Playdate reality check

[Anonymous]

We went to a playdate at a lovely private school DH and I are very interested in. DD went and did fine. Upon leaving, I asked her about the classroom, the teachers, the activities, how cute the room was, etc. She shrugged, rolled her eyes and said "Mom, it is all the same. I am going to __________ (local DCPS) anyway, that is where my friends are going and it is my neighborhood school....) She is going into K. I just stood there and then it REALLY hit me. Only my DH and I notice the pretty buildings, etc. She could care less. Argh.

I could have gotten some really cute new schools with all those app fees. Double Argh.

[Anonymous]

Ok....I hear complaints about snarky messages on this site, but ...here I go. Cute shoes, cute classrooms....is there anything else you are looking at when making a school choice?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We went to a playdate at a lovely private school DH and I are very interested in. DD went and did fine. Upon leaving, I asked her about the classroom, the teachers, the activities, how cute the room was, etc. She shrugged, rolled her eyes and said "Mom, it is all the same. I am going to __________ (local DCPS) anyway, that is where my friends are going and it is my neighborhood school....) She is going into K. I just stood there and then it REALLY hit me. Only my DH and I notice the pretty buildings, etc. She could care less. Argh.

I could have gotten some really cute new schools with all those app fees. Double Argh.

You've got one bright little girl there! I'd be proud! She knows what's important . . . and at such a young age.

[Anonymous]

My son's in pre-k, and I sure hope he's not jaded enough to roll his eyes by k.

[Anonymous]

So you are going to let your snarky kindergartener decide what school she is going to attend?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So you are going to let your snarky kindergartener decide what school she is going to attend?

All kids rebel . . . and sometimes for the right reasons.

[Anonymous]

To be fair to the OP, she did say teachers, activities before she mentioned cute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok....I hear complaints about snarky messages on this site, but ...here I go. Cute shoes, cute classrooms....is there anything else you are looking at when making a school choice?

where did the OP mention shoes? i think you are seeing things

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I could have gotten some really cute new schools with all those app fees. Double Argh.

I think the PP was assuming (reasonably) that OP meant to say shoes in the sentence above.

[Anonymous]

I think the OP DD's response is precocious and cute, BUT I presume parents were thinking along the lines of small class size, enriched curriculum, no high stakes standardized testing, more outside playtime, more music and drama and art, and so forth. I am not suggesting that all of these items are only available at private schools, of course. I would be cautious about letting a rising kindergartner dictate such an important decision, although her views regarding where her friends go and convenience of the neighborhood school are reasonable inputs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We went to a playdate at a lovely private school DH and I are very interested in. DD went and did fine. Upon leaving, I asked her about the classroom, the teachers, the activities, how cute the room was, etc. She shrugged, rolled her eyes and said "Mom, it is all the same. I am going to __________ (local DCPS) anyway, that is where my friends are going and it is my neighborhood school....) She is going into K. I just stood there and then it REALLY hit me. Only my DH and I notice the pretty buildings, etc. She could care less. Argh.

I could have gotten some really cute new schools with all those app fees. Double Argh.

What school was it ???? So is your baby girl headed to the local public school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son's in pre-k, and I sure hope he's not jaded enough to roll his eyes by k.

Nothing gets to me more than rolled eyes, from anyone. Hugely disrespectful. Argh.

[Anonymous]

OP, sounds like your kid wants to go to public.

My DC did have a clear first choice. Happily, s/he got in and now attends. We agreed that it should be on the list of course. We were not about to delegate to a 5 year old.

The choice was not a whim; on the fourth week of school this year I got a request from the back seat of the car that DC please be allowed to go the new school for FIRST GRADE TOO. "Of course," I said. I thought to myself, "I would be crazy to go through all this admissions craziness again when you are cleary so happy!"

[Anonymous]

Uhhhh...you're going to let your 4/5 yr old decide her school? Sorry, don't get your post. And either you are exagerating your dd's response, or you have one sassy preschooler.

[Anonymous]

OP here. To the PP, kind of both.

The real point of my post, which I knew all along, but my DD drove it home was that kids really do not give a rat's ass about a pretty school. She didn't care about how fancy or special it was. For a moment, I really did feel like a fool. Here I am, sweating these schools and choices and my DD is totally rolling along, happy to go up to street to DCPS.

I am not going to give her free reign of where she goes to school, but I respect her voice and her opinions (and they are ENDLESS). I am more going to take a cue from my daughter and stop focusing on the madness of this process.

And yes, she rolls her eyes all the time, but not to her elders, teachers, or strangers. I am okay with it. I do it too, except also with a large exaggerated sigh. DD is picking that up too. Not bothered by it. We have the kind of relationship when I need to talk to her seriously, she focuses in well. But if she wants to express dramatically, go ahead. Not bothered in the least...