Parenting question - what did you look for in preschools?

Expecting0207

Sorry to be so boring in the midst of all the sex talk!  We are moving to a new place and I'm flying down for one day next month to find a place to live and try to see a few preschools.  They open for registration for next fall in a few weeks so I feel pressured to get the girls registered quickly. 

 What are critical things you'd look for when making a decision on where to send your kids?

SumnerBride

We've been to a few open houses in our area this past week for fall registration.  My main thing was if I felt comfortable there.  Did the staff welcome my questions?  Was it clean?  What's a typical day like? For me, basic stuff.  I'm no helicopter mom, but I wanted to feel like if I had a question or concern, I wouldn't get put on a back burner.  Surprisingly, one place did make me feel like an inconvenience, so my DD's won't be going there.

Heidisean

We didn't want a daycare preschool and wanted one with a cirriculum. Cleanliness is very important and people that are personable.

hikerbeth

I am a serious "gut feel" person.  I went on tours of about 4 in the area (not including the one daycare/preschool DD already attended).

It became very obvious after talking to the teachers and/or director and seeing the facility which one we should go with.

I also put a lot of weight on outdoor education and that further solidified my decision.

JOEBunny

The main thing for me was knowing women who I had similar parenting styles to and talking to them about where they had had good experiences.  That won't work for you unless you know people in the town.  You might ask on here or the local board for the are you are moving to.  You also might be limited, since a lot of them around here are super competitive and require you to apply in person on a specific day (and there is a long line).  You could start looking at the websites, narrow it down to a few that have the philocophy you like the best, then call them and find out their process.  Here, most will not let you just drop in to visit for obvious safety reasons.