Preschool admissions playdate

[Anonymous]

00:23 here
To 20:04: I have the playdate today. I already expressed to them that I am uncomfortable leaving my child. (which might have led to the email granting us “5 minutes”). Have you expressed to them that you are uncomfortable about the arrangement (may be having various parents expressing their doubt would help have them change position)?

[Anonymous]

20:04 here
Yes, I will definitely send them a note expressing my concern.
Please let me know what arrangements they make tomorrow and any impressions good/bad you have.
Thanks !

[Anonymous]

sorry I was thinking of thurs - I meant today

[Anonymous]

Hi 20:04. I went and the good news is they will understand that you want to stay. I did stay in the room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:20:04 here
Yes, I will definitely send them a note expressing my concern.
Please let me know what arrangements they make tomorrow and any impressions good/bad you have.
Thanks !

Thnk you for taking yourself/child out of consideration!

[Anonymous]

Please clarify what school we are talking about making parents leave the building during playdates. I am scheduled for a playdate at Franklin Montessori and I was specifically told that I would wait in the building during the playdate and that if my child had anxiety issues I could even be in the room during the playdate. Are we getting mixed messages from the school?

[Anonymous]

They're talking about the French Maternal school, not Franklin. At Franklin the parents wait in the school and it's very child friendly.

[Anonymous]

To be honest, I think what you are describing is an aspect of the school's french-ness. In French culture children are steered towards independence from a very early age, with associated government sponsored creches and halte garderies to facilitate this. Most french women work and children are quite used to being dropped off for art workshops, music classes, with nannies or in daycare from quite a young age. In Paris one is rarely allowed to visit a preschool while the current children are actually in session (i.e. the parents and child might meet with the director after school hours, but not during the school day). I am not disputing that you OP and others feel uncomfortable leaving your child, but I do think that this points to cultural differences about children's independence. Parents are never, for example, invited into the classroom during the school year. In any case, I hope that the playdates turned out fine all around.

[Anonymous]

20:04 here
Thanks for the explanation of the cultural difference - I completely overreacted - the director and teachers were lovely at the playdate and I had no qualms about leaving my daughter in their care.