Am I the only Manhattan Mom Here?

InACitySoNice · January 2011

This whole Kindergarten madness has me going quietly insane. My eyelid is twitching now out of stress. It's enough to make a girl want to move! ... except I love it here. Sigh.

LIAngel · January 2011

Doesn't JilAly live in The City? I remember meeting her at the mini NY GTG last summer. Too bad we didn't get to meet you too.

desabean · January 2011

I'm sorry.

Not a manhattan mom but my SIL is and I know they actually had to move across town to be closer to the school their son got into. Sounds crazy there.

I HATE the eyelid twitch! Now that I'm getting ready to cycle again mine is back.

Agghhh, hope it gets easier for you!

alchris · January 2011

You're definitely not the only one! It's hard enough in NC...NYC would make me twitch all over!

I love the city too, but that would be the #1 reason why I wouldn't want to live there at this point in my life.

Hopefully JillAly or others ill chime in for you.

ETA: Actually, preschool is the harder thing here -- thankfully we did get off the waitlist 18 months ago and we won't have to go through it with Elena since her sister already attends! Kindergarten tends to be a lottery, so all you can do is cross your fingers, for better or worse.

cheekyali · January 2011

Chelsea girl here. Forget kindergarten, I am freaking about pre-school

InACitySoNice · January 2011

desabean!! You're about to cycle again!?!?! Oh man! That's so exciting! My eyelid would be doing the tango!!

Cheekyali -- I had no idea you were here in nyc but I guess the first clue should have been the location listed under your avatar. We lucked into our Montessori school. The director lives downstairs from us. We love it there. If we have to, we'll stay another year and try applying everywhere again and taking all those insane tests again ... Luckily my DD doesn't fully understand what the school playdates and silly questions are about, and she's having fun with it. But me? I'm hating this. So. Much.

We applied to 2 private and I'm crossing my fingers that she scores well enough on the OLSAT to qualify for one of the G&T programs. (No, Davez, that does not mean Gin and Tonic ... though I wish it did ... )

Love Chelsea. I never get down there anymore, but it's just so gorgeous.

JillAly · January 2011

Yep- I'm a Manhattan mom. Did you see Nursery University? It's about parents trying to get their kids into the "right" pre-school and how much money it costs just to get them in and the pressure that goes along with it. I went with 2 friends and we all said we're moving out of the city. One already moved, the 2nd bought a house and is moving this spring. I'm still here- but I'm really torn.

My cousins (4 of them) did the whole private kindergarten to high school thing. Their kids are now doing it. It's just crazy to me. There are some great public elementary schools in the city - the problem is that the public high schools aren't so great and once you go the public school route, it gets harder and harder to get your child into the private school. The private school kids all start in kindergarten together so as they get older, there are only a few spots (from kids that left the private school). So you basically have to start in kindergarten and stick with the school through high school.

My son is in daycare instead of pre-school but everyone has told me I need to start looking into kindergarten now. Can you believe that? He's only 3. Of course, he doesn't speak 5 languages and hasn't started his own non-profit company to help underprivileged kids so I guess he won't get in to some of the shi-shi places.

alchris · January 2011

JillAly:
Of course, he doesn't speak 5 languages and hasn't started his own non-profit company to help underprivileged kids so I guess he won't get in to some of the shi-shi places.

You really need to get working on that.

MrsAMR · January 2011

I'm a Manhattan mom! I also grew up here (as did my husband) so I also went through all the kindergarten interviews - and I remember them!

My husband is already stressing about getting our babies into a good 2s program - and they are only 2.5 months old!

Dochas · January 2011

My sister was shocked at the interviews with her first son. The 2nd time was even worse because if he didn't get into the same school she would be taking cabs all over the city. They're in a great school but it's ridiculous. The tuition is an absolute fortune and they still have constant fundraisers, mandatory "volunteering" anf far too much vacation time.

ESTH2000 · January 2011

NYC mom here and this is a subject that really gets to me. I hate that to get our children into good school, we pretty much have to pay what would equal my college tuition.....

I agree with Jilally...there are good public schools for the early years...junior/highschool not so much...

I was born and raised in Manhattan..attended public schools when they were still okay but for high school my parents shipped me to the Dominican Republic because they could afford to pay private American high school there but not in Manhattan...

It also bothers me how it all becomes this "status" thing ...

We currently own a home in what I would say is a semi-suburban part of NYC and it is close to Westchester County, We may head that direction when the time comes because it would still be less expensive than the city..

DH and I often joke that he will take a janitor job (not that there is anything wrong with that) at Fordham U just so DD can attend for free or discounted...lol

Ali212 · January 2011

I'm an NYC mom. We haven't started the kindergarten process yet but I was born & raised here so am quite familiar with the process. It's definitely intense....even pre-school is (which we have already done). Good luck!

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