LucyG
12-09-2004, 01:00 PM
I'm hoping some of you moms who have already entered the world of pre-school can give me some advice here. I know this is more of a toddler issue, but the toddler lounge doesn't get much traffic, it seems.
Anyway, DD will be two in February. This week, I visited two local pre-schools, both of which are at churches. Both schools have great reputations, and they seem very similar in curriculum and policy, though the atmosphere of one appealed to me more than the other. One felt really "preppy," which turned me off, but that's kind of beside the point. Back to the question at hand . . .
I currently teach part-time, and DD goes to a sitter's home each morning for about 4 hours. I hope to continue this schedule next year. It's possible that next year I might work 5 days on and have 5 days off rather than working all mornings, but I am planning on some type of part-time schedule. We plan to use our same sitter again next year.
I guess my question is, if DD is already going to a sitter that we love while I work, does she really need to go to pre-school two (or three) mornings a week next year? Is a formal pre-school going to offer her that much more than our sitter can right now? The sitter keeps only three other children in addition to DD (one is her own child), and all of them are around the same age. They color, read books, go on walks, play outside, listen to music and dance, and generally have a great time. They definitely do not sit in front of the TV all morning, and the sitter is good about incorporating colors, letters, numbers, body parts, etc. into their play. I think the sitter would be amenable to keeping DD on the days she didn't go to pre-school, if we decide to go that route.
My gut instinct is to keep her at the sitter's every day for another year. The fall that she is 3.5, we will definitely send her to pre-school for two or three mornings a week. She loves going to the sitter's house, has formed a strong attachment to her and to her friends there, and is "in the groove" of her current routines. I think she would adjust well to pre-school, and would grow to love it, but I just don't know that she needs to start as a 2.5 year old in the fall.
Any advice or suggestions from those of you who have experience with preschool? Thanks so much!
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_emerald_18m.gif[/img][/url]
21 months and counting!
Anyway, DD will be two in February. This week, I visited two local pre-schools, both of which are at churches. Both schools have great reputations, and they seem very similar in curriculum and policy, though the atmosphere of one appealed to me more than the other. One felt really "preppy," which turned me off, but that's kind of beside the point. Back to the question at hand . . .
I currently teach part-time, and DD goes to a sitter's home each morning for about 4 hours. I hope to continue this schedule next year. It's possible that next year I might work 5 days on and have 5 days off rather than working all mornings, but I am planning on some type of part-time schedule. We plan to use our same sitter again next year.
I guess my question is, if DD is already going to a sitter that we love while I work, does she really need to go to pre-school two (or three) mornings a week next year? Is a formal pre-school going to offer her that much more than our sitter can right now? The sitter keeps only three other children in addition to DD (one is her own child), and all of them are around the same age. They color, read books, go on walks, play outside, listen to music and dance, and generally have a great time. They definitely do not sit in front of the TV all morning, and the sitter is good about incorporating colors, letters, numbers, body parts, etc. into their play. I think the sitter would be amenable to keeping DD on the days she didn't go to pre-school, if we decide to go that route.
My gut instinct is to keep her at the sitter's every day for another year. The fall that she is 3.5, we will definitely send her to pre-school for two or three mornings a week. She loves going to the sitter's house, has formed a strong attachment to her and to her friends there, and is "in the groove" of her current routines. I think she would adjust well to pre-school, and would grow to love it, but I just don't know that she needs to start as a 2.5 year old in the fall.
Any advice or suggestions from those of you who have experience with preschool? Thanks so much!
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_emerald_18m.gif[/img][/url]
21 months and counting!