"Real Preschool" Ugghh

[Pammie]

I know this has been discussed before - and I suppose this is just really a vent...

But I'm wondering why I put all of the extra time and effort into working with the kids on their pre-kindergarten skills - when the parent's don't seem to recognize that it's **here** that their kids are learning things (not magically develop knowledge and skills while they sleep at night) and pull the kids out of my daycare to enroll them in "real preschool".

Honestly, I'm beginning to think that perhaps I should just back-off, not have the extra expense and time to purchase and prepare preK activities anymore!! I know, I know that it's beneficial to the kids - but if the parents aren't recognizing or appreciating what I do - then why am I knocking myself out - just to have my dc parents pull their kids out to enroll them in a "real preK".

I do believe that PreK serves a purpose for some kids. But I'm hearing more and more over the past couple of years (I've been doing this job for 24+ years now) that they want what's "Best" for their kids (who doesn't) and they're afraid that their child will be behind their kindy-peers if they don't do 2 years of PreK first! Every single one of my dc kids that has stayed with me until 5yo has gone off to kindy reading, knowing basic addition/subtraction, colors, shapes, community jobs, reading simple maps, knowing seasons, identifying insects, able to skip and somersault, demonstrate patience, tolerance, compassion, fairness, empathy and respect. Doesn't seem like they even want to hear my opinion - after all, I'm just the babysitter.

I had a parent tell me yesterday that they are pulling their child out of daycare at the end of this school year so that they can enroll him in all-day-3yo preK next school year. This is a teacher family. Of course, if I was willing to transport to a real-preK that offers a 1/2 day program, they'd keep him here another year. (Note: I'm not willing to transport on any regular basis - not fair to my infants to spend their days running around in the van)

So I'm thinking that maybe I'll save myself a ton of stress, expense and time and just change my program to a babysitting service.

Vent over Opinions?? Advice??

[SandeeAR]

Don't know how many you kids you keep, but I only have 4. Three of mine are babies. I never plan to do "Preschool". I do work with the 2.5 y/o on shapes, colors, letters etc. Just like I did with my own kids when they were home.

With only 4 kids, I feel a "real preschool" can offer them things I can't. Its impossible to teach a child how to stay in line and walk down the hall with 3 babies and in a house. There are just things they can learn in preschool that they can't learn in a home. JMHO

[AnythingsPossible]

I've done the purchased curriculums. Spent a couple years coming up with my own themes and activities. Now, I don't mess with it for the exact reason you listed above. The first few years when I did this, my daughter was home, and I had 2 others her age that stayed with me. After that, every year I have lost kids to "real Preschool" now, I just do what I did when I was a SAHM with my oldest 2, i read to them, we sing songs, work on the basics-shapes,colors, abc's. But I no longer do a preschool program. It just isn't worth the time, stress or money for me. It works better for me with the varying ages to just do the basic stuff and not worry about a preschool curriculum.

[SandeeAR]

I won't refuse a 4 year old. However, my current parents know, I think by 4 they should move to a traditional preschool. They need to be with the larger group to learn "school" basics, not the "learning" basics.

[kendallina]

I have a preschool that I teach out of my home. I find that I spend many hours a month just in educating parents on what I do and how it's beneficial so that they understand the value.

I do exactly what a preschool does, but with a much smaller ratio and I tailor all of my activities to my particular children that I have, their interests and their skills.

To educate the parents, I update my website weekly with pictures and a description of the activities. I write on a bulletin board daily so that they can see what we do. When parents come to pick up I ask the children to 'recall' with me, so they tell me at least one thing they did at preschool, like today we met our new pet fish and had a balloon toss and made a mural with puffy paint, etc. I do a portfolio (like a scrapbook) for each child so the parents so they can have all their artwork and have all of their pictures. I also send out a newsletter every month, etc etc etc.

I think it's great when family daycares do preschool activities and basically are a preschool...but you have to educate the parents on what you're doing. Even doing a little write up about what the children are learning when they do ...xyz. Like, "What I'm learning when I'm playing blocks".

You can also write up anecodotal notes they show what the children are learning, ex "today Nolan counted from 1-5."

Unfortunately it's not enough to just do the activities with the kids we have to prove to the parents that what they're doing when they're with us is learning! And they're learning what they will in preschool!

All of this being said, probably 75% of my kids will leave me when they hit 4 and they'll go to a 'real' preschool classroom. The ONLY advantage that they have over me is that it's more like a kindergarten classroom parents think they need it. Not really an advantage if you ask me...

[MommyMuffin]

I dont plan on putting my daughter into preschool and I hope my dcp dont take their children out to put them in "real" preschool.

I know it is expensive and it take A LOT of time. I spend 1 hour at least a night preparing for the next day.
I decided that when I interview parents I will ask, "Is he/she going to stay with me and participate in my preschool activities or will he/she be going somewhere else?" Now I know that they could change their mind or lie to me but at least I throw it out there and know what to expect from the family.

[melskids]

i came to the realization years ago, and now i'm ok with it. i wont turn a 4 yr old away, or kick them out. but if they leave for pre-k, so be it. all the pre-k's here are free, so i can see why parents want to go that route. money is always the motivating factor. but the parents know up front. if they leave for pre-k, i am NOT available on school closures or vacations, and they CANNOT come back when they become "school age". i'm not a babysitting service, and if i wasnt good enough for your 4 year old, i certainly can't be good enough for your 5,6, or 7 year old.

so what i do now is tailor my program/curriculum for 0-3, and tweek it a bit if i have a 4 yr old.

[busymomof2]

I do similar to what Kendalina does. I have a blog on my website where I post what we did this week, a daily report that shows what we did, a monthly newletter, most crafts are posted on bulletin board, current (letters, numbers, color and shape) are posted at front so parents can see what their children will be learning, my menu has our weekly themes on it, and I recently did a kinder readiness assessment checklist that I gave to the parents. I figure I will do this a couple times a year so they are aware of their child's progress towards kinder and also so they see that their children are learning something at my preschool and not just being taken care of. PP is correct we need to educate our parents. I had my daugthter in a "real" preschool before for a few months then pulled out. She learns so much more with me and gets more one on one attention as well as the other children then a big group. her teacher kept mispelling her name, I had to keep reminding them who I was, they never wanted to share what she was learning until open house, etc.

[momofboys]

i came to the realization years ago, and now i'm ok with it. i wont turn a 4 yr old away, or kick them out. but if they leave for pre-k, so be it. all the pre-k's here are free, so i can see why parents want to go that route. money is always the motivating factor. but the parents know up front. if they leave for pre-k, i am NOT available on school closures or vacations, and they CANNOT come back when they become "school age". i'm not a babysitting service, and if i wasnt good enough for your 4 year old, i certainly can't be good enough for your 5,6, or 7 year old.

so what i do now is tailor my program/curriculum for 0-3, and tweek it a bit if i have a 4 yr old.

Curious. . . where do you live that all the Pre-Ks are free?! I wish I lived there! In my small town we have Head-Start which I assume is for very low income, 2 private schools (both cost about $150-175/month for varying programs of either 2-3 mornings/afternoons a week) & also preschool offered from the local elementary school (about $100/month). Sorry to revert off the original subject. But I think you are a fellow-Ohioan, correct or no? I am jealous!

Pammie, I don't blame you for being upset. It takes lots of time/effort/$$$ to do some preschool programs at home. Don't feel bad. One question, do you send documentation home each day as to what you do? Maybe if you don't the parents don't realize how much you do. I try to write parents notes everyday as to what we did even if it just to say we spent 15 minutes practicing coutnign with cheerios.

[melskids]

Curious. . . where do you live that all the Pre-Ks are free?! I wish I lived there! In my small town we have Head-Start which I assume is for very low income, 2 private schools (both cost about $150-175/month for varying programs of either 2-3 mornings/afternoons a week) & also preschool offered from the local elementary school (about $100/month). Sorry to revert off the original subject. But I think you are a fellow-Ohioan, correct or no? I am jealous!

Pammie, I don't blame you for being upset. It takes lots of time/effort/$$$ to do some preschool programs at home. Don't feel bad. One question, do you send documentation home each day as to what you do? Maybe if you don't the parents don't realize how much you do. I try to write parents notes everyday as to what we did even if it just to say we spent 15 minutes practicing coutnign with cheerios.

i'm in upstate NY. i am right on the line for two different school districts. district A offers full day pre-k in the elementary school. district B offers half day pre-k, but they also have headstart. the kids go to headstart in the morning, and then they bus them to the school for p.m. pre-k. all these options are free. granted, there are only so many spaces, but i live in a REALLY small town, so there's always room. the schools also offer free after school programs as well, so there's not alot of SA either (which is fine with me)

[momofboys]

i'm in upstate NY. i am right on the line for two different school districts. district A offers full day pre-k in the elementary school. district B offers half day pre-k, but they also have headstart. the kids go to headstart in the morning, and then they bus them to the school for p.m. pre-k. all these options are free. granted, there are only so many spaces, but i live in a REALLY small town, so there's always room. the schools also offer free after school programs as well, so there's not alot of SA either (which is fine with me)

What a nice benefit for your area! Sorry for some reason I thought you lived in Ohio, my mistake :-)

[Pammie]

One question, do you send documentation home each day as to what you do? Maybe if you don't the parents don't realize how much you do. I try to write parents notes everyday as to what we did even if it just to say we spent 15 minutes practicing coutnign with cheerios.

Oh they get documentation
I do a monthly newsletter that highlights our weekly themes and our learning goals for the month. Included is a book-list that correlates to our themes in case they want to check out the same books. They get the new songs/fingerplays that we'll be learning. They get copies of our Kids in the Kitchen recipes that we'll be making together.

Every Friday, they get a "WOW What a Week!" Summary that shows what we did in each of 12 learning focus areas (ABC, 123, Color, Shape, Gross Motor, Fine Motor, etc)

Every day in their backpacks the kids have their free-art projects, Handwriting without Tears packet, Funpage of the day (dot-to-dot, maze, color in the number, etc), their binder with alphabet pages that we add a new letter page in each week, their "I Ate My Alphabet" folder, as well as other themed crafts and papers that we do each day (patterning, sorting, graphing etc)

At pick-up time each day, I make a point to have the kids share some tid-bit of what we discovered together each day. This week, we're learning with magnets - so today at pick-up, the kids will be sharing the discovery box where they can show mom and dad what items are attracted to a magnet, and which aren't.

I don't know how much more documentation the parents need to know what the kids are learning with me. I KNOW it's not me - or my program here. It's just seems to be the peer pressure parents get to have their kid in a real preschool.

[newtodaycare22]

I know that must be frustrating-kind of like a punch in the gut since it seems like you are preparing them for kindergarten. I agree with a little bit of everything that's been said...

Yes, in a 'real preschool' there are more kids, so they learn about things like walking in line. This is true. In reality though...if you teach them discipline and following rules, there is no reason they can't learn that in kindergarten.

I have all preschoolers, 3-5. I think one reason my parents view it as a "preschool" is that there are no younger ones here. You have younger kids in the daycare correct? I'm not saying you can't do preschool stuff with the older ones, but maybe parents just don't realize that you are differentiating according to age. Point it out (just like people suggested).

I also do a daily blog and monthly newsletter. In the newsletter it will look something like...

Reading/Writing-This month we are focusing on "O" "P" and "Q"....
Math-We are exploring patterns this month. Ask us to show you at home...
Science-We are investigating with magnifying glasses...

I'm sure you are touching on "prek" stuff. It's just amazing what certain wording will do for parents. It also helps that I'm a certified preschool teacher...so maybe point out your credentials? Did you have to do any training or take credits before starting the daycare? Or maybe you are an actual former elementary school teacher like me

[newtodaycare22]

Oh they get documentation
I do a monthly newsletter that highlights our weekly themes and our learning goals for the month. Included is a book-list that correlates to our themes in case they want to check out the same books. They get the new songs/fingerplays that we'll be learning. They get copies of our Kids in the Kitchen recipes that we'll be making together.

Every Friday, they get a "WOW What a Week!" Summary that shows what we did in each of 12 learning focus areas (ABC, 123, Color, Shape, Gross Motor, Fine Motor, etc)

Every day in their backpacks the kids have their free-art projects, Handwriting without Tears packet, Funpage of the day (dot-to-dot, maze, color in the number, etc), their binder with alphabet pages that we add a new letter page in each week, their "I Ate My Alphabet" folder, as well as other themed crafts and papers that we do each day (patterning, sorting, graphing etc)

At pick-up time each day, I make a point to have the kids share some tid-bit of what we discovered together each day. This week, we're learning with magnets - so today at pick-up, the kids will be sharing the discovery box where they can show mom and dad what items are attracted to a magnet, and which aren't.

I don't know how much more documentation the parents need to know what the kids are learning with me. I KNOW it's not me - or my program here. It's just seems to be the peer pressure parents get to have their kid in a real preschool.

Ok, in that case....sometimes parents are just clueless :: It's true though. Some parents just like the sound of "preschool". I guess we just have to **** it up and accept that...and hope that another good family comes along to replace them.

[ninosqueridos]

holy tamoly...You sure do a LOT of prepared activities and lessons with your dcks!! I'd be upset, too, considering you are going out of your way to do so many "preschool" things with them. I agree there's "something" about peer pressure and kids going to a "real" preschool. It's just ridiculous. I could understand leaving to go to K, but 3yo pre-k? Oy.