Preparing for Playdates: Franklin, NCRC and Little Folks

[Anonymous]

PP: totally agree. For preschools that don't interview with play dates, they often have a play date at the beginning of summer to do just this. Of course preschools evaluate your child. There isn't anything wrong with this. If you were running a preschool, you would do this too.

[Anonymous]

OP here - thanks everyone for the feedback! we had our playdate at NCRC this past week and I think it went well. My DS wasn't the star of the show but he was himself, despite the lack of power at home, sleeping at a friends house the night before, etc.
When we went into the classroom, I asked the teacher what she'd like me to do - interact or hang back? She said the more I could hang back, the better so I did. I was one of the only parents not sitting at the kids tables or prompting the kids on colors, questions, etc. At one point I was wondering if this was the right thing because the kids with the parents in the mix were more verbal while my DS was basically just playing and answering the questions or interacting with the teachers when he felt like - this seems pretty par for the course for a 2 year old to me in a place for the first time with new people but I went with what she recommended and interacted when my son came to get me or when he seemed to want me to. Anyway, I don't if we did it "right" but we were relaxed and he was comfortable. We shall see. If he's not a fit for them, they're not a fit for us.

[Anonymous]

I was a parent at one of these schools and was told pretty directly by the director and a teacher that the school can learn a lot about parents at the play dates and information sessions. This was right after an information session at which two dads were, simply put, really annoying and arrogant. I felt terrible for the wife of one of these dads as she looked the whole time as though she wanted the earth to swallow her then and there. Take home lesson: if your spouse if a great person, but not the greatest this type of setting, try to cover his/her name tag and muffle your name!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thanks everyone for the feedback! we had our playdate at NCRC this past week and I think it went well. My DS wasn't the star of the show but he was himself, despite the lack of power at home, sleeping at a friends house the night before, etc.
When we went into the classroom, I asked the teacher what she'd like me to do - interact or hang back? She said the more I could hang back, the better so I did. I was one of the only parents not sitting at the kids tables or prompting the kids on colors, questions, etc. At one point I was wondering if this was the right thing because the kids with the parents in the mix were more verbal while my DS was basically just playing and answering the questions or interacting with the teachers when he felt like - this seems pretty par for the course for a 2 year old to me in a place for the first time with new people but I went with what she recommended and interacted when my son came to get me or when he seemed to want me to. Anyway, I don't if we did it "right" but we were relaxed and he was comfortable. We shall see. If he's not a fit for them, they're not a fit for us.

This is totally the right attitude. There are a ton of great preschools in the area. The most important thing is your child LIKES the school and feels comfortable there. I am pretty sure the preschool decisions are hard because all the kids are so cute. I didn't take it personally when my child was waitlisted or in one case, flat out rejected. My child ended up in a great program (one we interviewed for and he is happy) and at the end of the day...it is preschool not a PhD program!