Anonymous
Post 07/18/2023 09:03     Subject: Preschool schedule
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:That sounds like a huge hassle. I have no idea why working parents (except in DC where it's free) bother to choose these "preschools", unless they've been fooled by the marketing that a "preschool" is somehow inherently better than "child care." Obviously you have to look into each individual program carefully, but there are good and bad preschools just like there are good and bad child care centers, and plenty of child care centers do as good or better at supporting early learning and development as preschools do (while also being open the hours and days working parents need.) Slapping the name "preschool" on a program doesn't tell you anything about the quality, it just tells you that the program is not likely to prioritize working parents' schedules and needs. Yet parents keep assuming they are magically "better"...


My kid went to both a preschool and a daycare center and I can tell you it’s not just marketing. There is a huge difference. The private preschool my child went to was heads and shoulders above the daycare. The stuff he brings home, the things they are able to do, the activities, the expectations - it’s not even close. People are not stupid. The schedule is a hassle, but to me, it is absolutely worth it if the family can deal with the long summers and breaks. They are very clear that they are first and foremost an educational institution, and not a childcare center. If anyone wants that, they need to be looking at a daycare.

There was actually nothing wrong with the daycare my kid went to. The teachers were very nice, but the classrooms were chaotic. Very high number of kids in a class because the center has to maximize income. They could barely do anything because there were so many kids, which meant the likelihood of behavior issues much higher. The teachers were really trying their best but they couldn’t do much. He got super bored there. If I had no other choice but daycare, I would choose a bilingual/immersion daycare. At least that will give the kids a challenge and learn something even if the whole day is just playing and going outside.

People with choices will always have it easier. What I don’t understand is how people choose these schools knowing what the schedules are like and then complain about childcare during the breaks. Don’t choose a preschool with long breaks if your jobs or family situation cannot handle it.


You say there was nothing wrong with the daycare and then go on to list all the things that were wrong with it lol

Not every daycare is the same and not every preschool is the same. There are many preschools with larger class sizes than the one at DD's daycare.

Also, while I get what you are saying about not using preschool if your job doesn't allow it, it can be confusing when they offer before and after care ostensibly for working parents. We did consider preschools that seemed lovely and I remember thinking oh, we'll figure something out for those few weeks, grandparents can help etc. Well fast forward we ended up keeping DD at her daycare for a variety of reasons and turns out grandparents are getting too old to watch DD for more than a couple days in a row, and work is now super busy in the summer when it didn't used to be. And as this thread shows, alternative child care options to cover those periods are few and far between.



The daycare, in my opinion, is more of a babysitting service. They kept my kid safe and provided a place to socialize under the supervision of teachers while I was working. Many people don’t mind it being just that. I had issues with it but that’s a me problem. That’s not a problem with the daycare or how it is run. That’s what I was trying to say.

I only had issues with it because I had options to send my child somewhere else. If I didn’t have any options, it would have been a fine place to continue sending my child. I know they will take care of him. But I wanted more than just childcare. I wanted him to do more things which was why I chose the preschool despite it being a hassle.

The preschool is NOT a babysitting service. The dual working parents’ schedule is not their problem. Their priority is to “educate” kids. They are very clear about that during the tours. They have a ton of breaks and teacher workdays. I could only send my kid there because I was working part time. The summers for the preschools were ridiculously long. It’s not a few weeks. It’s a few MONTHS, not including the breaks during the year as well as random days off. People should be aware of this. Even if they offer before and aftercare on school days, they are not going to provide any childcare for the 2 weeks off winter breaks, 1 week of spring break, 3+ days at Thanksgiving, and all the random teacher professional days. And the big one - nearly 3 months of summer. That is not a place designed “ostensibly for working parents.”

Camps for 3 year olds are not as prevalent as for a child 4+ and sometimes they don’t cover all the weeks. If a family has 2 parents who needed to work all year, don’t have flexible jobs, or don’t have ironclad backup childcare for all the breaks, they should not ever consider a preschool type of care. It shouldn’t be an option on the table.


Wow that's a lot of lost learning time- did you supplement over the summer?
Anonymous
Post 07/17/2023 21:43     Subject: Preschool schedule
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:That sounds like a huge hassle. I have no idea why working parents (except in DC where it's free) bother to choose these "preschools", unless they've been fooled by the marketing that a "preschool" is somehow inherently better than "child care." Obviously you have to look into each individual program carefully, but there are good and bad preschools just like there are good and bad child care centers, and plenty of child care centers do as good or better at supporting early learning and development as preschools do (while also being open the hours and days working parents need.) Slapping the name "preschool" on a program doesn't tell you anything about the quality, it just tells you that the program is not likely to prioritize working parents' schedules and needs. Yet parents keep assuming they are magically "better"...


My kid went to both a preschool and a daycare center and I can tell you it’s not just marketing. There is a huge difference. The private preschool my child went to was heads and shoulders above the daycare. The stuff he brings home, the things they are able to do, the activities, the expectations - it’s not even close. People are not stupid. The schedule is a hassle, but to me, it is absolutely worth it if the family can deal with the long summers and breaks. They are very clear that they are first and foremost an educational institution, and not a childcare center. If anyone wants that, they need to be looking at a daycare.

There was actually nothing wrong with the daycare my kid went to. The teachers were very nice, but the classrooms were chaotic. Very high number of kids in a class because the center has to maximize income. They could barely do anything because there were so many kids, which meant the likelihood of behavior issues much higher. The teachers were really trying their best but they couldn’t do much. He got super bored there. If I had no other choice but daycare, I would choose a bilingual/immersion daycare. At least that will give the kids a challenge and learn something even if the whole day is just playing and going outside.

People with choices will always have it easier. What I don’t understand is how people choose these schools knowing what the schedules are like and then complain about childcare during the breaks. Don’t choose a preschool with long breaks if your jobs or family situation cannot handle it.


You say there was nothing wrong with the daycare and then go on to list all the things that were wrong with it lol

Not every daycare is the same and not every preschool is the same. There are many preschools with larger class sizes than the one at DD's daycare.

Also, while I get what you are saying about not using preschool if your job doesn't allow it, it can be confusing when they offer before and after care ostensibly for working parents. We did consider preschools that seemed lovely and I remember thinking oh, we'll figure something out for those few weeks, grandparents can help etc. Well fast forward we ended up keeping DD at her daycare for a variety of reasons and turns out grandparents are getting too old to watch DD for more than a couple days in a row, and work is now super busy in the summer when it didn't used to be. And as this thread shows, alternative child care options to cover those periods are few and far between.



The daycare, in my opinion, is more of a babysitting service. They kept my kid safe and provided a place to socialize under the supervision of teachers while I was working. Many people don’t mind it being just that. I had issues with it but that’s a me problem. That’s not a problem with the daycare or how it is run. That’s what I was trying to say.

I only had issues with it because I had options to send my child somewhere else. If I didn’t have any options, it would have been a fine place to continue sending my child. I know they will take care of him. But I wanted more than just childcare. I wanted him to do more things which was why I chose the preschool despite it being a hassle.

The preschool is NOT a babysitting service. The dual working parents’ schedule is not their problem. Their priority is to “educate” kids. They are very clear about that during the tours. They have a ton of breaks and teacher workdays. I could only send my kid there because I was working part time. The summers for the preschools were ridiculously long. It’s not a few weeks. It’s a few MONTHS, not including the breaks during the year as well as random days off. People should be aware of this. Even if they offer before and aftercare on school days, they are not going to provide any childcare for the 2 weeks off winter breaks, 1 week of spring break, 3+ days at Thanksgiving, and all the random teacher professional days. And the big one - nearly 3 months of summer. That is not a place designed “ostensibly for working parents.”

Camps for 3 year olds are not as prevalent as for a child 4+ and sometimes they don’t cover all the weeks. If a family has 2 parents who needed to work all year, don’t have flexible jobs, or don’t have ironclad backup childcare for all the breaks, they should not ever consider a preschool type of care. It shouldn’t be an option on the table.
Anonymous
Post 07/17/2023 21:11     Subject: Preschool schedule
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:That sounds like a huge hassle. I have no idea why working parents (except in DC where it's free) bother to choose these "preschools", unless they've been fooled by the marketing that a "preschool" is somehow inherently better than "child care." Obviously you have to look into each individual program carefully, but there are good and bad preschools just like there are good and bad child care centers, and plenty of child care centers do as good or better at supporting early learning and development as preschools do (while also being open the hours and days working parents need.) Slapping the name "preschool" on a program doesn't tell you anything about the quality, it just tells you that the program is not likely to prioritize working parents' schedules and needs. Yet parents keep assuming they are magically "better"...


My kid went to both a preschool and a daycare center and I can tell you it’s not just marketing. There is a huge difference. The private preschool my child went to was heads and shoulders above the daycare. The stuff he brings home, the things they are able to do, the activities, the expectations - it’s not even close. People are not stupid. The schedule is a hassle, but to me, it is absolutely worth it if the family can deal with the long summers and breaks. They are very clear that they are first and foremost an educational institution, and not a childcare center. If anyone wants that, they need to be looking at a daycare.

There was actually nothing wrong with the daycare my kid went to. The teachers were very nice, but the classrooms were chaotic. Very high number of kids in a class because the center has to maximize income. They could barely do anything because there were so many kids, which meant the likelihood of behavior issues much higher. The teachers were really trying their best but they couldn’t do much. He got super bored there. If I had no other choice but daycare, I would choose a bilingual/immersion daycare. At least that will give the kids a challenge and learn something even if the whole day is just playing and going outside.

People with choices will always have it easier. What I don’t understand is how people choose these schools knowing what the schedules are like and then complain about childcare during the breaks. Don’t choose a preschool with long breaks if your jobs or family situation cannot handle it.


You say there was nothing wrong with the daycare and then go on to list all the things that were wrong with it lol

Not every daycare is the same and not every preschool is the same. There are many preschools with larger class sizes than the one at DD's daycare.

Also, while I get what you are saying about not using preschool if your job doesn't allow it, it can be confusing when they offer before and after care ostensibly for working parents. We did consider preschools that seemed lovely and I remember thinking oh, we'll figure something out for those few weeks, grandparents can help etc. Well fast forward we ended up keeping DD at her daycare for a variety of reasons and turns out grandparents are getting too old to watch DD for more than a couple days in a row, and work is now super busy in the summer when it didn't used to be. And as this thread shows, alternative child care options to cover those periods are few and far between.

Anonymous
Post 07/17/2023 20:49     Subject: Preschool schedule
Anonymous wrote:That sounds like a huge hassle. I have no idea why working parents (except in DC where it's free) bother to choose these "preschools", unless they've been fooled by the marketing that a "preschool" is somehow inherently better than "child care." Obviously you have to look into each individual program carefully, but there are good and bad preschools just like there are good and bad child care centers, and plenty of child care centers do as good or better at supporting early learning and development as preschools do (while also being open the hours and days working parents need.) Slapping the name "preschool" on a program doesn't tell you anything about the quality, it just tells you that the program is not likely to prioritize working parents' schedules and needs. Yet parents keep assuming they are magically "better"...


My kid went to both a preschool and a daycare center and I can tell you it’s not just marketing. There is a huge difference. The private preschool my child went to was heads and shoulders above the daycare. The stuff he brings home, the things they are able to do, the activities, the expectations - it’s not even close. People are not stupid. The schedule is a hassle, but to me, it is absolutely worth it if the family can deal with the long summers and breaks. They are very clear that they are first and foremost an educational institution, and not a childcare center. If anyone wants that, they need to be looking at a daycare.

There was actually nothing wrong with the daycare my kid went to. The teachers were very nice, but the classrooms were chaotic. Very high number of kids in a class because the center has to maximize income. They could barely do anything because there were so many kids, which meant the likelihood of behavior issues much higher. The teachers were really trying their best but they couldn’t do much. He got super bored there. If I had no other choice but daycare, I would choose a bilingual/immersion daycare. At least that will give the kids a challenge and learn something even if the whole day is just playing and going outside.

People with choices will always have it easier. What I don’t understand is how people choose these schools knowing what the schedules are like and then complain about childcare during the breaks. Don’t choose a preschool with long breaks if your jobs or family situation cannot handle it.
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2023 21:25     Subject: Preschool schedule
Our big challenge is not paying for camp, daycare, or such like. The challenge is finding suitable, safe, child care availability. And our house is just too small for an AuPair or live-in nanny.

Other folks might well also have financial challenges, which would be even worse off than we are.
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2023 21:22     Subject: Preschool schedule
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
The same coverage gaps will exist. I am genuinely interested in hearing solutions, because we can't figure it out for our DC.)


Those school age kids go to summer camps or winter camps. In competitive places, you need to prepare to sign up in January of that year for summer. How are you not figuring it out?


So far, I still don't see how to cover all of August, plus a week of spring break, plus xmas break, plus random school days off.

The summer camps mostly start in mid-June end in late July, so August is not covered. (I am not a Fed, so I do not get many of the Federal holidays.)


Are you in the DC area? My kids are in camp in August. Fairfax and Arlington county camps go right up to the 1st week of school. There may be no spots open now - but the camps exist. Sign up was in Jan and Feb.


Older DC can attend Arlington (APS ?) camp next year, thanks for that tip btw, but the Arlington County-run camp also ends at the end of July, which still leaves August uncovered.

It sure would be simpler if county-run camps for any county would cover the whole summer instead of mid-June to end of July.
Anonymous
Post 07/13/2023 12:02     Subject: Preschool schedule

DP but I have noticed that it is somewhat typical for preschool camps in my part of MoCo (Silver Spring) not to operate in August. Plus I hear from people with older kids that the last week or two in August is hard to schedule.
So far, I still don't see how to cover all of August, plus a week of spring break, plus xmas break, plus random school days off.

The summer camps mostly start in mid-June end in late July, so August is not covered. (I am not a Fed, so I do not get many of the Federal holidays.)


We are in silver spring. I have no idea about summer preschool camps as our preschool-ages DC still attends year-round daycare with a preschool curriculum. We couldn’t make the sort of schedule you are considering work because DH and I both work and have no family nearby. Can’t afford both a nanny and preschool.

Our oldest is in ES and it’s not that bad because the before/aftercare program at our school (kids after hours) is open a lot if the days school is closed. We always take some days off over the winter/spring breaks anyway but even then they are open part of the week. They also run full day summer camps, including for rising kindergartners, but you need to sign up early.

The last week of the summer IS tricky, last year we found a half day camp for that week and this year we are just taking our vacation then.
Anonymous
Post 07/13/2023 09:33     Subject: Preschool schedule
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:That sounds like a huge hassle. I have no idea why working parents (except in DC where it's free) bother to choose these "preschools", unless they've been fooled by the marketing that a "preschool" is somehow inherently better than "child care." Obviously you have to look into each individual program carefully, but there are good and bad preschools just like there are good and bad child care centers, and plenty of child care centers do as good or better at supporting early learning and development as preschools do (while also being open the hours and days working parents need.) Slapping the name "preschool" on a program doesn't tell you anything about the quality, it just tells you that the program is not likely to prioritize working parents' schedules and needs. Yet parents keep assuming they are magically "better"...


I think it is actually a cost for a lot of people, though — as you mentioned with free programming in DC. Part time preschools are a lot cheaper than full time daycare. If parents can swing it with non traditional work schedules or a very involved grandparent, it makes financial sense.


Cost and availability. I’m trying to move to a different area and there are simply no daycare spots. My 3yo might end up in a half day preschool with a mix of grandparents and babysitters covering the afternoons if I can’t find a nanny before we move because the preschool doesn’t have a 2 year wait list and the daycare does.
Anonymous
Post 07/13/2023 09:27     Subject: Preschool schedule
To add, daycares do counsel kids out/ask families to withdraw their child. I think daycares vary a lot with respect to how inclusive they are of kids with disabilities.
Anonymous
Post 07/13/2023 08:46     Subject: Preschool schedule
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:That sounds like a huge hassle. I have no idea why working parents (except in DC where it's free) bother to choose these "preschools", unless they've been fooled by the marketing that a "preschool" is somehow inherently better than "child care." Obviously you have to look into each individual program carefully, but there are good and bad preschools just like there are good and bad child care centers, and plenty of child care centers do as good or better at supporting early learning and development as preschools do (while also being open the hours and days working parents need.) Slapping the name "preschool" on a program doesn't tell you anything about the quality, it just tells you that the program is not likely to prioritize working parents' schedules and needs. Yet parents keep assuming they are magically "better"...


Preschool is like going to elementary school. Lots of different classes and outdoor space. Daycare you’re in one room all day and the playground a few times.

It’s pretty different. Just the facilities alone should make that apparent.

Daycare also has a lot of kids starting up over the course of the year and have a long transition and they take anyone. Schools can kick you out if you have a problem child and start with a fixed class at the beginning of the year.


Your last paragraph is probably true in most cases.

Daycare and preschool facilities all vary a lot. Our daycare has access to a gym, outdoor eating space and two different playgrounds. They aren't in the same room all day by any means. Ours doesn't but some daycares definitely offer special classes like music and Spanish.
Anonymous
Post 07/12/2023 23:23     Subject: Preschool schedule
Anonymous wrote:That sounds like a huge hassle. I have no idea why working parents (except in DC where it's free) bother to choose these "preschools", unless they've been fooled by the marketing that a "preschool" is somehow inherently better than "child care." Obviously you have to look into each individual program carefully, but there are good and bad preschools just like there are good and bad child care centers, and plenty of child care centers do as good or better at supporting early learning and development as preschools do (while also being open the hours and days working parents need.) Slapping the name "preschool" on a program doesn't tell you anything about the quality, it just tells you that the program is not likely to prioritize working parents' schedules and needs. Yet parents keep assuming they are magically "better"...


Preschool is like going to elementary school. Lots of different classes and outdoor space. Daycare you’re in one room all day and the playground a few times.

It’s pretty different. Just the facilities alone should make that apparent.

Daycare also has a lot of kids starting up over the course of the year and have a long transition and they take anyone. Schools can kick you out if you have a problem child and start with a fixed class at the beginning of the year.
Anonymous
Post 07/12/2023 22:14     Subject: Preschool schedule
Anonymous wrote:That sounds like a huge hassle. I have no idea why working parents (except in DC where it's free) bother to choose these "preschools", unless they've been fooled by the marketing that a "preschool" is somehow inherently better than "child care." Obviously you have to look into each individual program carefully, but there are good and bad preschools just like there are good and bad child care centers, and plenty of child care centers do as good or better at supporting early learning and development as preschools do (while also being open the hours and days working parents need.) Slapping the name "preschool" on a program doesn't tell you anything about the quality, it just tells you that the program is not likely to prioritize working parents' schedules and needs. Yet parents keep assuming they are magically "better"...


I think it is actually a cost for a lot of people, though — as you mentioned with free programming in DC. Part time preschools are a lot cheaper than full time daycare. If parents can swing it with non traditional work schedules or a very involved grandparent, it makes financial sense.
Anonymous
Post 07/12/2023 21:28     Subject: Preschool schedule
Anonymous wrote:That sounds like a huge hassle. I have no idea why working parents (except in DC where it's free) bother to choose these "preschools", unless they've been fooled by the marketing that a "preschool" is somehow inherently better than "child care." Obviously you have to look into each individual program carefully, but there are good and bad preschools just like there are good and bad child care centers, and plenty of child care centers do as good or better at supporting early learning and development as preschools do (while also being open the hours and days working parents need.) Slapping the name "preschool" on a program doesn't tell you anything about the quality, it just tells you that the program is not likely to prioritize working parents' schedules and needs. Yet parents keep assuming they are magically "better"...


I'm a daycare parent so I get it, daycares can be great and many offer strong preschool programs. But I do think the difference between daycare and preschool is more than just marketing. IME preschools charge more per hour they provide than daycares. Hopefully they are passing that on to the teachers and I think many do because I do think many "preschools" have teachers with better credentials than those in daycares. Obviously credentials aren't everything and a preschool can still be awful and a daycare can be amazing.
Anonymous
Post 07/12/2023 20:27     Subject: Preschool schedule
That sounds like a huge hassle. I have no idea why working parents (except in DC where it's free) bother to choose these "preschools", unless they've been fooled by the marketing that a "preschool" is somehow inherently better than "child care." Obviously you have to look into each individual program carefully, but there are good and bad preschools just like there are good and bad child care centers, and plenty of child care centers do as good or better at supporting early learning and development as preschools do (while also being open the hours and days working parents need.) Slapping the name "preschool" on a program doesn't tell you anything about the quality, it just tells you that the program is not likely to prioritize working parents' schedules and needs. Yet parents keep assuming they are magically "better"...
Anonymous
Post 07/11/2023 21:06     Subject: Preschool schedule
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
The same coverage gaps will exist. I am genuinely interested in hearing solutions, because we can't figure it out for our DC.)


Those school age kids go to summer camps or winter camps. In competitive places, you need to prepare to sign up in January of that year for summer. How are you not figuring it out?


So far, I still don't see how to cover all of August, plus a week of spring break, plus xmas break, plus random school days off.

The summer camps mostly start in mid-June end in late July, so August is not covered. (I am not a Fed, so I do not get many of the Federal holidays.)


I don’t know about DC specifically but in Nova camps run through August until school begins. Some camps are shorter, but if you need every single week of care then obviously you have to look for the ones that cover all the weeks you need.

Spring Break= spring break camp. Christmas break = winter camp. For random days there are places who run 1 day camps, or people have to take time off/ make arrangements with friends or neighbors who live nearby. There are also daycares that accept school aged kids for drop-ins or for the summer.