Non-clicky preschool poll

firsttogo

So, we have been looking at pre-schools for Nolan for the next year or so, and I am appalled! First, at the wait lists, and second at the costs. My personality simply will not let me put my child on a waitlist for a yuppy pre-school. 

Nolan is really bright (Yes, I am his mom but really he is) I am honestly not worried at this point about him being ready for kindergarten, but would like to have him in a social setting with other kids. 

What are you finding it costs for a three year old two day a week (two to three hour) program costs in your area per month? We are looking at 180-120/month. I am not sure what I was expecting, and maybe it is sticker shock from not paying for daycare, it feels like a lot!

I did find a program run by our local vocational center that has two teachers, and then high school students who run lessons for their credits, which is in our price range, and seems to fit his needs more. 

JessandJeremy

$490 per month at our school

browneyedgrl4282

It is crazy how expensive preschool is around here too!  I know where I grew up the high school in town had a one day a week preschool time class that was done by the junior and senior girls with two full time hs teachers. maybe look for that.

 

TheSkimmy

Thats common for around here- co-ops are cheaper

firsttogo

JessandJeremy:

$490 per month at our school

How much School does that get you? Like how many days per week, hours per day?

 

Nicole.

Our church has a nursery school (so it's Christian based) but it's accredited by NY State and has a 2's,3's,4's classes and a full day kindergarten.  For the three's they only offer a 3 day program (M,W.F) which is 3 hours per day for around $3,000 per year (September- the first week of June)- which makes it roughly $333/month.  It's very competitively priced for our area too. 

(We'll be sending Jake there, but ONLY because he'll get free tuition since my husband is a pastor at the church.  Otherwise it would be too expensive for us, especially since we're hoping for more LO's)

AlissaCell701

My kid obviously isn't in pre-school yet. But we have started looking cause here in South fla to get into even a decent program you need to be on a wait list starting now. fYI didn't know any of this before I started talking to other moms.. Anyway At the temple where we take a few baby classes and where I will prob send Jake to preschool is like 10grand a year!! But that is for every day 9-1230 1ish

sommerrayne

I just went through this - I'm paying WAY more than I really wanted to - about 125.00 a mo more than I wanted to.

Here's what I found:

My daughter is not yet 3 which limits, MASSIVELY, the options out here for her. She's not fully potty trained (working on it) also limits her massively. Once she turns 3 and is potty trained reliably - cheaper options will open up.

I wanted something before this baby comes so she can get out, have a break from me (which she asks for daily! HA!), and somewhere to go that's JUST HERS.

I went to church preschools, public programs, privately run (in house, in a rented facility, etc), and to centers. This is what I found in general.....GROSS GROSS GROSS!

I hate saying that because I don't want to be one of those parents who sound overly picky because I'm not. But if you have a nasty old bathroom that is clean but is so old that there's just ground in dirt everywhere - I don't think you warrant charging me top buck. Or tons of playdough not picked up all over the room with hair in it, etc...yuck.

Furthermore, I found too many kids under 1 person's supervision. My daughter was beat up at a visit. I ran as fast as I could but the teacher was oblivious and when she found out (because my daughter was bawling hysterically from being hit over and over with a metal truck on the head and foot) she didn't make the other child have ANY consequences. ZERO. Her "justification" was that God was his (the boy's) judge.

I also found that a lot of cheaper preschools had very very few English speaking children in them. I'm all for diversity and WANT my child to be exposed to different cultures, languages, skin colors, customs, traditions, etc - and I believe those children need a place to go as well HOWEVER!!!!!! If you can't even communicate with a child on a very basic level ("please sit down" "please don't hit" "we need to come over here now", etc) then that's not condusive for the rest of the group at all. 

I ended up choosing a center. They wanted a RIDICULOUS amount of money because they don't do "part time" (I wanted 2 days a week at 3 hours a day) but I talked to the director and asked her to allow me to do a reduced hourly rate. I'm paying a lot IMO (15 an hour) but comparing it to the drop off child care center we bring her to (9/hr) that is completely unstructured - for now, its what we are doing.

She goes to Chinese Class, Music Class, and Art Class. Its structured, its small class size, its fun, the teachers are great and very "in tune" with what we're trying to do as parents (potty training, etc).

I can't say that I'll continue next year when cheaper options open up but for now, its exactly what I want so.....I pay! 378 a month - no tax. 150.00 registration fee.

muppet.fan

Elizabeth is too young for the preschool portion of her school, but the 3s class that meets twice a week is $1350 for the school year, so around $135/month. For 3xs a week, it's $1850. 

That seems like a good deal to me, but we pay for all-day care so anything in comparison seems cheap! E's school is naeyc accredited, which requires lower student-teacher ratios than our state, so that tends to increase the cost.

RoxBride

DD attends Parents Day Out, which also includes preschool when they hit that age.

It's 200 bucks a month for 2 days a week, 9:30 until 3.

Prior to preschool, they can go the same hours one day a week for 100 bucks a month.

GuitaristsGirl

We'll likely keep DS is "preschool" at the daycare he's currently attending, which is full time and therefore crazy-expensive, but if part time were an option for us the preschool we'd most likely use currently charges $325/ month for 2 days/ week, or $487.50/ month for 3 days/ week, which includes the cost of lunch. 

 

itsmevkb

We send our son to public school.  He's in 3 year-old kindergarten and goes for about two and a half hours four days a week.  Like you said, I consider him to be bright (knows his letters, shapes, colors, can spell his name and read easy words, etc.) so I don't feel he needs to be there to learn those things but it's more about socialization since we've never sent him to daycare.  He LOVES it.

I had looked at some private pre-schools and they would have been more than what you're saying.

CMM05

Connor has been in school since last year. Last year it was 2 year old Nursery school and this year it is preschool. We send him to a program at a Synagogue, so it is considered "private." For 3 mornings a week (9a-11:30a), it is costing us around $3,600 a year. Then, we pay extra for him to stay 2 days a week for lunch and an afternoon enrichment class. That amounts to another $1,200 per year.

Even most of the top-notch school district preschools in the area cost the same. It is not cheap! We were a bit shell-shocked too, but you get what you pay for

GL!

 

roaringrock

we "snuck by" the waiting list (we know people) and ginny goes to a small and very desirable pre-school 2 mornings a week. we pay $150 a month - cheap! she loves it!

LisaMarisa

We narrowed our choice down to 2 schools.  Both 2 days/week but one was 2 hours and the other was 3.  The first is $110/month and the other is $185/month.  I think $185 is on the high end but when you break it down by hour it comes to $7.70/hour which isnt TOO bad.

KYRN

We are sending Mark to a well respected pre-school that has 2, 3,and 4 y.o programs.  They are each $80/wk for the 1/2 day 8:15-11:45, or $135 for the full day (which is more like a day care beyond the other times they can be there from 7:00am-6:00pm).  5 days a week.

choco_lab

The cheap ones around here are about $375/mo for 2 half days for preschool.  Yikes.

alchris

Kira goes 3 days/week from 9-12 and it's $273/month. (We pay 10 months; she attends 8.5 months.)  It'll be $283 next year for 3 days...or $191 for 2 days or $474 for 5 days.  Worth every penny since I adore the school.  Other Montessori schools cost a lot more so I am very thankful for that too!  I'm cheap by nature but I'll spend what I need to for health and education, speaking personally.

JessandJeremy

firsttogo:

JessandJeremy:

$490 per month at our school

How much School does that get you? Like how many days per week, hours per day?

 

 

Thats our three year old program for two days a week 9am-12 pm.This area is crazy! 

MayDayGirl

where we are moving in WI will be about $75/month so I would expect double that here in Chicago.

howleyshell

We may be in the minority here but we decided NOT to do 2 years of pre-school.

We waited until Dylan was 4 (in July) to start him in pre-school 2 days a week that fall.

Why?

Because DH has done this before with our now 15 yr old.  His words?:  "He's got his whole life to HAVE to go to school.  He's learning way more right now being at home with you than he will in school.  1 year of pre-school is plenty."

Plus - I wasn't working.  While it would have been nice for a little away time for all of us it just didn't seem like a good move financially for us.  I'd rather put that cash into a 529 for college where it would get better use. 

He's in a public pre-school now that we LOVE.  4 teachers to a class room of 15 kids.  2 of those teachers are an OT and a ST so kids with specific needs are getting them met and those without special needs are having those specific areas enriched by someone highly educated in those areas.

We pay $150 a month for 2 days a week - 3 hours a day.

That breaks down to $6.25 an hour and I think it's a STEAL.

 

Now we're struggling with what to do with Jace.  He WANTS to go to school.... BAD - because his big brother does and it's a lot of fun.  Unfortunately the by product of having 2 kids close in age is that Jace is WAY advanced for his age because he's been watching and learning as we've been teaching Dylan things.  He just turned 3 and he's sounding out 3 and 4 letter words.  He writes his name better than half the 4 yr olds in Dylan's class using upper and lower case letters appropriately.  His social skills are WAY above where Dylan's were at this age because we work SO much on things like sharing around the house.

So... what to do?  2 years of pre-school?  I think the first year would go fine but I have serious misgivings about the 2nd year.  I think he's gonna be bored to tears and a HUGE trouble maker.  He pushes buttons for fun.  Not a good thing for a kid that's bored repeating the same lessons from the previous year.

 

I wish pre-school decisions were easy.  

 

We're leaning towards keeping J out so he's only got 1 year of 2 day a week pre-school.

They've only got a short time to be home with me and be kids.   Not saying the break wouldn't have been nice but this is time I'll never get back and I'm glad D & J got to spend that extra year together before "school" started splitting them up.

Dylan adores school.  He HATED being away from school over break.  I hope and pray we get that lucky with Jace.  I can't help but think that limiting his school requirements at a young age has helped him appreciate and enjoy it instead of dread it.

But... Kindergarten is  a whole new frontier.  We'll see how he does next year.  Our 2 options are 5 day a week half days + a nanny for the 3 days I work or putting him into a daycare kindy (and Jace too) for 3 full days a week.

GL with your decisions! 

 

Courted

We actually for 5 days a week, all day program at Primrose and it is $214 a month.  That is in TX though, which has a lower cost of living than the east coast (and most places).

alchris

howleyshell:

He just turned 3 and he's sounding out 3 and 4 letter words.  He writes his name better than half the 4 yr olds in Dylan's class using upper and lower case letters appropriately.

WOW!

Maybe that shouldn't surprise me as I taught my (26 month younger) sister so much that she started K a year early.  At least she gives me credit, LOL.  But yeah, Kira is SO not doing those things!)

howleyshell

alchris:

howleyshell:

He just turned 3 and he's sounding out 3 and 4 letter words.  He writes his name better than half the 4 yr olds in Dylan's class using upper and lower case letters appropriately.

WOW!

Maybe that shouldn't surprise me as I taught my (26 month younger) sister so much that she started K a year early.  At least she gives me credit, LOL.  But yeah, Kira is SO not doing those things!)

Dylan wasn't any where near where J is at this age.  

I swear it's just like you and your sister.  When we work on stuff J's right there in the mix.  When D brings home "homework" J wants to do it too so the pre-school teachers have started sending home 2 sets of hand outs so J can work right along side D.

When D sits down with a book to "read" and J's right next to him J will jump in if D's struggling.  I swear J's picking up letter "blends" like "sh" faster than D is.  It just clicks for him.  D does better with sight words and reading rules though. 

It's really not that he's above average intelligence... he's just been exposed to this stuff much more than the older one was at this stage of the game and he's interested in learning it.   He has no clue that he's not 4 yet.  He even tells people that he's 5 when they ask how old he is just so he can be older than Dylan.  

On one hand it was/is really cool but frankly I think it's gonna end up being more of a negative for him than a positive.

He's small for his age (11th %ile in height) and I just can't bring myself to push to get him into K early.  I just don't think it would be a good thing for him socially long term to be a grade ahead.  So.... we're gearing up for all kinds of trouble making in school and that makes me sad.  He's mischievous by nature and being academically ahead of his grade isn't a good combo for that personality type. 

 We'll see what comes but I don't think he's gonna sail thru school just because he's a bit ahead of the game starting out.

 

alchris

I think that's very smart.  My sister should have been 3 grades behind me based on our birthdays but she ended up being just 1.  I started late since I barely made the cutoff, and even though her birthday was 2.5 months later she started early.  And she was the same height as me when I was 7 and she was 5 and has been taller ever since, so yeah, it caused issues that I never felt I was treated as the older one.  See the difference in my girls' ages, LOL?  Direct result.  And indeed Elena will pass Kira in size at some young age, I'm quite sure!

But I agree with not starting him early just based on that.  It was hard for my sister; she struggled a lot more than I did, even with starting college.  (I was newly 19, she was in her last months of 17.  Note that I'm *still* here in NC!)  And professionally I've seen kids with borderline birthdays have a hard time, even early summer birthdays, which is why I think my parents made the right decision for me.  In all of my years of professional experience, we never had anyone start early or skip (just many start on time based on birthday but who should have waited)...we had a kindergartner reading on a 4th grade level but she belonged in K.  Sounds a lot like Jace.  

But myself and this student I mentioned being girls helped with that -- I hear what you're saying about being a mischievous boy!