Never thought I'd be so obsessed about preschools...

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Buttery

Buttery

O.G.
Nov 21, 2005
1,571
4
#1
I'm searching for the perfect preschool for my daughter and it reminds me of when I was trying to select a college. It is driving me nuts. :wacko: As crazy as it sounds, this feels so much more important than my college selection! I never thought I'd feel that way. :amuse: But I just want her experience to be the best that it can possibly be. I want her to be around the right teachers, the right teacher's helpers, the right kids...If they go on a field trip, I want the bus driver to be the best bus driver ever. :lol: I want her creativity to be nurtured, not molded according to someone else's perspective. Most of all, I want her to be happy there. I want her to look forward to going and interacting. :cry: IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR?!?!?!? *Sweeping hair off the floor.*:lol:

Can anyone else here relate to this? Please tell me that it gets better...*SIGH*
 
#2
My best friend is going through this. I don't have kids, but she was sharing her stress. I don't want her to be too nutty though--I pointed out that we both we to school and turned out fine--our parents didn't go nuts the way parents are nowadays. Granted, we both went to small private schools where we were pretty well protected.

BUT I think school is just ONE tool for learning. My parents read to me before I went to bed and I learned things at home. School was just one extra place to learn. She'll have a great time--relax a little :biggrin:
 
#3
I completely relate! And I don't even live in a big-city competitive area.

I feel as if I have found the right preschool for my son, who is now 3 1/2, but I now need to find the right kindergarten and elementary school for him, starting in September, 2007.

There are lots of choices, from different public schools, and public school districts (I am completely willing to move to give him the best opportunities) along with private schools that have philosophies from religious to creative to looney to frankly pretentious. And there's no one school that stands out.

I always assumed that I'd send my kids to private schools, but I hear such differing things about the ones in this area. I've heard great things about many of the public elementary schools here, but in the last three years, our local public H.S. has had students who were arrested for: armed bank robbery (2005), murder of a fellow classmate (2004), and same-sex rape in a H.S. bathroom (2003).

I went to boarding school for high school, but at this point, my husband seems to be against that idea. I'd just like to see my son have the maximum number of opportunities to explore and develop himself and gain a sense of competence and mastery in the world.
 
#4
You're a Mommy - it's what we do!

Have you checked out some accredited Montessori's?
My little girl is in one and I REALLY love the Montessori ethics.
 
#5
buttery i second swankymama's suggestion that you check out the Montessori's..........i went to one as did my brother and a bunch of friends, and we all ended up going to ivy league colleges.....i know it may seem silly but i think pre school's are extremely important in a child's educational development and i don't think you should settle until you're fully satisfied....this is your child's future after all :shame:

plus i remember i loved montessori (what little i can remember).........i learned a lot, but there were so many fun activities such as making my own halloween costume (i was a butterfly), making butter, having an ant farm/class hamster, etc....
 
#6
LOL! It was actually my best friend who graduated from HBS that recommended this Montessori to me! Maybe one day she'll write a letter of recommendation for my kiddos and they can go to Harvard as well!
 
#7
How long has your daughter gone to a Montessori school, Swanky??

I have not yet looked into a preschool for my daughter, who just turned 3. My son never sent to preschool, which was OK for him, but my daughter is very different and I am thinking of putting her in for 2 half-days starting this fall. (Because of her birthday, she will not start kindergarten for two full years.) There is a Montessori just down the street and I was thinking of placing her there...I guess I better get moving on this!!

Buttery, you sound like a very good mom to me. Of course, I have gone with my son on the bus for EVERY fieldtrip so far, I am in his class at least once a week...I think I am referred to as a "helicopter mom", which is just fine with me!! :smile:
 
#8
SwankyMamaof3 said:
You're a Mommy - it's what we do!

Have you checked out some accredited Montessori's?
My little girl is in one and I REALLY love the Montessori ethics.
Click to expand...

All 4 of us went through Montessori's!! We all loved it and my mom was so happy with what we got there.

Funny story that is somewhat off topic but not... at my sister's interview for Montessori school the principal said to my mom, dad and sister "Boy the weather outside is nasty today!!" My sister, 4 at the time, says back "We don't say nasty in our house, and we don't say **** either". Somehow she still got in!! :lol:
 
#9
Hi Buttery. My son went to a Montessori school for 3 years and loved it. I visited about 5 schools in my area before choosing the school. I also dropped in without an appointment to see how they would react. You'll know when you have found the right school. I also went on all field trips that they let me go on. It helps you get to know the teachers.
 
#10
My daughter started going for 3 1/2 days when she was 3.5. She's just completing her 2nd full year. She's 5 yrs old now {3 weeks ago} and this year has been going for 3 full days.
You can Google Maria Montessori and see the ethics. It's VERY practical and has a completely pressure free environment.
I REALLY recommend a good Montessori schol.
 
#11
Megs said:
We don't say nasty in our house, and we don't say **** either". Somehow she still got in!! :lol:
Click to expand...


:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
One of my twins was saying "fok" "fok" and my Mother In Law almost has a heart attack until I told her he's trying to say "foRk"! LOL!:P :lol:
 
#12
SwankyMamaof3 said:
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
One of my twins was saying "fok" "fok" and my Mother In Law almost has a heart attack until I told her he's trying to say "foRk"! LOL!:P :lol:
Click to expand...
Hahaha...my son did exactly the same thing! Both my husband and I freaked the first time we heard it.
 
#13
Found this. HTH!

Montessori emphasizes learning through all five senses, not just through listening, watching, or reading. Children in Montessori classes learn at their own, individual pace and according to their own choice of activities from hundreds of possibilities. Learning is an exciting process of discovery, leading to concentration, motivation, self-discipline, and a love of learning. Montessori classes place children in three-year age groups (3-6, 6-9, 9-12, and so on), forming communities in which the older children spontaneously share their knowledge with the younger ones. Montessori represents an entirely different approach to education.
Click to expand...
 
#14
i'm also in the process of searching for a preschool for my 2 yr. old. he turns 3 in september and i want to get him started early. i feel it's important for him to interact with children his age because here at home he has no one but adults to play with. a lot of my friends who have children are older than him so they don't really relate. it's very frustrating because i want the same things for him as you do for your daughter. it's hard to find really good, attentive teachers these days.
 
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