Anyone out there send their child to preschool or Daycare equivalent FT and could not afford nanny?

[Anonymous]

I keep hearing that sending a 2 or 2.5 year old to preschool full time isnt really an option. Is that true?? So then what to folks do who cant afford a nanny or other childcare in addition to 5 day a week preschool?

Do you do a regular daycare on the other days and then send your child to preschool a couple days a week at first, and then eventually around 3 or 4 yrs old go full time? I dont get it. But I am also hearing that it is rare to find even 5 days a week or that 5 days a week is too much for preschool. So what in the world do folks do who cant afford two forms of child care when your kid is 2 - 4 ??

Are there any folks out there in this position (or have been in this position) who sent their kids to a daycare center that has a preschool curriculum full time? Maybe that is the way to go. Can anyone recommend such a place that has a good play based curriculum and your kids thrived?

Thanks. I am feeling like everyone is sending their 2/ 2.5 year olds to preschool 3 x a week and then they have a nanny or are a SAHM. Where are the ft working moms who cant afford a nanny too? Help!

[Anonymous]

We send out child to a full-time daycare thst has a strong preschool curriculum. There is no way I would pay for both preschool and a nanny. Preschool I think of for stay-at-home parents who are looking for some socialization opportunities for their kids.

[Anonymous]

My kid is in daycare currently and yes, whe she’s easy she’ll transition into the five day a week full day preschool class that’s part of the daycare. There are tons in this area although some people on this board are fun that they should still be called daycare at 3/4 if it’s required for child care. Where are you located? People might have recs in your area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We send out child to a full-time daycare thst has a strong preschool curriculum. There is no way I would pay for both preschool and a nanny. Preschool I think of for stay-at-home parents who are looking for some socialization opportunities for their kids.

Thanks for this. Is your child thriving and doing ok with FT?

I have had more then a few people on this board tell me that there is no such thing as FT preschool or that they wouldnt want to send their kid daily if there was (more like 3 x a week). Confused. Some people (like me) dont have a choice. Your full time care wouldn't happen to in VA would it? I am looking!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is in daycare currently and yes, whe she’s easy she’ll transition into the five day a week full day preschool class that’s part of the daycare. There are tons in this area although some people on this board are fun that they should still be called daycare at 3/4 if it’s required for child care. Where are you located? People might have recs in your area.

That's great. Thanks. Arlington! May be moving next year though when my child is turning 2, so that is fun (still TBD based on my husbands job).. will have to get on waitlists in two diff states. Such is life.

[Anonymous]

Daycare is preschool.

[Anonymous]

What are you doing for child care now? Can they stay there?

[Anonymous]

Why do you think the preschool component is so important? I am a SAHM and send my daughter to 5-day morning PreK, mostly just for socialization and getting her used to a school routine. I’m glad they do letters, numbers, using scissors, etc, but honestly any parent could do that stuff in like 20 mins a day at home.

She actually already knows most of the academic stuff she’s learning in PreK bc I did a “homeschool” preschool curriculum with her during Covid that really was just a few mins of stuff everyday - we usually did it while eating breakfast. I used the blossom and root curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We send out child to a full-time daycare thst has a strong preschool curriculum. There is no way I would pay for both preschool and a nanny. Preschool I think of for stay-at-home parents who are looking for some socialization opportunities for their kids.

Thanks for this. Is your child thriving and doing ok with FT?

I have had more then a few people on this board tell me that there is no such thing as FT preschool or that they wouldnt want to send their kid daily if there was (more like 3 x a week). Confused. Some people (like me) dont have a choice. Your full time care wouldn't happen to in VA would it? I am looking!

The reason “full time preschool” is considered misleading is bc they’re not doing an academic curriculum all day. That wouldn’t even be developmentally appropriate. They are spending a large part of the day on naps, eating, playing, etc just like they would at daycare.

[Anonymous]

It's not hard to find full-time care that includes a preschool component. Usually the preschool portion is 2.5-3 hours in the morning. That portion is structured and has some sort of curriculum, whether play-based, academic, drama, art, or whatever.

The rest of the time is before-care or after-care. It's just babysitting with free play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We send out child to a full-time daycare thst has a strong preschool curriculum. There is no way I would pay for both preschool and a nanny. Preschool I think of for stay-at-home parents who are looking for some socialization opportunities for their kids.

Thanks for this. Is your child thriving and doing ok with FT?

I have had more then a few people on this board tell me that there is no such thing as FT preschool or that they wouldnt want to send their kid daily if there was (more like 3 x a week). Confused. Some people (like me) dont have a choice. Your full time care wouldn't happen to in VA would it? I am looking!

My child has been in full-time daycare since the end of my maternity leave—around 4 months old. She loves it and asks to go on the weekends. She gets mad when we go on vacation and she can’t go to daycare. Each kid is different, but I think it’s completely fine for most kids to send your child to a daycare that has a preschool curriculum. My kid would not like a morning-only program—she gets mad if I even pick her up an hour or two early.

There are lots of good full-time daycares with play-based preschool curricula. Where are you located?

[Anonymous]

PP here and saw you are in Arlington. Unfortunately, I know DC and Montgomery County, so won’t be helpful there. But a well-known preschool curriculum that many daycares use is the Creative Curriculum; you might check to see if any centers near you use that. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We send out child to a full-time daycare thst has a strong preschool curriculum. There is no way I would pay for both preschool and a nanny. Preschool I think of for stay-at-home parents who are looking for some socialization opportunities for their kids.

Thanks for this. Is your child thriving and doing ok with FT?

I have had more then a few people on this board tell me that there is no such thing as FT preschool or that they wouldnt want to send their kid daily if there was (more like 3 x a week). Confused. Some people (like me) dont have a choice. Your full time care wouldn't happen to in VA would it? I am looking!

There's no such thing as FT preschool because that's called day care. Every center we ever toured basically has a preschool curriculum, it's just a longer day with more nap and play time because it's also childcare.

If I had no job and could do whatever I wanted, I'd do part time preschool at 2.5 or 3 because it's nice for younger kids and parents to be home together - but I do have a job that can't pay for a nanny, so my kids went full time much younger. I think the issue with FT is that it's just more time away from home, kid naps in a classroom rather than own bed, etc. It's not too much academic time or the day care not teaching preschool material.

[Anonymous]

Any daycare center that takes 3-5 year olds has a preschool component. They have different curriculums and philosophies but they all have something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is in daycare currently and yes, whe she’s easy she’ll transition into the five day a week full day preschool class that’s part of the daycare. There are tons in this area although some people on this board are fun that they should still be called daycare at 3/4 if it’s required for child care. Where are you located? People might have recs in your area.

That's great. Thanks. Arlington! May be moving next year though when my child is turning 2, so that is fun (still TBD based on my husbands job).. will have to get on waitlists in two diff states. Such is life.

PP with all the typos (sorry!). I’m in DC so you probably won’t find the places I’ve experienced that useful but if it helps I just toured all the daycares near me and chose the one that seemed friendly and talked to me about outdoor time and independence instead of academics and security. My child is just 2 now and I’m still happy with the choice. Unless she gets into my local school’s preK, I’ll probably keep her there until kindergarten (unless we move first… I feel you there, OP).