Would you send your younger son to a slightly inferior pre-k to pick up sibling at same location?

[Anonymous]

We have 2 boys who attend a wonderful preschool. This Sept, older DS will be starting kindergarten right down the st from our house. We found a church preschool that provides after care. The facilities are not as nice but the program and teachers seem great. I don't necessarily think the teaching will be worse. They may not have some of the extras that our current preschool provides.

Would you send your younger child to a slightly inferior pre-k for the convenience of picking both children up at the same place?

[Anonymous]

If the program and teachers are good and you think the teaching will be fine, then I wouldn't worry about the "facilities." It's pre-K, for crying out loud.

[Anonymous]

I might. Our previous daycare and our current preschool are in church basements which aren't luxe, but we have been really happy with the care and programming at both. You can always do some work at home to make sure your older son is up to speed for kindergarten!

[Anonymous]

I initially thought yes I would. Then I looked at my decisions and realized that even though I could have two of my three in the same school, which would be majorly convenient and far less expensive, I have them in three different schools, which requires that I pay higher tuition, have three drop offs and pick ups and drive an extra hour each day. So, I guess, no, I wouldn't. But, if I didn't have the time and money, I would.

[Anonymous]

Pre-K? Yes. No big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pre-K? Yes. No big deal.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I initially thought yes I would. Then I looked at my decisions and realized that even though I could have two of my three in the same school, which would be majorly convenient and far less expensive, I have them in three different schools, which requires that I pay higher tuition, have three drop offs and pick ups and drive an extra hour each day. So, I guess, no, I wouldn't. But, if I didn't have the time and money, I would.

This will be me next year!! But I am a SAHM so I can manage this and not lose my mind.

However, if I was a working mom no way would I do this. I would look for convenience but that doesnt mean I would put my child into just any school. If it has a decent program and teachers seem qualified, AND it is convenient...forget the extra's do it for your peace of mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have 2 boys who attend a wonderful preschool. This Sept, older DS will be starting kindergarten right down the st from our house. We found a church preschool that provides after care. The facilities are not as nice but the program and teachers seem great. I don't necessarily think the teaching will be worse. They may not have some of the extras that our current preschool provides.

Would you send your younger child to a slightly inferior pre-k for the convenience of picking both children up at the same place?

I would send my kid to the more-convenient preschool, but as you're describing it, it doesn't seem "inferior."

[Anonymous]

Sure. It's pre-K, not freaking Yale.

[Anonymous]

Sane parents are better parents. I know that when I tried to do heroics so they would have extras my kids were not better off. I was too stressed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sane parents are better parents. I know that when I tried to do heroics so they would have extras my kids were not better off. I was too stressed.

OP again. My older son is currently #29 on the SACC wait list. We originally wanted DS to go to the SACC program at his elementary school. Eventually he will get off the wait list.

I guess the next dilemma would be whether we should put DS in SACC when he gets off the wait list or have him continue to go to the aftercare at the preschool that we moved his younger brother to.

Ugh. I thought things would get easier as the kids get older. I feel logistics are getting increasingly more difficult with extracurriculars and now drop off/pick ups from school.

[Anonymous]

I would not put my child into a *bad* school or a school whose philosophy didnt work with my family (i.e. Religious vs non-religious, play-based vs. academic), but kids don't need bells and whistles to be happy.

But if you think you like SACC better and you expect to get off the waiting list soon, I'd just deal with the inconvenience if it's just a month or two. Or decide that you like this after care and you want the kids together, so skip SACC all together.

[Anonymous]

I would not switch my younger kid to a new school if I was happy with the current one. It's daycare, right? He's there all day? I would want the best environment I could manage for a place my child spends so much time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would not switch my younger kid to a new school if I was happy with the current one. It's daycare, right? He's there all day? I would want the best environment I could manage for a place my child spends so much time.

OP here. It is technically preschool with extended care but it is essentially daycare since he is all day. I think the best choice will be to keep DS#2 at his current preschool and have DS#1 go to the aftercare at the other preschool. When he gets off the SACC wait list, we will make a decision then to just move him to SACC and keep DS#2 at current preschool or to not use SACC and/or move DS#2 to the same school.

[Anonymous]

I agree with 16:50. An extra 15 minutes the younger child spends in your preferred preschool/daycare with the friends he or she already has is better than making things more convenient for you for one year or a partial year.