Why is this decision so hard to make...

STint520

We will be transitioning from full time nanny to daycare/school in a few months, however, we are having trouble choosing the school.  I know there are pros and cons with every place, but making this decision is so hard. One has lunch provided by the school as an option, the other doesn't.  One has a better student/teacher ration than the other.  One has a full time teacher the entire day, the other has HS/College kids running the show for a few hours in the afternoon....How did you make your decision?

aglenn

I think once you narrow it down to a couple of good options that could work for you, the rest comes down to sort of gut feel about each place and which one seems like a better fit for your kid. 

shannm

aglenn said:

I think once you narrow it down to a couple of good options that could work for you, the rest comes down to sort of gut feel about each place and which one seems like a better fit for your kid. 

I agree, once your rule places "in," the remainder of your decision becomes gut. Remember to also consider perks like light, location, price, method of payment, etc. if you are still having a hard time deciding.

jf198400

Also keep in mind their holiday/vacation/snow days policy.

jlaOK

Convenience is big for me, so having lunch provided would be a huge help.  Some of the things I didn't initially think about when choosing a daycare are things like: an inside place to play on hot/cold days, a good emergency action plan (includes tornado shelter since I live in Oklahoma), the option to extend into kindergarten, programs for school-aged kids.

mlee116

I think the PP's made a lot of good points.  It just depends on what is important to you.  Personally, consistency is really important to me and I wanted DS to have one main teacher.  I didn't like the idea of people coming and going because it just seemed like things could get forgotten in the mix.  I like to be able to tell his teacher something and it's done instead of hoping other teachers who may in the room later got the message.  Also, I wanted him to be able to bond with one person since he's there for 7+ hours a day.  

To some food is a major issue.  They provide meals and snacks for DS.  For the most part, the meals are healthy and very balanced.  Sometimes they have snacks I wouldn't necessarily choose but I'm ok with him having Ritz crackers once a week.  Other moms would have a cow.  It just depends!