Help me decide: daycare or private school for 25month old

[Anonymous]

Just moved to a new town. Trying to find best arrangement for 25 month old for full time care. Daycare is $1000/mo, ratio is 6:1 kids:teacher. Local friends school is about $1500/month, same ratio, has much nicer grounds, seems would be better learning environment. I want to do the best for my daughter but we are also trying to save money to buy a house. It will make our finances a fair amount tighter. I think she would thrive more in the friends school. I feel guilty that I am letting finances influence this so much. The daycare center would be fine but not great. we have another child who will need full time care so if we do the daycare center, it is one drop off only; if we do the private school, it is two drop offs and we would likely move our other child to the friends school eventually which would of course cost more money.

Thanks for any thoughts or words of advice.

[Anonymous]

At this age they are both daycare. The daycare is surely doing some enrichment activities for the 2 year old.

Save your money and sanity with only one drop off and do daycare. Move them both over to the school once they are a little older and you have bought your house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At this age they are both daycare. The daycare is surely doing some enrichment activities for the 2 year old.

Save your money and sanity with only one drop off and do daycare. Move them both over to the school once they are a little older and you have bought your house.

+1

That's a no-brainer for me.

[Anonymous]

The only difference you mentioned was the nicer grounds. What is it about the second place that makes you think your daughter will "thrive" there more? She's 2 -- she doesn't care about fancy facilities. She cares about the warmth and training of the teachers and about the fun things she'll do (she won't even know that she's learning if the school does it right).

So tell us why the second place is better.

[Anonymous]

Agree..2 year olds just need good care givers. Wait until you are moving both kids to the school together.

[Anonymous]

You are doing right by your child by not stretching yourselves too thin. Maybe not now, but that impacts her, too. A mom and dad who are worried about finances are not necessarily the relaxed and happy parents your children need to "thrive." Agree that your 2 YO will not notice the nice landscaping, the pretty buildings or the degrees of the workers (is there even a difference there?). Pick the daycare. If you don't like the daycare, find another daycare (and if you don't like the daycare, why are you sending your other child there?).

[Anonymous]

Does the day care have warm and loving teachers? If so, I'd go with that in a heart beat.

[Anonymous]

Go for the better preschool. The emphasis of daycare is daily care and not teaching. Most daycares have activities for kids but are not centered on teaching.

[Anonymous]

Clearly the new town isn't anywhere near DC! There are no reputable daycares that cost 1,000 a month here. (Or $1,500 per month preschools). At 3 I'd want her in a preschool, so depending on her birthday that may mean moving her before then since preschools have September start dates with applications due in the winter.

[Anonymous]

Day care. 2 year olds do not need explicit "teaching", ie academics. They need warmth and consistency and caring and enrichment and stimulation and opportunities for social and experiential learning. They do NOT need preschool at this age.

You need the $6000 a year more than your kid needs the fancy schmancy grounds. It's a no brainer.

She can do preschool at 4, or maybe 3 if you feel like she is understimulated in day care after a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go for the better preschool. The emphasis of daycare is daily care and not teaching. Most daycares have activities for kids but are not centered on teaching.

A 2 year old does not need academic teaching. TWO. YEAR. OLD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go for the better preschool. The emphasis of daycare is daily care and not teaching. Most daycares have activities for kids but are not centered on teaching.

A 2 year old does not need academic teaching. TWO. YEAR. OLD.

What makes you think I meant academic teaching?! lol Enrichment and exploration is NOT the stated goal of daycare while it is in any teaching facility. Only OP can answer if the daycare workers are of the same caliber, education and passion as the preschool teachers -- I would guess not or they would be teaching in a preschool.

I understand that we all want to make ourselves feel better about daycare however with the possible exception on daycares run by universities, preschool will always be a better option when a child is of age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go for the better preschool. The emphasis of daycare is daily care and not teaching. Most daycares have activities for kids but are not centered on teaching.

A 2 year old does not need academic teaching. TWO. YEAR. OLD.

What makes you think I meant academic teaching?! lol Enrichment and exploration is NOT the stated goal of daycare while it is in any teaching facility. Only OP can answer if the daycare workers are of the same caliber, education and passion as the preschool teachers -- I would guess not or they would be teaching in a preschool.

I understand that we all want to make ourselves feel better about daycare however with the possible exception on daycares run by universities, preschool will always be a better option when a child is of age.

So now TWO is "of age"? TWO? Seriously? I have a two year old and she's in a home day care where she is nurtured and it is a family -like environment. I wouldn't change it for the world, and I have a master's in education/am a former preschool teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go for the better preschool. The emphasis of daycare is daily care and not teaching. Most daycares have activities for kids but are not centered on teaching.

A 2 year old does not need academic teaching. TWO. YEAR. OLD.

What makes you think I meant academic teaching?! lol Enrichment and exploration is NOT the stated goal of daycare while it is in any teaching facility. Only OP can answer if the daycare workers are of the same caliber, education and passion as the preschool teachers -- I would guess not or they would be teaching in a preschool.

I understand that we all want to make ourselves feel better about daycare however with the possible exception on daycares run by universities, preschool will always be a better option when a child is of age.

Are you kidding? Our daycare has a preschool curriculum that begins at age 2. These are both daycares, one masked as a "preschool," which is stupidly viewed as different or better around here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go for the better preschool. The emphasis of daycare is daily care and not teaching. Most daycares have activities for kids but are not centered on teaching.

A 2 year old does not need academic teaching. TWO. YEAR. OLD.

What makes you think I meant academic teaching?! lol Enrichment and exploration is NOT the stated goal of daycare while it is in any teaching facility. Only OP can answer if the daycare workers are of the same caliber, education and passion as the preschool teachers -- I would guess not or they would be teaching in a preschool.

I understand that we all want to make ourselves feel better about daycare however with the possible exception on daycares run by universities, preschool will always be a better option when a child is of age.

There are plenty of daycare/child care centers that follow an actual curriculum, and indeed have the philosophy and goals of enrichment and exploration, in addition to a loving, nurturing environment. What this curriculum looks like changes at different ages, but enrichment and exploration is most certainly there from infancy through 5.