Good gracious...choosing a preschool/daycare is HARD!

crystalgirl

We are looking for 3 days a week, full days, for DS1. We have been trying to decide between three places for weeks now, and EVERY time we think we've made a decision, something makes us second guess ourselves.  This is infinitely frustrating... Care to give some feedback?

Place #1 -- Great location. Expensive. 100% Organic meals and snacks provided. Montessori (seems fairly regimented, something we actually viewed somewhat as a "con" because the kids in the room we observed seemed a bit lifeless and panicky when approached by DS, who expects to be very social with other kids.  They are very well-disciplined, but I worry they may be a bit socially stunted since they seemed to freak out and wait for the teacher to intervene...). We have friends with their kids there. DS would be one of the OLDEST in his class (because he hasn't been in Montessori before, they're putting him in a younger class). I tend to view this as a negative because DS is very academically advanced (if not socially), but maybe I'm wrong. Inflexible about days (must be MWF or TTh), and if your days are holidays or in service (staff only) days, you're out of luck.

Place #2 -- Bad location. Moderate price level. Provides meals and snacks. This is an early preschool class, which seems like a plus compared to the others that are "toddler" classes. Is NAEYC (whatever that acronym is...can't look it up now) accredited. Has extras that some others don't, like Mandarin Chinese 2x a week. Seems fun, and we know several kids in the exact class he'd be in (including the child of a SaIFer! . There is a bully in this class, though, who seemed to hone in on DS today. This worries me in a big way. If not for this, we would have enrolled here today because we like the age group, etc. Flexible about days of the week.

Place #3 -- Good location. Least expensive. Snacks provided only, so I'd have to pack lunches. Brand new (so maybe struggling to get going) though associated with a local academy with several locations. The director seems very frazzled because I think she's the only one running the show...no support staff that I've ever seen, so the phone never gets answered, for instance. Montessori, at least in theory (doesn't seem very Montessori to me -- no kids sitting and doing their "work"). Again, DS would be one of the oldest in his class, but the kids here do seem to be kids. Several kids were crying when I visited, but it was the day after the holiday, so maybe that's why...This was the reason the director gave. For some reason that I can't put my finger on, I keep thinking we should choose this place, but when I reason it out, I can't see that it's better in any way than the others and would NOT even consider it if not for the worries I've had about the other two. Flexible about days of the week and less commitment required (i.e. if after 2 weeks we hate it, we can just withdraw, otherwise requires only 2 weeks notice versus the others' 30 day policies).

We had decided to go with #1, then did a visit with DS and changed our minds; then we decided to go with #2 and the same happened. Now I'm thinking just go with #3 and see how it goes. I didn't love it when we visited and worry about it going under, but at least there were no red flags.

Ugh, I don't know what to think! Opinions??

MrsKolasa

If your only reservation for #2 is the class bully, then I would go with that one. As long as the staff is aware of the issues with the child, I would imagine they keep a pretty close eye on him/her.

However, go with your gut. I know it's giving you mixed signals right now though. I do daycare and that makes me really picky when it comes to childcare. We interviewed 12 daycares for SS and while all of them were fine, one just felt right. Even though she had a pool, which we didn't like and a couple of other things were things we said we didn't want. He was there for 3 years and we looooooved her.

Good luck, it's such a tough decision.

armywife76

MrsKolasa:

If your only reservation for #2 is the class bully, then I would go with that one. As long as the staff is aware of the issues with the child, I would imagine they keep a pretty close eye on him/her.

However, go with your gut.

Good luck, it's such a tough decision.

This. Hope the choice becomes crystal clear soon.

skoorbnibor

we are doing the same thing, in fact, I might post about it later... 

From your description, I would say 2, but it sounds like you want 3...