Warning: This is just me thinking as I type, so who knows if it's going to be clear.
So it's February which in Northern Virginia means it's time to sign up for preschool for this coming fall. I don't know why they are so far in advance, but it is what it is. So I've sort of been dreading this time for a while and anxiously trying to figure out exactly what I am going to do with Ellie and her preschool career.
I think preschool is important. And more importantly, I think Ellie would LOVE it. I think she would thrive in a classroom setting and have a wonderful time making new friends and learning new things. I also think she would benefit from learning all of this stuff from someone other than me. But I don't think preschool is the place for major academics. Save it for kindergarten I say. Yes, Ellie is learning her letters and sounds and I want to teach her to read. But I don't care if she learns that kind of stuff in preschool. I can teach it to her. But I can't give her the social interaction I want her to have here at home.
So I want her in preschool for at least a year before kindergarten, probably two years (especially because they have all day K here in VA and it would be a crazy shock to her system to go from hanging around at home all day to school all day, so I think preschool would serve as a good transition.)
But I am way turned off by the cost of private preschool. I just don't know if I can justify paying a lot of money every month for it.
The two major options I am currently considering are putting Ellie into a preschool run by
Option A: a local Baptist church which costs $185 per month for 2-days a week or $225 per month for 3 days a week. Everyone in our LDS church (believe it or not) puts their kid in this preschool. They rave about it. It is apparently a bargain compared to all of the other private preschools out there and all of Ellie's church friends go there.
or
Option B: a preschool that is run out of the local high school - taught by high school kids (who are supervised by an adult instructor) which costs $185 per semester for 3 days a week. I've spoken with the woman who runs the program and from my very initial impression, it seems to meet the kind of thing I am looking for in a preschool. But I do worry that maybe having an adult teacher instead of high schoolers is a better option.
Cost wise it's a no brainer. The high school preschool is far and above the cheaper option. But am I cheating Ellie out of a better preschool education in my lust to save money? It's not that we can't afford $225/mo or $185/mo, but do we want to put that money toward preschool? Is the education she would be getting at the private place three to four times better than what she would get at the high school?
Isn't it better for us to save the money (and/or pay off our debt) so we can afford the bigger house we want someday in the neighborhood across town with the really excellent high school? Option A would cost us $2025 for one year (way more than what I paid in tuition for a semester at BYU.) Option B would run us $370 - a savings of $1680. How can I justify the cost differential?
But would Ellie miss being in class with her friends at church? Wouldn't she benefit from having a mature teacher who is ideally trained to instruct children her age? Yes, the high school kids that teach the high school preschool course are all interested in going into education fields like early childhood education. So they have the desire to be in those fields someday. But they are still 17 and 18-year-old kids. What do they know? On the other hand, they are young and can relate to preschoolers in a way that adults may not.
Plus, why should I have to stress about preschool so much? It's preschool for the love!! I don't even remember what I did for preschool. I know that I went. But I might have gone to a little preschool run by a mom in the neighborhood for all I know. It doesn't matter where Ellie goes in the long term, does it? She's still going to college no matter what preschool I choose and a good college at that. She's a kid!!!!! She's a smart little kid who likes to play and why does she need to begin the stress of school comparison right now? I want her in preschool, not prep school.
Many of my friends and acquaintances highlight the time I would have away from Ellie as a reason to put Ellie into preschool. I'm not trying to belittle their point. But because we have Annie, the time that Ellie would be in preschool wouldn't really be a break for me. I'd still have Annie to take care of. And Ellie doesn't really present a huge inconvenience to me at home. And besides, I didn't quit my job in politics so I could pay someone else to take care of my child. If I wanted her in daycare, she'd be in daycare.* But on the other hand, doesn't a mom deserve a little break every once in a while?
This post is already too long, so I am going to stop it. As you can see, I'm really just thinking this all out and this post has sort of become a vehicle to put all of my thoughts into place. So there you go. If I've said anything that offends you, I'm sorry. I know preschool, daycare, education are charged subjects. But this is where I am right now - just trying to figure it all out.
*I am not opposed to those who have their children in daycare. That's their choice. But it's not the choice I've made - so it seems silly for me to choose to be home with my kids, but then send them off to preschool for long hours, just so I don't have to deal with them.
11 comments:
Well, it sounds like the whole reason you want to put her in preschool is for the social interaction, not for the education. And if you're not in it for the educational aspect, what does it matter if it is from mature adults or interested high schoolers? I bet the high schoolers would be more fun and actually PLAY with Ellie anyway.
And, maybe it's good for her to have friends outside of her normal church friends, but it would certainly make it more convenient for you if you can't make it to pick her up one day.
So that's my two cents. I'm starting to think about preschool for Ryan two, but it still seems so far away. I suppose I should find out the deadlines!
I think your opinions are relevant but as you know, Jasmine is finishing her second year in preschool and will be going to Pre-K next year followed by Kindergarden. The school she goes to seems even less expensive than the options you have said but I could be wrong there. The time Jasmine is in school has been great for her and she hates it when she can't go for whatever reason. I think quality of education is important no matter where you are in life and these are developmental years that you want to make sure qualified people are there for your daughter when you won't be.
That being said, whatever you choose is your choice - I know in my case, when I was thinking about preschool, all the moms in my ward were into this home school preschool and they were very critical because I was not - that did not make me feel good or change my mind on my choice for my child. Do what you think is best and if you want to look at another good option, we can discuss Jasmine's school too. If not, no worries, seems you have things to look at!
My opinion (as a 3-year veteran of the Baptist school) is that if you are extremely price sensitive (which you are), go with the high school. If you don't like it, you can switch. Franconia's program is based on play, not intense academics and foreign language acquisition like the psycho-preschools like Brown Academy with the college tuition price tag. The only other major benefit of Franconia is the four-hour time block, but since needing a break isn't an issue for you, that shouldn't matter either. There is also a program at Lee Rec Center that might be less expensive, talk to Susan Schroeder about it.
This is a hard one and I wish you luck on your decision making process. I can see where having her in a preschool with an adult teacher would be good, but it's also expensive. For the record, I don't know about your local high school, but when I taught I had several kids in the preschool class. None of them were interested in going into education, they just wanted the easy credit.
FYI - I went to a Baptist preschool and I think you did too. I think I also went to one run by the base daycare. I think Lissa and John went to the one at the base daycare in Indiana. I can't remember what we did in which state.
Hey Shelly, because Emma has an October birthday, we have actually had a long preschool career. We've done both. Last year I had her in a private preschool at a Methodist church. 20 kids, two teachers. Cost was $120/month for two days. This year we have done the high school program for Emma & Macey. $350 for the year. They LOVE this program. They get so much attention from the high school students and overall it has had a better experience vs. the more traditional program. The program is all about improving social interactions so they are not learning to read but they are having fun everyday.
When we were back in Alex., I looked into the high school programs as well. I was really impressed. I loved how the teenagers really got in there and played. They were super enthusiastic.
But I was even cheaper than you and Em was an example child in a class of mentally disabled kids. And now, Madi gets free preschool here from age 3 up (why haven't the US caught on to this?)
I think you need to go with your gut and if that is not paying a lot, then run with it. We have had three years of free preschool and I think that the quality has been fantastic! Good luck deciding!
As a former school teacher, I totally agree with all of your reasons for putting Ellie in preschool. There are many benefits of preschool for Brandon one of which is a "break" or being apart from me. The reason isn't because I "don't want to deal with him" or because "I want to pay other people to take care of him so I don't have too". I think it's healthy to be away from me and learn independence and how to respond to different types of authorities in a classroom setting. That will be the best preparation for Kindergarten. Like you, I don't have a real break anyway because I have Trevor at home. But the "break" is that Trevor has a chance to have some one on one time that he is LOVING!!! We have such fun together in the mornings because he isn't competing for my attention and I can enjoy just him.
You know that Ellie will thrive in either setting, so if price is the major difference go with the high school.
I went to a highschool preschool and look how I turned out. :)
I love preschool for all the reasons you stated and more. I didn't want to pay for it, so I started working at one. Now I run my own preschool out of my house.
It sounds like you are going through the right process (talking to other moms with kids in the class, observing the classroom, etc).I think either option would be great, so if it were me, I'd save the money. There are a lot of things you can do at home if you want to supplement what she learns in class, and as one of your friends pointed out, you can always change your mind.
Check out starfall.com It is a fun place for pre-K & K learning at home.
If you have any questions about preschool, I could really talk your ear off so email me or give me a call :).
Wow, I don't even know if I should leave my opinon here. I'm considered the big granola in my area because I didn't start Nicky in preschool this year. At the low end it's 300 a month and at the high 850. That is a huge chunk of money out of the budget. I figure Nicky gets a good classroom setting at church and a lot of playdates at my house and other houses so she is getting a lot of social experiences. I also do a workbook with her so she can learn her alphabet and sounds while Andy is napping. She loves it and I love cuddling with her an having that time with her. I figure these little years are going to go so fast that I want to keep them for myself. I'm like you, I didn't quit my job to have Nicky spend time with someone other than me. Don't even get me started on full day kindergarten. I think that is ridiculous. The kids here get so tired and worn out after a full day like that. I think it's awful.
Melissa,
Believe me if $300 were the low here, I would consider no other alternative than the one you've chosen. That's insane!
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