When is daycare "school?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I call it school as well. My DC associates her center/school and learning with fun. I plan to keep building on that positive association. I don't see why others are upset about what it is called.

This is the exact reason why my husband calls it school, although I call it daycare.

[Anonymous]

Its daycare. I too generally think that someone feels very superior (or insecure) and is trying to say while others put their kids in daycare, stay home or have nannies - that is below them and they won't settle for that. They want others to think of them as someone who puts their infant / toddler in an educational program - as thought their child is far too smart to just be cared for or to play all day or to be with a parent. I am sure most feel sorry for the children who are deprived of school from a young age and didn't have parents who loved them enough to academically / intellectually stimulate them in school from birth on.

[Anonymous]

I use the two interchangeably. My kid's daycare is NAEYC-accredited and bilingual. I've been pretty impressed with the lesson plans, the curriculum, and the teachers. There are monthly themed units that are integrated into art projects, music, science experiments, and reading. I think my kid is learning more than I did in the part time church basement pre-schools of my own childhood.

[Anonymous]

Let's think about the word "daycare" for a minute (my pet peeve!). Are we caring for the "day" or are we caring for the child? At the very least, let's call it childcare and because they are learning so much (of course, not algebra or chemistry, but children are learning foreign language, how to socialize appropriately etc) why wouldn't it be called school?? I don't know... I think the idea of "school" should be implanted in a child's brain as early as possible. What's the harm and why does it bother some people?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let's think about the word "daycare" for a minute (my pet peeve!). Are we caring for the "day" or are we caring for the child? At the very least, let's call it childcare and because they are learning so much (of course, not algebra or chemistry, but children are learning foreign language, how to socialize appropriately etc) why wouldn't it be called school?? I don't know... I think the idea of "school" should be implanted in a child's brain as early as possible. What's the harm and why does it bother some people?

Because that is just child development - kids learn things, they aren't only learning because they are going to a place called school. My kids learned a second language at home and we do lots of activities where they have learned to socialize appropriately, and that stimulate either growth and development. I don't say they are in school 15 hours a day. That is parenting. Kids learn an incredible amount as part of their growth and development during the first 5 years, it isn't because they are in "school".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Its daycare. I too generally think that someone feels very superior (or insecure) and is trying to say while others put their kids in daycare, stay home or have nannies - that is below them and they won't settle for that. They want others to think of them as someone who puts their infant / toddler in an educational program - as thought their child is far too smart to just be cared for or to play all day or to be with a parent. I am sure most feel sorry for the children who are deprived of school from a young age and didn't have parents who loved them enough to academically / intellectually stimulate them in school from birth on.]

Are you serious?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its daycare. I too generally think that someone feels very superior (or insecure) and is trying to say while others put their kids in daycare, stay home or have nannies - that is below them and they won't settle for that. They want others to think of them as someone who puts their infant / toddler in an educational program - as thought their child is far too smart to just be cared for or to play all day or to be with a parent. I am sure most feel sorry for the children who are deprived of school from a young age and didn't have parents who loved them enough to academically / intellectually stimulate them in school from birth on.]

Are you serious?

Were is your kid??

[Anonymous]

This used to be a pet peeve of mine too, but I now call daycare school. DC1 is 4 and in a pre-k room with teachers with BAs and a curriculum every bit as strong as the curriculums of my SAHM friends' kids' preschools. DC1 gets asked if he is in preschool so we tell him he is and call daycare "school". We didn't do this when he was 1 or 2. DC2 is 2 though, and we call it school for him too even though his class is much more childcare than 'school'.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let's think about the word "daycare" for a minute (my pet peeve!). Are we caring for the "day" or are we caring for the child? At the very least, let's call it childcare and because they are learning so much (of course, not algebra or chemistry, but children are learning foreign language, how to socialize appropriately etc) why wouldn't it be called school?? I don't know... I think the idea of "school" should be implanted in a child's brain as early as possible. What's the harm and why does it bother some people?

Because that is just child development - kids learn things, they aren't only learning because they are going to a place called school. My kids learned a second language at home and we do lots of activities where they have learned to socialize appropriately, and that stimulate either growth and development. I don't say they are in school 15 hours a day. That is parenting. Kids learn an incredible amount as part of their growth and development during the first 5 years, it isn't because they are in "school".


Oh my goodness! You totally missed the point!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I call it school as well. My DC associates her center/school and learning with fun. I plan to keep building on that positive association. I don't see why others are upset about what it is called.

I call it school, too. I have no delusions that it's not daycare. It's just shorter and easier to say school than daycare, and the place has school in the name, so I started calling it school. I had no clue others cared what I called it.

[Anonymous]

LOL this used to drive me nuts too- my neighbor always referred to daycare as school and I theorized that it was because she didn't get into her first choices, which were highly sought after, and was trying to make herself feel better about the center she ended up with. It was annoying at the time because we were in the same boat not getting our first choices and went with a nanny-share for a couple of years, and once all the kids started talking mine inevitably started asking why they couldn't go to school like their neighbor friends. Ha! Mine transferred to a center that markets itself as an all-day preschool at age 3, and there was no way we couldn't call it school at that point. So it goes!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Its daycare. I too generally think that someone feels very superior (or insecure) and is trying to say while others put their kids in daycare, stay home or have nannies - that is below them and they won't settle for that. They want others to think of them as someone who puts their infant / toddler in an educational program - as thought their child is far too smart to just be cared for or to play all day or to be with a parent. I am sure most feel sorry for the children who are deprived of school from a young age and didn't have parents who loved them enough to academically / intellectually stimulate them in school from birth on.

What have you been smoking? Seriously?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Its daycare. I too generally think that someone feels very superior (or insecure) and is trying to say while others put their kids in daycare, stay home or have nannies - that is below them and they won't settle for that. They want others to think of them as someone who puts their infant / toddler in an educational program - as thought their child is far too smart to just be cared for or to play all day or to be with a parent. I am sure most feel sorry for the children who are deprived of school from a young age and didn't have parents who loved them enough to academically / intellectually stimulate them in school from birth on.

Is English your first language? I'm sure your kids are getting a great foundation based on your sense of logic.

[Anonymous]

Daycare vs. school
and
Sitter vs. nanny
Same issue.
Helps parents feel better about doing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Its daycare. I too generally think that someone feels very superior (or insecure) and is trying to say while others put their kids in daycare, stay home or have nannies - that is below them and they won't settle for that. They want others to think of them as someone who puts their infant / toddler in an educational program - as thought their child is far too smart to just be cared for or to play all day or to be with a parent. I am sure most feel sorry for the children who are deprived of school from a young age and didn't have parents who loved them enough to academically / intellectually stimulate them in school from birth on.

While I think that people on this thread have listed a lot of valid reasons they refer to daycare as school, the two parents I know who call it school are just like PP described. They try make me feel like crap for choosing to be a SAHM while they put their 6 month old in "school." They are very insecure about their parenting and constantly try to make DH and I feel like we're the ones making poor choice or raising our children the wrong way. Needless to say, we don't spend time with them anymore!