S/O Daycare is NOT SCHOOL

[Anonymous]

I just got my monthly tuition reminder from Bright Horizons. If I'm writing a check for tuition, I'm going to call it school if I want to.

[Anonymous]

OMG. 9 pages? You people are nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OMG. 9 pages? You people are nuts.

...said the poster who bumped this thread way up the Recent Posts list

[Anonymous]

I'm a SAHM whose DS is in morning preschool a few times a week. He's familiar with calling it "school" and gets what the concept of "school" means -- i.e. being away from parents in a group setting away from home. So when we talk about his friends who are in daycare, I always tell him they are at "school," even though many of my friends would not use that term. I figure it's the best way to describe what he's doing in a way my kid understands. Honestly, the other association he has is "doggie daycare" because we send our dog to go play with other dogs a few times a month just to burn some energy. I'd rather he think his friends are at school than some weird version of doggie daycare!

[Anonymous]

really?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: It is hard not to gag when a new mom at work brags about how much her 4 month old is learning at school.

It's better than hearing her plan for a natural birth for 6 months, I'll give her that, but it's a little much.

Would it be better if she bragged about how much he was learning with the nanny? Or home with her on weekends? New parents are amazed at their babies and brag/talk about it, regardless of the setting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: It is hard not to gag when a new mom at work brags about how much her 4 month old is learning at school.

It's better than hearing her plan for a natural birth for 6 months, I'll give her that, but it's a little much.

Would it be better if she bragged about how much he was learning with the nanny? Or home with her on weekends? New parents are amazed at their babies and brag/talk about it, regardless of the setting.

Probably, since it would only be eye rolling about the leaning part, and not about the curriculum at the very best school there is for 4 month olds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just got my monthly tuition reminder from Bright Horizons. If I'm writing a check for tuition, I'm going to call it school if I want to.

Likewise. Honestly, who cares? It's faster and easier to say school than daycare (for kid and for me) and we think of it as being like school. We send the kid there, he is cared for, he learns. Sure, he could do these things at home, just like a kid in public school could be home schooled, but who cares? I'll call it whatever I want. Really don't understand why it bugs some people to call it school.

My good friend in high school called the place the penal institution. Nobody actually thought she was in jail from 8 to 3 every day. And no one cared.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: It is hard not to gag when a new mom at work brags about how much her 4 month old is learning at school.

It's better than hearing her plan for a natural birth for 6 months, I'll give her that, but it's a little much.

Would it be better if she bragged about how much he was learning with the nanny? Or home with her on weekends? New parents are amazed at their babies and brag/talk about it, regardless of the setting.

Probably, since it would only be eye rolling about the leaning part, and not about the curriculum at the very best school there is for 4 month olds.

I can see how that would be annoying, but that type of person would just brag anyway. If the kid weren't in day care she'd be bragging about how she read every book there is and has set up her own curriculum that rivals the very best school for 4 month olds!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't see a huge distinction around here.

On one hand, most daycares around here have a preschool component for kids 3 and 4 years old. They have a structured day, with a specific curriculum. Parents around here wouldn't put up with less. Yes, they need the daycare before and after those hours.

On the other hand, working parents often take advantage of before and after care with a traditional preschool.

Not a huge difference in this area.

I don't know of any traditional preschools with after care. There are a few with after school activities, but since the day is done at 2-3pm at the latest, activities are done at 4pm (at our preschool, even with activities, pick up was at 3:15) . Not 6pm when after care ends.

I don't know whether DCPS preschool counts as "traditional preschool," but it's indisputable school (vs daycare), and aftercare goes until 6.

[Anonymous]

We started calling DS's new daycare school to get him less resistant to the change--i.e., you'll get to make new friends with other big boys and girls (i.e., 3 year olds) at your new school! Whatever works. If you judge us about this, I'm sure you would find something else to judge us about, and I just don't care.

[Anonymous]

So many angry posts saying, "Who cares?" and "Why care?"

I care because the little white lie has consequences. When moms decide to call daycare school, they are implying that my baby/toddler, who doesn't NEED to be in school yet, is not in school when she is supposed to be. They try to make school for babies the norm, so they can feel better. Which shoves the burden of feeling weird and guilty onto mothers who are not sending their babies to daycare.

I think "working moms" and "stay-at-home moms" is the same principle. "Working" moms implies that moms who don't work are not working, which even implies that we are broken. But if we called ourselves "full-time moms," the "working moms" wouldn't like it because it implies that they are "part-time moms," or even "weekend moms." Any mom who wouldn't like me calling myself a "full-time mom" should understand why I don't like them calling daycare "school."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So many angry posts saying, "Who cares?" and "Why care?"

I care because the little white lie has consequences. When moms decide to call daycare school, they are implying that my baby/toddler, who doesn't NEED to be in school yet, is not in school when she is supposed to be. They try to make school for babies the norm, so they can feel better. Which shoves the burden of feeling weird and guilty onto mothers who are not sending their babies to daycare.

I think "working moms" and "stay-at-home moms" is the same principle. "Working" moms implies that moms who don't work are not working, which even implies that we are broken. But if we called ourselves "full-time moms," the "working moms" wouldn't like it because it implies that they are "part-time moms," or even "weekend moms." Any mom who wouldn't like me calling myself a "full-time mom" should understand why I don't like them calling daycare "school."

Pulling up this 2 month old thread at 3 am?

I would call you "crazy mom"


Ok, that might have been a little insensitive, seriously you should get counseling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So many angry posts saying, "Who cares?" and "Why care?"

I care because the little white lie has consequences. When moms decide to call daycare school, they are implying that my baby/toddler, who doesn't NEED to be in school yet, is not in school when she is supposed to be. They try to make school for babies the norm, so they can feel better. Which shoves the burden of feeling weird and guilty onto mothers who are not sending their babies to daycare.

I think "working moms" and "stay-at-home moms" is the same principle. "Working" moms implies that moms who don't work are not working, which even implies that we are broken. But if we called ourselves "full-time moms," the "working moms" wouldn't like it because it implies that they are "part-time moms," or even "weekend moms." Any mom who wouldn't like me calling myself a "full-time mom" should understand why I don't like them calling daycare "school."

Pulling up this 2 month old thread at 3 am?

I would call you "crazy mom"

+1,000,000. Doubting the decision to stay home, are we?

Ok, that might have been a little insensitive, seriously you should get counseling.

[Anonymous]

That's one of the nice things about being the one signing the checks: I get to decide what I call it.