Which Preschool Would You Choose?

Ms.Jade · August 2013

I've narrowed it down to two and would love your opinions. I work T,W,Th with very little variation, but occasionally there is a meeting or event on a Friday that I need to scramble to find childcare for. I should also add that I'm an environmentalist (degree in sustainability - director at an env. non-profit) and do a lot of lecturing and public speaking about green education so a green school is extremely important to me but not the end-all.

School #1

Pros: Close to my house making drop offs for last-minute meetings/conference calls etc. very convenient, brand new building with very nice, bright, inviting, well-organized classrooms, BYO lunch so I can pack what she likes, friendly staff, very affordable - less than we're paying my sis to watch her now so it's a total deal price-wise.

Cons: Minimally educated teachers, no philosophy (Montessori etc.), no outdoor play space (but we have a huge yard so she can play at home), basically just a daycare - not a very "enriching" environment - just the basics.

School #2

Pros: Extremely enriching environment - huge yard with chickens and bunnies to play with and care for, bikes and a great garden space, highly educated staff, Reggio philosophy, environmental curriculum, organic chef on staff prepares all meals using same organic veggie delivery service we use at home, tons of extras like great walking field trips to the beach and local farm, basically a dream preschool environment.

Cons: More than double the cost of the first which we can afford, but damn!, close to DH's work but 25 minutes from home and in the opposite direction of my work making last minute drop offs extremely difficult, and did I mention more than double the cost?

Which would you choose? I feel perfectly safe and happy with the first but the second is just such a special place it's making it a tough decision. Thanks for weighing in!

2-Step · August 2013

The preschool my kids are attending is a lot like #1, however we don't have anything like #2 within reasonable distance from our home, so that makes my decision easy. They do learn a lot there and we've been really happy with it. My kids are only there 2-3x per week, but they seem to be thriving.

I do think it is important to give your child an early education, I also don't think you should go broke over preschool or beat yourself up and spend all your time commuting over it. I would probably put my kids in the first one and commit some of the money I save to a college fund. How much of preschool do you remember? I can say I might remember one or two flashes. Safe, happy and learning the basics for kindergarten prep, and not causing your family stress and financial hardship. Those would be my priorities in a preschool.

I have a friend that is bending over backwards to send her child to private school, when they really can't afford it. She is set on the fact that many of the kids go to ivy league schools with scholarships. That's great, but I wonder what kind of happiness the kid will have in the meantime with stressed out parents who work and commute long hours to send them to a school where everyone around them is ten times richer and her parents will never be able to keep up. It doesn't sound like a recipe for a happy child to me. I'm probably being judgy, but her kid is 2 and she's already driving herself crazy trying to figure out how to pay for this school. I feel like saying - just relax enjoy your child!

Drea926 · August 2013

2-Step said:

I do think it is important to give your child an early education, I also don't think you should go broke over preschool or beat yourself up and spend all your time commuting over it. I would probably put my kids in the first one and commit some of the money I save to a college fund. How much of preschool do you remember? I can say I might remember one or two flashes. Safe, happy and learning the basics for kindergarten prep, and not causing your family stress and financial hardship. Those would be my priorities in a preschool.

I agree with this. I mean, the second one sounds awesome, especially since it's attuned to your interests/values, however, you're not the one attending, lol.

I'm a teacher so education is obviously super important to me, but when it comes to preschool, realistically what do kids need to learn? Colors, shapes, numbers, letters, motor skills and social interaction? Well, you can get that in a lot of places without going for broke.

Again, just my opinion and it's your child. Go with what you feel the most comfortable and happy with! I also always "play it safe" financially so that's where I'm coming from!

RachieTK · August 2013

If #2 is on your budget, that's what i would go with. A long day inside when the weather gorgeous doesn't sound fun. The enriching activities sound great. Not packing lunch is a nice perk. Heck, I'd want to go there threw days a week!

st.augbride · August 2013

In general I want one close to home, but an enriching environment is THE most important factor, so in your shoes I'd chose #2. Are there any other options closer to home? We pay a LOT for daycare right now at an excellent school. The extra cost is completely worth it. Having a great outdoor play space is a big deal at this age and is one of the reasons we switched ds from the home daycare he was at. With new infants starting at the home daycare, he never got to go outside anymore. At the school, he gets tons of playground time and always is doing something really fun. It's been great for dd too. It's one of the better decisions we've made as parents and I'm so glad they are in a great spot. It is the opposite direction of work though so it adds a good amount of time to the commute. But we've adjusted and my boss has been more flexible with work from home days/hours/etc...

aeh72 · August 2013

Even though #1 sounds fine and is more afforable (which is always a plus!), it would be very hard for me to turn down #2 if I could afford it. I would be very drawn to the curriculum. Two of the other big factors for me are the outdoor space, and that they provide food - DS's current daycare provides the food and it is such a time saver, really healthy, and offers him a variety that I know I would not give him if I had to worry about packing lunch everyday (I guess we'll cross that bridge come elementary school!).

Have you checked the state licensing board for both schools' compliance record and if they have violations? I ask this because there was a big/bright/shiny/new/all the bells and whistles daycare/preschool near us and when I looked at their compliance record I was horrified. That sealed the deal for me on even considering them. So, maybe #2 sounds and looks fanstastic in theory, but has problems under the surface? I hope not though! It sounds great.

ETA - corrected wording

emberlee3 · August 2013

No playground is a deal breaker, IMO.

Pips09 · August 2013

emberlee3 said:

No playground is a deal breaker, IMO.

This is where I am. At almost 2 years old, I would really value the enriching educational environment as well. That is, if you can afford it.

Mustardseed2007 · August 2013

Pips09 said:

emberlee3 said:

No playground is a deal breaker, IMO.

This is where I am. At almost 2 years old, I would really value the enriching educational environment as well. That is, if you can afford it.

I absolutely agree with the above sentiments about not driving yourself crazy or hurting yourself financially to give your 2 year old the "perfect school" environment. They just lean so much through doing every day, and by that I mean regular play.

However, the fact that school 1 doesn't have an outdoor play area is concerning to me, too. In Texas, you are required to play outside for a certain amount of time each day unless the weather is bad. And I feel like Texas' licensing rules are severely inadequate most of the time. So if it's a rule here, I think that says something about how fundamental outdoor play is.

traveltheworld · August 2013

When you say double the cost, is it like $500 vs. $1,000 or $1,000 vs. $2,000? Are you planning to send her there 4 days a week or 5 days a week? If you are only planning to send her 3 or 4 days a week, then I'd go with the cheaper school since you can do a lot of those enrichment activities with her and take her on little trips yourself, and with the moeny you save, you can put her in more activities if you like.

DS is only 13 months but I've looked extensively into pre-schools. We are on the wait list for a school that sounds very much like school #2 on your list, but that's because DH and I both work full-time and long hours, so for us, it's crucial that he is in a good learning environment since that's where he'd spend 85% of his day on week-days. I'd also look into teacher retention rates at the second school. The DC we are currently at sounds fantastic on paper and has all the bells and whistles, but the teacher turnover is quite high so that bothers me.

itsmevkb · August 2013

I'd most likely go with the first given the age of your daughter. I like the idea of saving the difference and putting that away in a college fund. In the end, I'm thinking that would help her more than being with bunnies and chickens (as fun as that sounds.)

vlong4 · August 2013

Mustardseed2007 said:

Pips09 said:

emberlee3 said:

No playground is a deal breaker, IMO.

This is where I am. At almost 2 years old, I would really value the enriching educational environment as well. That is, if you can afford it.

I absolutely agree with the above sentiments about not driving yourself crazy or hurting yourself financially to give your 2 year old the "perfect school" environment. They just lean so much through doing every day, and by that I mean regular play.
However, the fact that school 1 doesn't have an outdoor play area is concerning to me, too. In Texas, you are required to play outside for a certain amount of time each day unless the weather is bad. And I feel like Texas' licensing rules are severely inadequate most of the time. So if it's a rule here, I think that says something about how fundamental outdoor play is.

I'm in agreement. No outdoor play space= no way. I'm a big believer is being outside to play. It's pretty important to me. I would've gone with #1 except the outdoor space.

Ms.Jade · August 2013

E is almost 2. I have a nanny now (my sis) who comes to me, but won't be able to do that next fall when E turns 3 and gets ready for preschool. Waiting lists are long so I have to plan and apply now. Thanks!

Ms.Jade · August 2013

Great point. Yes we have checked out both options and they are good. Thanks for pointing that out!

Ms.Jade · August 2013

I should clarify the no outdoor space comment. The school is built on a huge paved lot. They sometimes close the back gates and let the kids play out in the parking lot (I know this sounds horrible). The gates are huge and there is no way that the kids can get out or cars can get in. I;m confident in its safety. But there are no trees (another thing I teach is educational enrichment through tree planting lol), no bikes, no green, and no garden space. It's just a concrete jungle. They do have a HUGE space carved out in the middle of the building where they have built a very nice playground with brand new equipment and places to run and jump and play. It's just indoors. As an outdoor person this is a tough sell for me. She will only be there T-Th and we have 8000 sq. ft. of green space at home so that factors in to my decision. She can play outside when we get home every day and the other 4 days of the week. Hope that helps.

Ms.Jade · August 2013

I'll be frank - School #1 is $700 month for full time (no part time option) and School #2 is $1300.00 for full time. We only plan to send her Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, but School #2 doesn't offer a T-Th schedule. You either have to do M,W,F or full time if you want all 3 days. Plus by paying the full time price I can send her is something work-related comes up on a Friday which happens from time to time. She will be 3 when she starts. I'm home with her Friday, Sat, Sun, Mon.

Maybe I can compromise and do a T & Th only schedule at the fancy school and get my MIL to watch her on Wednesdays. That will reduce the cost to $550 - so less than the basic school but I'll still get to send her there. Even if I have to hire someone on Wednesdays at our area's average rate of $13 per hour (according to the calculator on sitter city) I'll still come out on top. Doesn't help with last minute work things and flexibility, but it's a solution.

litzo27 · August 2013

emberlee3 said:
No playground is a deal breaker, IMO.

This. If not for this I would hesitate but no yard?? In the summertime will be a nightmare.

honkytonk_kid · September 2013

Ms.Jade said:

I'll be frank - School #1 is $700 month for full time (no part time option) and School #2 is $1300.00 for full time. We only plan to send her Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, but School #2 doesn't offer a T-Th schedule. You either have to do M,W,F or full time if you want all 3 days. Plus by paying the full time price I can send her is something work-related comes up on a Friday which happens from time to time. She will be 3 when she starts. I'm home with her Friday, Sat, Sun, Mon.

Maybe I can compromise and do a T & Th only schedule at the fancy school and get my MIL to watch her on Wednesdays. That will reduce the cost to $550 - so less than the basic school but I'll still get to send her there. Even if I have to hire someone on Wednesdays at our area's average rate of $13 per hour (according to the calculator on sitter city) I'll still come out on top. Doesn't help with last minute work things and flexibility, but it's a solution.

This is what I would do- it really sounds like the best of both worlds- if you can find someone to commit to just one day a week. Your MIL, or a SAHM friend might also be a good option.

KarBear · September 2013

I'd pick number 1 for now. She's still young and the outdoor play wouldn't bother me as long as they have the indoor play. Plus it's more convenient for you.

Next year, when she's older, you can switch her to a more "educational" environment.

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