Hellobee

Currently, we have a nanny come to our house to care for Liam 4 days a week and one day a week my mom watches him at her house. We have been talking about putting him in preschool after he turns two and since that birthday is approaching much more quickly than I’d like to admit, I decided to visit some schools in our area while I was on winter break. I visited 9 different schools in 3 days, with Liam in tow. It was exhausting! Why so many? Well, several of the schools do not give out tuition information unless you come in for a tour. Then, after I started researching, I realized there were so many different options and I really wanted to see as many as I could so I could make an informed decision and not doubt myself in the future. Here’s how it went…

School #1: The first school we visited is at a church right around the corner from our house. The first thing I noticed was that there were no locks on any gates or classroom doors. It’s not in a bad neighborhood or on a busy street, but it seemed like anyone could just walk in at any time without being stopped at all. The classrooms were pretty small, but each had their own bathroom, which was good. The teachers in the 2 year old class were very attentive and Liam seemed to like it, as he started playing with the toys right away. I liked that there was a lot of outdoor space, but all the play equipment outside was caked with dirt. The director was nice, but didn’t seemed very organized, both in her office and with her presentation of information to me. For 2 year olds, the school hours are 8-12 with no option for afternoon care. The price was reasonable and they begin enrollment in March for the following school year. Grade: C

School #2: This school was by far the least expensive. The door was locked and when the teacher saw us, she came to let us in. There was only one person working and just a few children there. There was only one room and it seemed like the kids were not separated by age. There was no schedule posted for the kids’ activities. The outdoor space was small and surrounded by big concrete walls. When we first walked in, all the kids were sitting at a table playing with play doh and there was a TV on in front of them with some sort of educational video playing. After a while, the kids got up and played with whatever they wanted to. The hours were 7-6* and have year round enrollment. Grade: D-

School #3: This was a Montessori school in a wealthy neighborhood. I’m sure you can guess that it was incredibly expensive. I only made an appointment to visit because our new neighbors have a one year old son who goes to this school and they highly recommended it. This school was very secure – each parent is issued an electronic key card that allows them access through the front gate. The director was wonderful. She made me feel all warm and fuzzy. The school was immaculate – very clean and organized. There was only one bathroom for all the classrooms, but the school was very small, so that didn’t bother me. The only thing that this school lacked for me was enough good outdoor space. There were no trees or grass, just astro turf, and the play areas were very small. They have enrollment year-round and the hours are 7-6. Unfortunately, I knew that there was no way we’d be able to afford this school, so it was crossed of the list immediately. Grade: A

School #4: Two of my colleagues (they’re married) send their daughter to this school. It is pricey, but I loved the campus. The gate was locked and the director buzzed us in. All of the classrooms were on the outside with two big playgrounds in the middle. There was also a few other areas for different activities – one was called the forest and had some big trees with a few seesaws and a slide; another had a little stage with benches for performances; another had an area where they set up a pumpkin patch in the fall and have a snow day in the winter. The classrooms were a good size, each with their own bathroom and with 2 and 3 year olds mixed, but the classrooms themselves were a little bit busy (stuff everywhere). The school was pretty big and they have a sister campus that goes all the way through elementary school. The director was very nice and seemed on top of things. The tuition is a bit pricey, but they do have a lot to offer. The hours are 7-6. Grade: A-

School #5: This was another Montessori school in a different neighborhood. It was a little bit less expensive than the first Montessori school I visited, but it was still over our budget. They had the same electronic key cards as the first Montessori school. I did not get the warm and fuzzy feeling from this director, however. We walked through pretty quickly and I wasn’t impressed. Maybe it was the timing – some kids were eating lunch and others were transitioning from play time to lunch – but I didn’t get to see any teaching or learning happen. The facility wasn’t great, either. Overall, I just got a bad vibe. The hours are 7-6 and this one was pretty close to my work. Grade: C-

School #6: This was a preschool affiliated with a Catholic church. It had been recommended by a few friends and it is really close to my work. They keep the door locked and have a doorbell for visitors to ring. The director’s assistant gave me a tour and she was very nice and thorough, but not very organized. She repeated herself many times and went from topic to topic and back again, which was confusing. This school seemed crowded. There weren’t a ton of classrooms, but everything just seemed cramped. There was one girls’ bathroom and one boys’ bathroom for the whole school, and I watched how the teachers had the kids sit in a line in the hallway while they took kids to the bathroom two at a time. It seemed like this system would be very difficult for the little ones who are newly potty trained (or working on potty training). The outdoor space was nice. More fake grass, but there were trees and it was a good size. The price was reasonable. Grade: B

School #7: This is a well-known school in the area and the woman who showed me around was very organized and informative. The campus is nice, but there was a lot of concrete, and it’s situated on a very busy street. The gate is kept locked and they buzz you in. The classrooms were organized and the kids were all engaged in their learning and creating. The teachers were very nice and greeted me when I walked in. I know a few people who send their children here and they love it. The tuition was on the higher end, but not as expensive as the Montessori schools. The hours are 7-6. Grade: B+

School #8: I had seen this school as I was driving around one day, so I called and asked if I could come in right then, and the woman who answered said I could. However, when I got there, there was no lock on the gate, the office door was unlocked, and nobody was in the office. I saw that there was one bathroom outside for all the classrooms that were inside with a hallway. I waited for a few minutes, but realized that there were already too many negatives, so we just left. Grade: F

School #9: This was the school I wanted to send him to from the beginning. My little brother went there and it’s at the church where we baptized Liam and where we attend occasionally. It’s a short walk from our house. They keep the door locked and let you in when they see you. The building is about 10 years old and still looks pretty new. There are high ceilings and big windows everywhere. The school is pretty small and each classroom has its own bathroom. Each classroom also has a back door to the playground. It’s not huge, but it’s a good size and there’s a structure, a sandbox, a bike path, and a grassy area. Each classroom also has its own little patio with tables and art supplies. The classrooms were organized and they have a good schedule. One of the teachers is a good family friend and many of the others still remember my brother. Right when I walked it, I just knew it was right. Before I started visiting, I thought it would be one of the most expensive options, but it really isn’t. It’s actually the 4th cheapest on this list. The hours are 7-5. My grade: A+

My biggest lessons from this experience are…

1. More expensive is not always better. Even though I really like the Montessori philosophy, it didn’t justify those schools being double the price of some others, in my opinion. I know that for some people it does, and if money was no object for us I’d love to send Liam to a Montessori school, but it’s not going to work for our family right now.

2. Go with your gut. If you walk into a school and have a bad feeling about it, don’t think that maybe you’ll feel differently with time. It’s not worth the stress and anxiety to send your child to a school that you don’t feel 100% comfortable with. Three of the nine schools I visited gave me that positive, happy feeling, so all of the others just weren’t going to compare.

3. Know what is important for you. Right before I started our visits, a friend on twitter asked me the top four things I was looking for in a preschool. I was SO happy she asked me this, because it really made me focus on what was really important. At the time, I said: organization, good outdoor space, safe, and happy (and I added a 5th, affordable).

4. Remember the big picture. It’s just preschool. Sending him to the most expensive, most academic school doesn’t mean he’ll be a successful adult. I believe that what we, as parents, do at home with him has a much bigger impact than what he does at school.

5. Consider your lifestyle. We walk a lot for a family that lives in a suburb of Los Angeles. We walk to Trader Joe’s, Target, restaurants, the bank, and to church. We realized that we really wanted to walk Liam to school most days, which eliminated all but two of the schools we visited. Also, our nanny doesn’t drive (she takes the bus to our house), so if we ever needed her to pick him up, it would need to be walking distance to our house.

I’m really happy with our decision and am looking forward to Liam starting in the fall! What is important to you when choosing a preschool?

*All of the schools had earlier pickup options, as well.