preschool

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-21-2004
preschool
19
Sun, 08-29-2004 - 8:34am
Ok, I need some feedback on a problem my husband and I have been mulling over. Here is the situation. My husband works full time at one job and also has a part time job that he adores. It is in a field he has been going to school for, and they also just told him they would like to bring him on full time in october. I am totally supporting him in the decision to take it. It is a great job and one that he always dreamed of. So, that means we will take a small pay cut there. (because he will only be working one job...) So we have been working like mad to take care of any extra bills we can now in order to prepare.

Now, for me. I work from home about 30 hours a week and also go to the office for another 5-10 hours. We also have a 2 year old daughter. I don't have a sitter. I work all those hours with her napping/playing/ or in the office with me. We have recently been accepted at a local preschool. It is $128/month. But, the classes are only tues and thurs from 9:00- to 11:30. It seems a little pricey, but I feel that I am cheating her if I don't signe her up. I have her in playgroups and I be sure and take her to the park and play with her at home and do things with her. But do you think a 2 year old needs preschool? Alot of people tell me she needs it because she is always with me. That she needs some time away from mom, but isn't that what kids need most? time with their parents? I don't want to cheat her of an opportunity, but I also feel that if I don't need a babysitter/preschool, why send her? And that $128 is equal to more than what we spend in groceries a week and could also be a pretty big snowflake. I could also take that $128 and sign her up for a mommy and me art class that would last 2 1/2 months. What do you think? am I sacrificing her independence to pay down our debt?

kel

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-21-2004
In reply to: bookwormkel
Tue, 08-31-2004 - 6:54pm
I just wanted to thank you all for your advice. I have decided to skip the preschool thing for right now. Actually, me and three other moms from her playgroup have decided to start a little babysitting co-op where we have schedule to take care of each other kids several hours a week. It looks like it's going to work out great! We all get a little "me time" (although mine will be at work!) and best of all, it's free! Thanks so much everyone!

kel

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-09-2004
In reply to: bookwormkel
Thu, 09-02-2004 - 7:56pm

I read your OP a while back and refrained from posting...for fear that it would be taken the wrong way.

~Mrs. Kringle

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-06-2004
In reply to: bookwormkel
Thu, 09-02-2004 - 8:43pm
As long as your child has other children to play with, she doesn't need preschool at her age. If she was 4 yrs. old, maybe, if to only get her ready to go to school (be without you). I have a home daycare. I've had it 17 years, put my child in a 3 mornings a week preschool when he was 4 yrs. old for the above reason. You sound like a mother that actually enjoys her childs company. Enjoy it while you can. donna
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
In reply to: bookwormkel
Sat, 09-04-2004 - 1:14pm

To me, Preschool is getting your child prepared for school. This includes:



  • socialization
  • being away from mom and dad
  • learning independence
  • learning
  • self-esteem
  • and having fun

My son is very attached to me.

------------------------------------


~ ~ Follow your passion!:&n

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-10-2004
In reply to: bookwormkel
Tue, 09-07-2004 - 12:57pm

We are enrolling my daughter in preschool @ a local Christian Academy and the dues are $190.00 per month for her.

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-11-2004
In reply to: bookwormkel
Sat, 09-11-2004 - 3:39pm
I definately wouldn't put her in preschool. These years that you have with her are so quickly gone and if you don't have to be away from her then don't. It's just recently that the majority of children spend their days away from mom. The best "opportunity" for our kids is to have wonderful memories of being home with mom before kindergarden. Your daughter is fortunate to have her Mommy all day long.:)

Enjoy!

www.moms-homework.com
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-11-2004
In reply to: bookwormkel
Sat, 09-11-2004 - 7:28pm
Kel,

Hi! I understand your conern, and let me tell you...I stay at home with my kids, If I may ask what do you do from work? and is the money worth that many hours? I work about 16 hours a week and I make substantial income. In fact before to long my husband will be able to quit his full time job to open his dream of running his own detail shop. And I am in my 3rd month working. I make lifetime investment, I sign a contract and all so it is guarenteed to me and my family.

It sounds like you devote alot of hours working, I have 2 kids, and I love to have time with them. They are everything to me, And do I think that a two year old can spend too much time with mommy? NO! I almost lost my daughter when she was only 7 weeks old, I KNOW there is no such thing as too much time with mommy. Don't listen to these people. And I don't take my kids to preschool, they attend church (they go to the nursery) and they have time to play with kids, and my son is in soccer (he is 4) and we play with friends, i feel that is enough for friendship development!

Alot of people (this is just in general not pointing fingers at anyone, cause i don't know the people you are talking about) just say things because thats how they were raised. Let me ask you something.....

If you died tomorrow..God forbid...What would your kids remember? Mommy taking me away from her all the time? or Mommy loving me as much as she could?

Thats my drive! I love my kids and am tempted to home school them! Not because I don't want them out in public, but because the world is a horrible place, and we are the only security our children know!

I hope that this helped you out! (o:

God bless!

~Samantha

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-21-2004
In reply to: bookwormkel
Sun, 09-12-2004 - 4:32pm
Hi samantha Thanks for the response. I don't feel that my work takes away from my family time at all. I work around my family. That's the best part of my job. I work when she's napping, in the morning or in the evening when husband can be home with her. And yes, it is definitly worth it financially, I don't think we would survive otherwise. Besides, it's sure helping with the debt repayment! Anyway, thanks for the advice, I feel good now about keeping her home with me! I don't think she will miss much at preschool. We are going to look into it again when she is three.

Thanks again everyone!

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-18-2004
In reply to: bookwormkel
Mon, 09-13-2004 - 10:20pm
Hi...

This is only my opinion, but I believe that preschool was probably one of the best things I did for my children. My oldest is now in first grade. My son who is 3 is still attending the preschool and has been since the age of 2. There is curriculum starting at age 2 in this school. I also teach the 3 year old class...and many of them in there are just learning all the shapes, colors, numbers, etc. There is a beginning evaluation and a final evaluation of the child so the parent can see what improvements were made. It can be quite impressive. We follow a schedule everyday. There are printouts that they do, and activities that allow them to learn many different things. It is a half day program from 8:30 until 11:30 5 days a week which is just the right amount of time. Some children are enrolled 2 days, some 3 days, but the majority are enrolled 5 days a week. The main reason I enrolled my children in the preschool was because I would watch my daughter, 3 at the time watching the older kids running around playing together in the neighborhood. The youngest child was probably 9 at the time. She wanted to know why she couldn't go out and play with them. She was also very shy, and preschool allowed her to break out of that shell. She made many friends and enjoyed herself. Even my son at the age of two who I had only enrolled 3 days at the time was at 5 days before the middle of the school year at his request. They both had such a great time that they still talk about all the different things they did. "remember when I was 3" my daughter says...or "remember when my friends at my preschool" My son talks about his teacher all the time and how nice she was, and how he and his friends had a good day. If I had to do it again I would in a heartbeat.

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