we really like this preschool but are a little upset about a situation I witnessed

[Anonymous]

The other day I was picking up my 3 year old DS from our local preschool. We've been very happy with it, it was highly recommended, director and teachers are great, well trained, etc. The other day, when I went to pick up my son, I was told to go to the bigger playground behind the facility which has a lot more space and is partially enclosed. Anyway, my son at age 3 is still prone to wander away and while I was approaching the playground, I noticed he seemed to be heading off away from the group. He was already 20-25 feet away and heading for the parking lot, it looked like. I started to shout, "XX, get back in there!" and then he turned around and returned to the group of classmates. I immediately told his teacher he was wandering away, and she pretty much gave me a non-answer, "we saw him, he's ok" response. There were three adults out there overseeing the kids and I had to be the one to say something?!

We already put down our deposit for next year. As I said, we've been happy with the school, but this incident put a bad taste in my mouth. It's one of those intimate schools, I guess you could call it, where there's a parent meeting every month, the director knows everyone by name and is easy to talk to, lots of people keep their kids there for their whole preschool experience. We really like it, but geez, why did I have to be the one to get my kid back in the playground?

[Anonymous]

Talk to the Dr. and voice your concerns. I wouldn't brush it off but I wouldn't "pull him immediately" either necessarily. She may have to talk to the staff and remind them of what is appropriate distance for kids to be etc. etc.

[Anonymous]

I have a invisible line on my street, and when my 18-month-old is wandering, I let her go until she reaches that line. (The line sometimes shifts depending on parking, but basically it's determined by whether I can sprint to her before she reaches traffic.)

Is it possible they have a similar invisible line, and your son hadnt reached it yet when you saw him & yelled?

[Anonymous]

I let my three year old be 25 feet away from me if he isn't running or in a parking lot/street. They may have been about to call to him, but they probably thought he was headed to you and thus would be safe.

I wasn't there, but I wouldn't even think twice about this.

[Anonymous]

(Oh, and PP: I have a much shorter invisible line for my 15 month old. More like two of my large strides, since he doesn't understand cars.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a invisible line on my street, and when my 18-month-old is wandering, I let her go until she reaches that line. (The line sometimes shifts depending on parking, but basically it's determined by whether I can sprint to her before she reaches traffic.)

Is it possible they have a similar invisible line, and your son hadnt reached it yet when you saw him & yelled?

+1 My guess too.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I'll ask the director about the invisible line concept. I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt. Still, when picking him up, I did once see another child trying to climb the fence (he was hidden from their view by the playhouse. Nothing came of it, but still, I feel if you're going to give small children access to a larger space, and a space near a parking lot for that matter where people are driving SUVs and can't see anything immediately in front of them, you need to look up and watch the whole area or designate someone as the oversight person with a whistle or whatever.

[Anonymous]

It should be a fenced-in property.

[Anonymous]

A 3 year old likely knows the boundaries. Kids wander. Kids climb. Wandering away and climbing over are not what happened here. It sounds like you don't trust the teachers and entered this situation with that already in your head.

[Anonymous]

Did the teachers see that you were there? I teach Pre-Kindergarten. Once a parent enters the situation for pick up, it's all you. You now parent your kid. We're hands off once you arrive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did the teachers see that you were there? I teach Pre-Kindergarten. Once a parent enters the situation for pick up, it's all you. You now parent your kid. We're hands off once you arrive.

This is what I see too at our preschool. Once a parent arrives, he or she controls the situation.

[Anonymous]

20 feet and you're yelling at him and upset at them? Wow, it must suck to be a kid nowadays.

[Anonymous]

I think you're overreacting OP. I'm a pretty over-bearing parent but even this seems totally OK to me.

If I were you, I would be more focused on asking for the playground to be fully fenced instead of partially if it is truly near a parking lot.

[Anonymous]

I am shocked that the playground isn't fully enclosed. That would be my issue. Have you asked why that's the case?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It should be a fenced-in property.

Yes. Isn't that required by code?