Thanks for pointing that out, PP--edited to say that my child is 14 months! I will keep that rec on file for later years, though.

Hi there. I have a 14-month-old and live near Logan Circle, and I was wondering if anyone could recommend a day care center, or an at-home playgroup near to me. I'm willing to look at morning-only groups, and I'd love something that costs $1600 per month or less (does that exist?) And any place with a short wait-list would be divine!

I've visited Martha's Table, the GAP Childcare Center in Mount Pleasant, and the Northwest Settlement House on 7th Street, and while those had reasonable prices and clearly some loving caregivers, I found the facilities a little cramped and not totally well-maintained. I've also visited a Petite Academy that was gorgeous but probably out of my price range.

Any thoughts? Many thanks.

Chiming in late, and I hope this issue has gotten better. I don't know if anybody has said this, but I would definitely talk to the preschool director. As a former teacher, I would say that it's not acceptable for your child's teacher to label students and especially not to do so in public. The fact that she went on the offensive when you asked her to change her behavior signals that she is overwhelmed and unable to address the situation--and that's what principals are for. I feel like you were really compassionate in the way you laid out the situation on this forum, and I'm sure you will not come across to the principal as a whiner. I really hope that s/he can address the situation with the teacher and perhaps have a follow-up meeting with both of you so you can clarify expectations and proceed on a friendly note.

I'm glad you posted here, though, because if you had the sense that the teacher's behavior was unacceptable, you are absolutely right. Your child deserves to have his best self welcomed into the class every day, and you deserve that for him, too!

I would be glad to help. I taught middle-school English and social studies for six years and have published a novel for young readers with Simon and Schuster. I have a lot of experience helping students structure their writing, both in classrooms and one-on-one, and students consider me both a fun and helpful. If you'd like to discuss further, you can reach me at jmleader01@earthlink.net. I can also provide references.

Once again, thank you all so much for this advice. That's really useful to know how it works with specialists and emergency visits. I'm seeing the pediatrician later today and will see what my gut says, but I'll also bear in mind that if the kid needs lots of specialty care, it may be worth it to switch to a pede who can get me in to see a specialist more quickly. And thanks for the lactation consultant tip-off, too!

Thanks, everyone. It's useful to hear all the perspectives.

@Anonymous 21:09 pm--this Dr. is affiliated with Howard. I'm guessing it would mostly be relevant with regard to emergency care--ie, if we needed to take the kid into the er, that's where we would take him/her, right? Or wrong? I admit I don't know quite how that works, either, but I'd love to hear any thoughts!

Hi there! I just moved to DC, am expecting le bebe in 2 weeks (!), and am thrilled to have learned about this forum. I look forward to many rounds of questions and answers and would love your help with a current concern: how important did you find your pediatrician's hospital affiliation and education? A colleague turned me onto a pediatrician she loves. It's a small operation, she can always get in to see the Dr. or reach her via phone; the Dr. knows and remembers her kids and their issues, and there's parking. However, the hospital that this doctor is affiliated with isn't nationally ranked, nor is it in the top 10 in the area, and for a city as small as DC, I wonder if we'd be missing out on better care. In addition, her medical school isn't one I'd heard of, and I couldn't find it ranked anywhere, either.

When you actually have a kid, though, how much does this actually matter? I feel snobbish even posting this, but I'm hoping you all can relate to the desire to get the best possible caregivers for my future child. I'd love to hear any thoughts or experiences about what really matters when choosing a pediatrician--whether it's some the comfort of pedigree or attentiveness and accessibility that really matter.