What are you doing with preschool-age kids who don't have school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I pulled my older kid out. She’s 6. We’re homeschooling. It’s so much easier. Now I take both kids out of the house together in the morning. We do “school” throughout the day as it suits our schedule. Probably takes an hour each day to do 1st grade.

I was just going to suggest this. You can plan out your own schedule and do more fun activities. I also don't think staring at a screen all day is good for ES kids.

[Anonymous]

My 2.5 and 4 year old basically free play together all day. They will occasionally ask me to read books or do puzzles with them, but I don't structure their time apart from playground/meal time/bedtime routine. It would be a lot more challenging if the oldest had to do zoom classes.

[Anonymous]

We hired a great nanny. She oversees my 1st graders DL and engages my 3.5 year old in activities she’d have in preschool (painting, playdough, nature, gardening, bug collecting, music). DH and I never could have continued working (from home) without her.

[Anonymous]

Nanny share

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would find another daycare or preschool that is open, assuming no one in your household is high risk.

OP here. We're "podding" with my mother-in-law, so I don't see this being something that would work for us. It also seems ridiculous to me that people are sending kids to daycare but older kids aren't going to school due to the risks. My preschooler -- like all of them -- regularly spits all over when making explosion sounds, etc.

Daycares dont have as many kids as public schools so it's easier to split kids into groups of 5-6 with 1 teacher and supervise those kids wearing masks. Public schools simply don't have the resources to make a safe environment happen, they barely have the resources to create a decent environment even when there isn't a pandemic going on. All of the private schools near us have opened for in-person learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Grandma needs to either help, or leave the “pod.” This is not sustainable for you.

+1. I wouldn't POD with a grandparent that wasn't contributing to child care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Grandma needs to either help, or leave the “pod.” This is not sustainable for you.

+1. I wouldn't POD with a grandparent that wasn't contributing to child care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I pulled my older kid out. She’s 6. We’re homeschooling. It’s so much easier. Now I take both kids out of the house together in the morning. We do “school” throughout the day as it suits our schedule. Probably takes an hour each day to do 1st grade.

Seems like everyone in my neighborhood is doing this. Watched the public school class number drop from 20 to 18 to 14 after a week of school. We have pretty much peaced out, just haven't officially un-enrolled. Whoever thought zoom kindergarten was a good idea needs to have their heads examined.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would find another daycare or preschool that is open, assuming no one in your household is high risk.

OP here. We're "podding" with my mother-in-law, so I don't see this being something that would work for us. It also seems ridiculous to me that people are sending kids to daycare but older kids aren't going to school due to the risks. My preschooler -- like all of them -- regularly spits all over when making explosion sounds, etc.

Daycares dont have as many kids as public schools so it's easier to split kids into groups of 5-6 with 1 teacher and supervise those kids wearing masks. Public schools simply don't have the resources to make a safe environment happen, they barely have the resources to create a decent environment even when there isn't a pandemic going on. All of the private schools near us have opened for in-person learning.

Daycare is not limiting rooms to 5-6 kids. That would not be financially feasible. I’m seeing 10. My daughter K class thru her preschool is 15 kids w 2 teachers. They’ve been open since June. No scares but I know it’s inevitable. The question is when and whether it will be contained.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would find another daycare or preschool that is open, assuming no one in your household is high risk.

OP here. We're "podding" with my mother-in-law, so I don't see this being something that would work for us. It also seems ridiculous to me that people are sending kids to daycare but older kids aren't going to school due to the risks. My preschooler -- like all of them -- regularly spits all over when making explosion sounds, etc.

Daycares dont have as many kids as public schools so it's easier to split kids into groups of 5-6 with 1 teacher and supervise those kids wearing masks. Public schools simply don't have the resources to make a safe environment happen, they barely have the resources to create a decent environment even when there isn't a pandemic going on. All of the private schools near us have opened for in-person learning.

Daycare is not limiting rooms to 5-6 kids. That would not be financially feasible. I’m seeing 10. My daughter K class thru her preschool is 15 kids w 2 teachers. They’ve been open since June. No scares but I know it’s inevitable. The question is when and whether it will be contained.

Our suzuki school is 5 kids per teacher (in GA). They've been in session since June and only had 1 case. Our older one goes to a private school school and it's 4 kids per teacher, the pod groups don't interact.

[Anonymous]

Can your MIL watch him a couple of mornings a week? My DD's preschool is closed too, but she's an only child so I don't have your restrictions. In your shoes I would ask MIL to help out on a regular basis

[Anonymous]

I hired someone. If you were paying for daycare, you can afford some part time help. Come on OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one whose preschool closed? What are you doing with your preschool-aged kids if their schools are closed?

Our older kid is doing distance learning through public school, so he's on the computer in the morning and afternoon. I have work to do but am somewhat flexible with my schedule. DH is working from home. DH and I are taking turns watching the kids, but the days are a nightmare. It feels totally chaotic because we're in and out of meetings, and because the older kid is there but on Zoom for school, it feels like I can't really take my younger one anywhere, so we just end up hanging out at home. He seems bored and irritated, and so am I.

Are others in this situation? Arg.

Same situation. DH and I both flex our hours and make sure both kids get an outing or two “recesses” during the day. I also signed up for a preschool program that has teachers supporting learning at home. This way I don’t need to generate a curriculum, and we might meet more families like us who want to do distanced socializing.

Our older one is in 2nd grade and can watch the time and log on independently. I would work towards that for the eldest so husband can minimally supervise and you can get out for parks/hikes most mornings.

[Anonymous]

We are trying to find a pod. I don’t know how else we would do it.

[Anonymous]

I’d put the little one in a day care that’s open. Most of the big centers are open, and they have a preschool curriculum for the 3+ year olds, you might just have to call around a bit for a spot if you’re closer in. Or try a home day care. That might mean leaving your “pod” with your MIL, but if she’s not helping provide child care, it’s not worth the pod at this point.

Alternatively, you could withdraw your older child and homeschool for a year, and then have more flexibility to spend time with both of them without being tied to providing tech support/keeping on task for distance learning.