Anonymous
Post 09/15/2019 08:06     Subject: One year in DC before Kindergarten
Agree the year before would be good to have him in a program. There are programs here but I have found DC childcare priced insanely high compared to where we were.

I would say go younger because at the late end of 3 my kids really started needing more social interaction with peers and consistent play dates with familiar friends. Before that, they didn’t care and would happily tag along with anything.
Anonymous
Post 09/14/2019 22:06     Subject: One year in DC before Kindergarten
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think preschool is good the year before K. Not necessarily the whole day, but it’s really beneficial to have practice with social skills in an environment with a better ratio and small groups. So if he’s going to do preschool when he is 4.5 then K at 5.5, I think the 3.5-4.5 age would be fun. Lots of exploring and he could appreciate the zoos, Building museum, etc.


Yes, I agree I only think he needs the year before school to understand how school works. I'm not desperate to get him into preschool ASAP and also think, like someone mentioned above, there'd be a benefit to being in an environment where he learns how to behave/have fun at a museum, for example.


I’m PP. I think probably to his life overall, there’s going to be a greater benefit to learning how to work with peers than behave in a museum. But you should be able to take care of that with either a play-based co-op or Mommy & Me Montessori/Waldorf (although his age could be a factor?).
Anonymous
Post 09/14/2019 16:31     Subject: One year in DC before Kindergarten
Anonymous wrote:I'm in Adams Morgan right now with a 3.5 y old and it's kinda amazing! we are either a 10 min walk to a kalorama playground, or a 10 min to the zoo. There's also Walter Pierce park, and Marie Reed's playgrounds are open after 6 pm and on weekends and they are so fun. Lots of little kids in the neighborhood. Story time at Mt Pleasant library. Music lessons, short bus ride to Wilson Aquatic center (dc pools - indoor and outdoor, are free to DC residents) during the cold months, and there's a children's pool in Adams Morgan during the summer, or you can drive/take a bus to the giant Francis pool in West End during the summer. Halloween on Lanier street. Lantern festival in Mt. Pleasant! Kicks are For Kids Soccer. We actually rarely go to museums as are always busy doing neighborhood things.


Adams Morgan is fine with kids, but the fact you’re naming particular playgrounds 10 minutes away is what makes it different than the Hill. We have at least 10 within a 15 minute walk from our house in the close in NE Hill.
Anonymous
Post 09/14/2019 14:14     Subject: One year in DC before Kindergarten
I'm in Adams Morgan right now with a 3.5 y old and it's kinda amazing! we are either a 10 min walk to a kalorama playground, or a 10 min to the zoo. There's also Walter Pierce park, and Marie Reed's playgrounds are open after 6 pm and on weekends and they are so fun. Lots of little kids in the neighborhood. Story time at Mt Pleasant library. Music lessons, short bus ride to Wilson Aquatic center (dc pools - indoor and outdoor, are free to DC residents) during the cold months, and there's a children's pool in Adams Morgan during the summer, or you can drive/take a bus to the giant Francis pool in West End during the summer. Halloween on Lanier street. Lantern festival in Mt. Pleasant! Kicks are For Kids Soccer. We actually rarely go to museums as are always busy doing neighborhood things.
Anonymous
Post 09/13/2019 20:27     Subject: One year in DC before Kindergarten
I live in AU Park, near Tenley Metro, and am a former Hill staffer with lots of friends living there. While the neighborhoods are 30+ minutes apart and very different, I'd vote for either something in upper NW DC along the red line (Dupont, Woodley, Cleveland Park, Tenley/AU/Friendship Hts) OR Capitol Hill area. All of these neighborhoods are filled with families/kids/preschools and have easy access to museums, memorials and all of DC.
Anonymous
Post 09/13/2019 16:28     Subject: Re:One year in DC before Kindergarten
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP, do you have a ballpark budget for renting for that year? You are probably aware that DC is pretty expensive, and a lot of the neighborhoods people are suggesting (Dupont Circle, the Hill) are among the priciest in the area. Would you be okay with a 2 BR/1BA rental condo, or would you want a row home or house? Those things will factor in as well.

As long as you are near a metro or an easy bus route, you should have no trouble getting out to fun DC activities. Especially if you plan to SAH, you will have plenty of opportunities to see the attractions without battling weekend crowds.


my issue is more it would most likely need to be furnished or I'll need to fill whatever it is with the cheapest crap I can find on craigslist and ikea. Cost of the rent isn't an issue (within reason--I'm not going to rent some big place with rooms I don't need to fill with furniture I don't have).


Ample supply of furnished places available on the Hill -- often Foreign Service families; I think furnished rentals are pretty common in DC in general because of that (+ military, world bank, foreign diplos, IMF, etc). FWIW, I love Dupont Circle, but I think the Hill has a way more family friendly/community vibe; 90% of folks you see walking around will have at least one child (and possibly a dog) with them.