My baby girl started preschool this week! Arg! It’s only 2 days a week, but still…very hard on mommy! It was exciting for her, and terrifying for me. I know she’s ready, I knew she would do well, but my stomach was in knots until I picked her up from school after lunch! Why? Because she’s growing up too fast and I’m not ready! Both my kids are!
My son is almost 4 and Sofia just turned 2. I am watching my babies get more independent by the day. Yes – that is a good thing and I am happy. That being said…I am still their mommy and I still want them to want and need me. Baby snuggles are absolutely necessary in my life right now. Watching my pumpkins head for the door with backpacks on is killing me! Ok – I’m done whining (sort of). I would like to share some information that should come in handy when you start looking at preschools.
Try these resources as a starting point:
- Ask friends and parents from your kids activities. Think – swim lessons, music class, art class, Gymboree, parents at the park, etc. Parents usually understand how stressful finding a school can be and are willing to offer up their own favorites in the area.
- Yelp. Do a Yelp search for “Best Preschools in insert your area.” You can’t 100% go off of Yelp, but it is helpful to see the positive and negative reviews that are publicly available.
- Private-schools.startclass.com – A great resource if you are looking to compare private schools.
- Public-schools.startclass.com – A great resource if you are looking to compare public schools.
- Savvysource.com – A site that provides information, reviews and ratings on events, preschools, camps and more in your area.
- Noodle – Use Noodle to do a preschool search in your area and add additional filters like age, program type, teaching philosophy, cost, facility type, and more.
- Winnie – Winnie is an easy tool to search for preschools and daycares in your area. It is user friendly, has filters that include age, schedule, facility, and a map to visually see where the schools are located at a birds eye view. Very helpful when trying to understand your neighborhood options!
- GreatSchools! – Use this site for reviews and quick comparisons. It also has a lot of parenting information like this helpful article on finding the best preschool for your child.
- Winnie – Winnie is a place for parents to connect, get new ideas, discover family friendly activities, and is a great resource for finding schools in your area. They also have a useful app for your phone – totally worth checking out!
What’s Next?
Once you’ve made your list of top schools in your area, give them a call and schedule a tour. Some schools offer tours all year round (by appointment), and others only offer tours during specific months. It’s worth it to call and make all of your appointments, even if they seem far out. You can always cancel, but it’s best to stay on the list.
Once you’ve made your appointments, start to think about what your priorities are. What is most important to you, for your family, and for your child. Write down your priorities because it may help you with formulating your list of questions to bring on the tours.
For me, I wanted a preschool that had a good mix of structure (yes I want my kids to learn letters, numbers, etc.) and play time (indoors and outdoors). Personally, fostering a love for learning is at the top of my list, along with safety and overall happiness.
Another priority for me was that the school be pretty close to our home. I juggle activities for both kids, and I didn’t want Sofia to get stuck in the car for a long period of time for pick up/drop off. It needs to work for the family as a whole (or at least I feel it does).
We eventually got lucky and found a great school that we all love – and it is only a mile away from our home! Will this always be the case for us? Nope! We’re looking at kindergarten options now (for Gabe) and some are farther away from home than I would like. BUT – Sofia will be in full time preschool when he turns 5, so it’ll all work out well. 😉
Once you figure out your list of priorities, start pulling together your list of questions to ask on your tour. I made a sample list below to make it easier. You can use this exact list, or modify it to fit your own needs/wants/priorities. It really should be used as a starting point.
Be sure to have the medical and dental information for your child handy. You will most likely need to provide their vaccination history as well as a plethora of other info on the application and registration forms. It can be intense – but the good news is – if you use something like HelloFax – you can fill out your forms on your computer and the basic info will auto-populate – saving you time! YAY! You don’t need to fax the documents – I use HelloFax to email completed documents all the time. There are other options out there as well – I just happen to like this one 😉
One last piece of advice…trust yourself! A school (not just preschool) might have a fantastic reputation, amazing reviews, and a top notch curriculum – BUT – it may not be right for your child or family. That is not only OK – it is normal! Trust your gut! You know your child best – and your know what isn’t right for them.
As an example, we sent Gabe to a preschool within walking distance of our home. It had great reviews, came highly recommended from a couple of parents in our circle, etc. Fast forward a few weeks in – Gabe did not seem happy, he cried at drop him off, he told me he didn’t like a specific “friend” at school, and my mommy radar went up BIG time!
I spoke with the head of the preschool and she didn’t think anything was wrong. I found out a couple of days later that Gabe was being bullied by another child – and the teachers didn’t notice anything until I brought it up. BIG red flag for this momma bear! Needless to say – we pulled him out of that school and found a different preschool that has been wonderful to date!
Gabe told me something was wrong and I am glad I listened. Even if your little one isn’t able to verbalize themselves well yet, trust their emotions. How are they interacting with the teachers and other kids? Are they happy and playing when they get picked up? Do they seem happy and comfortable? Some kids cry at drop-off but are totally fine the second you are out of sight. That is a different story. Each kid is different – and you know yours 🙂 If you feel like something isn’t right for your child or for your family –trust your kid and trust your gut! Do what you feel is right – despite the reviews and other info out there!
Take a look at the list of sample questions below, comment with any questions you may have, and best of luck as you find the right school for your little one! XOXO
List of Questions:
- What is your educational philosophy – such as Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and Waldorf?
- What is the educational background and experience of your staff? Are they credentialed?
- Does everyone on the staff have CPR and First Aid certification (and is it up to date)?
- What is the staff turnover rate?
- What is the average class size and student/teacher ratio?
- What do you offer in terms of activities to help develop gross and fine motor skills?
- What does a typical day look like?
- What is your nap schedule and for which ages?
- What is your potty training policy?
- What food is provided on site (snacks, lunch, etc)?
- How is discipline handled?
- What day and time options are available?
- How are emergency situations handled?
- How much time is spent on curriculum vs. free/open play time?
- Are their field trips?
- What parent participation is needed or required?
- How much notice is needed if we decide to move our child to a different preschool, move out of the area, etc?
- What is your pickup/drop-off policy?
- Is there a strong parent community and do you provide a way for parents to communicate (schedule play dates etc.)?
- Do you have a system for electronic payments?