all your advice!

 

Yes, I agree with you. The cost is very high. Knowing that, you might want to ask for a higher discount. One of the daycares my LO's attended offered a 20% discount. Also, a preschool may price match another preschool you are considering. It does not hurt to ask. GL!

 

We haven't started pricing out pre-schools, but I'm trying to gear myself up for the sticker shock. We're probably not going to send them to pre-school until they're more like 3. They have a great nanny who teaches them a lot, and does neat crafts/activities with them so I'm not ready to make a change right now. We are saving up for their college tuition as well.

:wavey: I'm over 30 and I went to 2 pre-schools! Of course, one was in a church, and the other was an in-home "daycare" type of pre-school, but I remember going at least 3 days a week! My parents also worked with me a lot, and taught me how to read well before I started school. I agree that teaching things in the home is really important too.

 

Last year when I started pricing preschools I was shocked too. Not just because its so expensive, but because its expensive AND it only meets 2-3 mornings a week. Yikes! It would be very difficult for us to swing it with pick up and drop off since DH and I both work. We have opted to not do formal preschool this coming year (the girls are 3), but they will start pre-k at the public elementary school next year (a year from September). Its free and meets 5 days a week in the morning. GL with whatever you decide!

 

We are starting pre-school next month and I'm just excited for them because I think they're ready to play with other kids. It's only for 2 days for a few hours but I can't wait. However, I've been back to work for 5 months now and noticed they are starting to learn a lot because their nanny was a pre-school teacher. You might want to consider part-time at school and find a nanny for home that can teach them fun activities. And since your DH will be home he can at least be there if that worries you.
I understand the high prices of schooling. I live in Northern California and Private school is a must! I calculated the price of preschool and their schooling until college will be an average of 30K+ a year unless we buy a home in a nicer area with top notch public schools...and that will run us millions...I love California and America even more...but I understand your wanting to explore France!

 

yup.

Here is where my kiddos are going next year.
My first two went there so I know the owner. I have worked out a deal to work in the office 3 mornings a week while my two are there. After that, I will owe $88 a month! That's a steal! Without working there, I would owe $391 PER child per month for 3 mornings a week!!

 

Yes, yes, yes, terribly expensive. My husband and I decided to start the girls in preschool and we were checking prices for some of the preschools in the town I work in and Yikes!! We just didn't know how we were going to afford both of them going. Probably a lot cheaper in this area than for many of you, but still super high. We were very lucky, though, that our local district has been receiving a grant for the last couple of years from one of the founders of Dollar General corp and it has allowed a lot of families to attend preschool without paying a dime who normally would have had to pay tuition. Because my husband is a dislocated worker (company moved to Mexico and he is now attending school under NAFTA) the girls got to particpate in the grant and we don't have to pay a dime (except for meals and such). It was a huge financial relief and this is the last year for the grant so we just barely made it in! I don't know if they would have been able to go otherwise.

 

Yep - I am already stressing about it and my kids aren't even two years old yet and won't be going until three! They are in daycare right now and she only keeps kids until age 3 so we have got to move them, I just haven't figured out where yet (most places have a lengthy wait list so I have to get on the ball). My big problem besides the expense of two of them to go to school is that we both also work full-time so they will need after-care and at some places before-care as well and then they will have to be enrolled in a summer program because most of them operate on a school year calendar but unfortunately our lives don't - yikes!

 

My ODD goes to a great preschool. She was actually in a toddler program this year because she didn't turn 2y9m (preschool age) until January. The ratio for toddlers is much lower- 2 teachers to 9 kids for toddlers as opposed to 1 teacher to 10 kids in preschool (from what I have seen, there are about 14 kids in a class with two teachers). Anyway, because of the low ratio, the toddler program is MUCH more expensive. We *had* to send ODD so that the poor thing wouldn't be stuck at home with me and her new twin babies.

Anyway, ODD will be going three days a week in the fall, and we will only be paying $100 more per year than when she went 2 days a week as a toddler! Eep!

The twins could go to school this fall (toddler program starts at 15 months), but it would cost a fortune! And they only offer a 5% sibling discount!

Gymboree is great though- ODD is already enrolled at a reduced rate because we've been enrolled for so long, and when I signed the babies up, we got 30% off the second enrollment, and 50% off of the 3rd! Plus, I get Gymbucks to use at the store, so it's a win/win situation!

So we'll keep doing programs like that until the twins hit preschool age to get socialization in.

 

I'm shocked at the prices for pre-school for you guys...I pay $800 a month for both to go 3 FULL days per week (8:30-5)...mornings are pre-school program and afternoons are more of a daycare type play setting...they get breakfast, lunch and snack - I supply a sheet, blanket and lovey for them but they get to keep it there in a cubby and it comes home once a week...

 

Here is a different perspective; from a home child care provider;

$800 per month
$200 per week
or $100 per child

25.5 hours per week

$3.92 per hour Sure there is more than one kid in the class, but you still have to take expenses off the top. So just to make minimum wage without expenses you have to have 3 kids....


Don't hold it against me if my math is off a bit http://www.twinstuff.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif

 

I would be ecstatic if I could find something for $800 a month! The cheapest thing I have found that accomodates both me and dh working full-time is $175 per child or $1400 a month - not to mention the extra gas to get there because it is out of the way, but places more centrally located are not feasible at all. My kids are in a home care setting now - initially it was because it was the most affordable option, but now we just love that environment for them and they love it there too. The pre-schools we are looking at are more of a "school" environment than home care and I do understand that they have additional expenses but it doesn't make it any easier to afford!