Here I am on the eve of my morning preschool visit "meetings" wondering why this is so difficult! For the first time in my motherhood career I am feeling the parental pressure and slight need to compete.
Sister is bright and, quite frankly, bored. She likes to express this by torturing her little bro and I am getting tired of her constant crying and whining. After talking to her doc, he thinks she would do exceptionally well with the challenges that preschool could present. Granted, she just turned three, and since she has such a late birthday, she'll get three years of preschool before she's in for the long haul. A decision to chew on in itself. After talking this over with friends and family, Husband and I came to a calm positive decision on this factor, only to be faced with a long list of other questions and concerns. Namely, what school. Dum, dum, dum...
There is a thing as too much information and I am a victim of it. And I know it. I do it to myself. I need to research, analyze and know all there is to know about the options and their pros & cons. I won't bore you with the nitty-gritty of my selection process, but I will tell you that after looking into public programs, parks & rec run options, church-run schools, co-ops, and Montessori, among others, we have narrowed it down to 2 school options. We really like the Montessori concept and feel that daughter would excel in that format. The only drawbacks? It's a 15 min drive from the house and costs $250/mo for 2 days a week. The other option is the church-run program which is 2 houses down from my street, emphasises the importance of God and is lower in cost.
The argument for Montessori is not only in the specific concept, but also for the high raves and reviews this particular school has been getting in the area. Many public school professionals are highly recommending this school as the top preschool around. Who wouldn't want their kid in the BEST possible school or program one could afford? The question remains, can I afford it? How convenient is it to drive her 15-20min from the house twice a week? Additionally, this Montessori is located in a neighboring city which feeds their kids into a neighboring school district entirely. That means Sis won't likely be going to school with any friends she might make.
The argument for the church program is less about quality of education and more about cost, convenience and flexibility. The church is literally a 5min walk from my front door, giving me instant access to my kid if needed. This schedule hardly interferes with Brother's schedule. As a church program, God is a part of the learning which is quite appealing to Husband and I since we are regular church goers and very interested in Sis getting a good Christian foundation. And, you can't ignore it, but the cost is less than half! On a single income, is it realistic to dole out over $2500 per year on preschool of all things?
I should be thankful that I don't live in the major metropolitan cities like NYC or WA DC where you have to apply to multiple schools and anticipate the rejection letters. A friend told me that in the end, several years from now, it really won't matter which preschool she attends.
But what if it does?!
Wish us luck.
Here's what I think. Although I am a Montessori school advocate, she will be going to school only a couple days a week. Its the interaction with others and some very basic learning that is important here. She will still get the majority of learning from home,because that is where she spends most of her time. If a school that includes God is what you believe in, and it costs less and is closer....looks like all the cons are right here!
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