Selecting a Preschool for a Two-Year-Old

[Anonymous]

Last year I drove myself crazy trying to pick the "right" preschool for my DC. I read all of the posts, agonized about whether I was making the "right" decision -- after all, I had to make sure that the preschool I picked would ensure her getting into the "right" college

Long story short, we narrowed down our choices to three preschools that are not ones thought of as the "feeder" schools. The director was rather laid back when we asked about exmissions, but we decided simply to pick the school where I thought my child would be happy. Now that we've been there a few weeks, we've come to learn that the kids really do spread out and attend a wide variety of great schools in DC.

So, to all of you parents who can't afford a $20,000 pre-pre-K program or who want a neighborhood school, don't worry, your kid will do just fine. Relax. Your child is only two.

I'm sure people will flogg me for this posting, but I have to say, I haven't regretted turning down Little Folks one day.

[Anonymous]

I agree. There is a wide variety of schools. Also, some kids will excel no matter what preschool they attend and others will be unhappy even if you spend $20K on them.

[Anonymous]

Thank You ! I'm a parent with a 2 year old currently looking at programs right now. I am very happy to see your post. I'm soooo tired of the same schools being talked about over and over again. Why are they all in the same area(Georgetown, Glover Park, CC/ Bethesda, etc) ? Their MUST be other great schools in NE/SE/SW, or even NW that aren't so expensive. Why aren't they ever mentioned on this board ?

[Anonymous]

They are, but the threads are SO fragmented. See:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/67862.page#535849

[Anonymous]

I have a two-year old son who started preschool at the beginning of September. He's done fine with the adjustment, but even though I work and he's with a nanny the rest of the time, I have found it to be a bigger adjustment than I expected and have found myself doubting the decision to send him this year rather than waiting til he's three. It's just hard having a chunk of each of his days that I don't know very much about. Plus there are a bunch of kids in his class who still cry every morning at drop off, and it's pretty heartbreaking. Makes me wonder what it is all for, and what message we're sending him by leaving him someplace where some of the kids are crying. So if you're exploring preschool for a kid who will be two next fall, I encourage you to ask yourself not just whether a particular preschool is the right one, but whether its even a good idea at this age...I wish I had pondered that question more.