Single Dad with Pre K3 Daughter Moving to DC for 3 Years, Where to Live?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you like Brookland, try Noyes and Shining Stars Montessori. Both are pretty easy to get into (because they aren't great schools).

And what about Bethune?

[Anonymous]

Waitlisted #13 at Shining Stars and #40 at Creative Minds - would love insight on if any chance of her matching at Creative Minds.

[Anonymous]

Look at St Ann’s just over the border from Brookland in MD and Scrilli School in NE DC. Both go up to 5 and are probably on par with after care costs at some schools but are much more reliable preschool calendars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Waitlisted #13 at Shining Stars and #40 at Creative Minds - would love insight on if any chance of her matching at Creative Minds.

Totally possible but you won't know for a while.

There's typically a burst of waitlist movement in May after the enrollment deadline passes, then not as much in June and July, then more in August as people get serious about their plans and schools start giving shorter reply deadlines.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you like Brookland, try Noyes and Shining Stars Montessori. Both are pretty easy to get into (because they aren't great schools).

And what about Bethune?

Also a good idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look at St Ann’s just over the border from Brookland in MD and Scrilli School in NE DC. Both go up to 5 and are probably on par with after care costs at some schools but are much more reliable preschool calendars.

We LOVED Scrilli School for my son (now in high school!).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Got some more info on my schedule. Schedule is released in 3 month blocks every quarter. I can put in requests for a guaranteed 5-7 days off each quarter in advance. I’ll have the schedule one month in advance so I’ll know when/what times she needs care outside of preschool. I’ll be doing one week on one week off 60% of the time, 8-4 with 9-7 one day a week.

Leaning towards Petworth (hopefully Dorothy Heights if she makes it off the waitlist), Brookland (but she doesn’t have any prospects of getting into preK 3 there it seems), or Cleveland Park/Van Ness (should be able to join St Albans Early Childhood Center.)

Thanks all for your input regarding nanny. I guess I underestimated my care needs. I’m wondering if having the schedule in advance and school calendar in advance I can use multiple part time nannies to cover my needs instead of paying full time? I might be able to group nights together and fly my mom in to help during those nights. The schedule is flexible - I can switch shifts pretty easily with colleagues if I can’t find someone to pick up/drop off.

You have to assume that you will need to hire and $$ to fill our your childcare gaps. You can't rely on the kindness of friends/community. Childcare is tough enough in DC--we're all just doing our best to get by without also watching our friends' kids.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP, you’ve gotten good advice about schools. Just wanted to chime in that I also have a demanding work schedule and it’s really difficult to find consistent care that fits around a DCPS school schedule. I’ve gone through 3 people since this past October, and all of them have been great, but schedules change. Very few people only want part time or intermittent hours, even paying well above a typical nanny rate. You need someone who either has another part time job that can fit around your schedule or is a student— both of which can change.

If you want to keep someone on retainer sort of speak, perhaps cleaning and doing some housework/grocery shopping while your kid is in school, that could work really well. It will be pricey but it will help manage your hectic life, and then you can keep some consistency for your kid. You don’t want to be scrambling month to month because you can’t find backup care/someone got a full time job and can’t accommodate your hours anymore/someone’s school schedule changed. (Been there!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Got some more info on my schedule. Schedule is released in 3 month blocks every quarter. I can put in requests for a guaranteed 5-7 days off each quarter in advance. I’ll have the schedule one month in advance so I’ll know when/what times she needs care outside of preschool. I’ll be doing one week on one week off 60% of the time, 8-4 with 9-7 one day a week.

Leaning towards Petworth (hopefully Dorothy Heights if she makes it off the waitlist), Brookland (but she doesn’t have any prospects of getting into preK 3 there it seems), or Cleveland Park/Van Ness (should be able to join St Albans Early Childhood Center.)

Thanks all for your input regarding nanny. I guess I underestimated my care needs. I’m wondering if having the schedule in advance and school calendar in advance I can use multiple part time nannies to cover my needs instead of paying full time? I might be able to group nights together and fly my mom in to help during those nights. The schedule is flexible - I can switch shifts pretty easily with colleagues if I can’t find someone to pick up/drop off.

Dude you need to get your head on straight! You need a full-time employee to take care of your child for ALL the time you need to work. This is crucial. DCPS “free” PK does not replace childcare - look at the DCPS calendar. There is literally no way you are going to reliably find multiple PT nannies.

You need a FT nanny willing to work OT and flexible hours. You should be able to find someone if you start soon enough. I don’t know any single parent of a small child who doesn’t have a FT nanny, even when the kid goes to PK.

Is there any sort of message board for your fellowship? I strongly suggest reaching out to meet other single parents or even those with partners to find out how they are managing childcare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Got some more info on my schedule. Schedule is released in 3 month blocks every quarter. I can put in requests for a guaranteed 5-7 days off each quarter in advance. I’ll have the schedule one month in advance so I’ll know when/what times she needs care outside of preschool. I’ll be doing one week on one week off 60% of the time, 8-4 with 9-7 one day a week.

Leaning towards Petworth (hopefully Dorothy Heights if she makes it off the waitlist), Brookland (but she doesn’t have any prospects of getting into preK 3 there it seems), or Cleveland Park/Van Ness (should be able to join St Albans Early Childhood Center.)

Thanks all for your input regarding nanny. I guess I underestimated my care needs. I’m wondering if having the schedule in advance and school calendar in advance I can use multiple part time nannies to cover my needs instead of paying full time? I might be able to group nights together and fly my mom in to help during those nights. The schedule is flexible - I can switch shifts pretty easily with colleagues if I can’t find someone to pick up/drop off.

You posted your salary so I’m going to assume you have student loans or other debt or something, because you’re trying to save by paying for part time nannies. You may be able to work something out with a service but honestly, finding a nanny who can flex around your hours and pay her accordingly ($30 an hour most likely if you have late nights or overnights) is your most sustainable solution. A small child will do better with consistency and connection to a caregiver, especially if it’s someone who will be doing her bedtime a lot. Good nannies are hard to find here and most good ones don’t do random part time gigs.

Agree. Also OP, you are early in your career. You need to make the investments needed to continue in your career, including reliable childcare. You cannot work without reliable childcare. I repeat, you cannot work without reliable childcare.

You may have to borrow money or go into more debt to pay for a FT nanny. You certainly wouldn’t be the first person to do so!

[Anonymous]

Op you said originally you just want the best for your kid. You are taking your kid away from everyone and everything she knows right now. You are working lots of irregular hours and have no back up. Kids thrive in routine and consistency. Doing right by her means finding a very good and expensive nanny who will stick around and can give her the consistency and support you cannot. Otherwise she is better off living with your mom while you come back and visit in your weeks off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op you said originally you just want the best for your kid. You are taking your kid away from everyone and everything she knows right now. You are working lots of irregular hours and have no back up. Kids thrive in routine and consistency. Doing right by her means finding a very good and expensive nanny who will stick around and can give her the consistency and support you cannot. Otherwise she is better off living with your mom while you come back and visit in your weeks off.

I agree with this. At this point, it seems like OP is willing to sacrifice any stability for his child and also torpedo his career, to save a few bucks on childcare. I am hoping this is because he is naive, and not as callous as he comes across.

[Anonymous]

A few things:
1) I live in Columbia Heights, and the location of that the Appletree is basically the one block I feel unsafe walking around regularly. Not a fan.
2) Tubman is great, if you can get a spot for PK there. The school is moving this summer for two years to the old Banneker HS location. I think you'd be better off with a community daycare option, rather than a regular school while your kid is in PK. You wouldn't have to deal with the school closures like you do with regular school.
3) Consider getting an au pair. It's expensive, and you'd need a bigger place. But you really need a second set of hands.

[Anonymous]

Scrilli is a good suggestion. But I agree you need to shell out for regular, stable, care. Your kid is going to get sick and need to stay home...all kids do in group settings, and you may be bringing home extra germs from work. You will not be able to plan your work schedule around that, or fly your mom in quickly enough. An au pair seems like a good solution.

[Anonymous]

OP here, appreciate everyone’s input. If I could get an au pair I would but you need to be a US citizen to do that in DC.

Sounds like I’ll need a FT nanny. What constitutes FT, 40 hours/week? What would I have her do on my week off? Groceries, laundry, cleaning etc?

As far as location I think if I can get her into St Albans I’m leaning towards Cleveland Park for accessibility, walkability, restaurants and stores etc that I feel are missing from Petworth. Is living there worth it to have her at St Albans compared to the other schools? It’s a 20 minute bike ride to WHC according to people who live there.

She’s #33 on Tubman waitlist. Is there a significant difference in schooling between St Albans, Tubman, Dorothy Heights, Appletree and Meridian?