Preschool and Private Education

[DallasMom11]

Has anyone started applying to preschools yet? I'm 28 weeks and my husband has already started putting our little boy on wait lists and making donations to the
schools. Is this common with preschools?

Also do you mommies do a full day or just a half day then use a nanny. Most of the schools use the latter method as the norm but I have very little experience wilh American protocol with primary education.
Please feel free to let me know your experiences.

The school we are currently looking at costs 30K a year. Is this normal for preschool?

[Sara_Lee87]

This thread got very  wild! Okay I think overall as parents we all want what is best for our kids future. Agreed. There's many philosophies in those regards to education. I get it. For example my uncle is very successful  businessman and has no children. He is adamant  that I send my son from from a young age to the top private school in our area that is all German speaking (seriously right?) Anyways the reason why is because then I have the opportunity to send my son to the best swiss boarding school in the world. Wow what an incredible  opportunity  that I have to say NO to. Because sending my beautiful, intelligent  son to a boarding school in a different  country to rub shoulders with future world leaders isn't why I had my child! Boarding school starts very young, Elementary school. Anyways all I am saying is you know in your hear what is the right thing for you and your family. You can let outside influences, status dictate how your raise your kids. I went to a top boarding school from a young age just like every other successful member of my family. I can say it's not what I want for my son because I lived it... and yes I did get into a great University but was I happy? Did I feel more loved? No , I hated my childhood because it was all about having an elite status and working towards what my parents thought was important. I come from old money and doesn't always know the best ways towards happiness just more money. The healing thing is you get to raise your children how you want, so if you feel like getting him into a feeder preschool is that than do it. If not there's a bunch of other options. You have the right to do as you damn well please and accept the consequences  is all. Maybe try to just relax and be in the moment.  Enjoy the process as much as possible. Idk hope this helps u figure out ur direction.

[lieschenb]

My 4 year old is in a private preschool. Why? Because my hubby and myself want to give him the best education that we can afford so that he can any option open to him later in life; only limited by his ability. Does this make us bad parents? No. How is this different to the scores of moms on here forcing their breast is best and natural births on everyone? Just as you want to give your child the best start to life by breastfeeding, so this mom wants the same. I am not expecting my sons to be drs or presidents. In fact, i just want them to live their dreams.

I play play dough with my son regularly. In fact, we regularly cook our own batches at home.

Am i elitist? My husband never finished school, yet he is the main bread winner. I have 4 degrees, one of which is a PhD. What is wrong with any parent wanting to provide the best for their children that they could; or alternatively wanting to give your kids more than you had? Nothing

[Deekie]

You said that of your kid wanted to be a painteror a musician you would support that and wouldn't get in the way but let's look at it for a second . If he was 10 and said he wanted to be a painter when he grew up would you take it seriously ? Possibly not because most young kids don't really know what they want and then the kids in high school and knows how much money you have spent on his schooling and wlprobably feels like if he didn't want to have a job that you wanted him to have then he might dissapoint you and not tell you what he wants then he goes to college and becomes a lawyer because he thinks that's what you want ( just an example) and then he gets to being 30 years old and realises that he's doing something he never wanted to do in the first place. I'm not saying I'm against setting your kid up for a good start in life but I just don't think there's much point in throwing fistful of dollars at possible preschools which you might realise are not right for your child . I think it's pretty tough on a kid to put that much pressure on them because some kids aren't good at maths but excele in English and some kids can't form a sentence to save their life but are amazing at science . I'd say find out what your kid is like if you truwly have that much money then I'm sure a great school will take you if you make a good dontation later down the track

[traciv]

Every parent wants what is best for their child. I wish we had money to give our children everything. As long as they know they are loved and that there isn't an unattainable insurmountable pressure placed on him he will.
I was a nanny for 2 years to a wonderful 8 year old and a 14 year old. Their mother was a nurse anesthetist and worked long odd hours and father passed away. I loved those children like they were my own. They missed their mom but knew they had me. If you find the right person to help raise your child along with you it will not only enrich their lives but also the nanny's.

[missmel14]

Lol why is every post  about how much money you will spend. Your main focus should be a healthy baby smh

[sanja25]

Wouldnt tell*

[sanja25]

My husband grow up with a silver spoon up on his ***
Rich kid from really rich family,best schools and everything
But he joined the army,served,now he is disable vet at 27yrs
And you would tell that thats how he grow up

[sanja25]

Ok to be honest
Yeah her posts are kind all about money
Sorry Dallasmom but its true
But when i think about it a little bit longer i m not much different from her
I speak 7 languages,treveled a lot and have apartmants in 3 different countrys on two continents
And i m making alrealy plans for my little girl
Like i want her to learn those languages as well(because i know how much kt helps in life) i want her to trevel the world(because she has places and family to visit)
I wanna give my kid the best i can as everyone else here
But this is first time i ever said something about my life style(even if i have money(not like dallasmom) i still live in a 2 bedroom apartment and still work,dont want the nanny or what so ever)
From what i understand she has money and really good school behind her so she wants the same for her kid

[smichellec]

I just pointed it out because at first I saw the same thing you saw and thought to myself, really?!

[MrsHinesD]

Well co-signer smichellec I read very well and the initial post did not say *doesn't equal* that came after the correction but thanks for reiterating what I already saw later. All in all Dallasmom11 we all raise our children how we want and we have to hope and pray that even with all of our support and love that they take heed and become productive members of society and most importantly good stand up human beings. Once again good luck with your little one when he arrives.

[smichellec]

Is your husband in oil and gas in Dallas my any chance?

[DallasMom11]

Haha Smichellec, if I had it my way it would be an MBA at Harvard then straight to helping his dad run things or starting something big on his own. My husband loves Physics (he double majored in it and Applied Mathematics) so I'm sure he would love it if we pushed the science academy

[smichellec]

She said it *doesn't equal billionaire.  And that's cool you're willing to support whatever! Personally, our child will be attending a science academy..talk about pressing your views on your children!

[DallasMom11]

Mrs Hines, I meant to write I understand that private school doesn't guarantee anything. Especially a good career, entrance to tops schools, etc. I just forgot to write the doesnt*

[MrsHinesD]

RockRose: I could not have said it better, I totally agree.

[MrsHinesD]

I am very good at research and the last time I checked private school does not guarantee Ivy league nor does Ivy league =millionaire let alone billionaire; not too many of those in the world anyway. But we can all have dreams and aspirations. Wish you guys well in your search for elite/private preschools.

[RockRose]

Dallasmom,  I know I often post to you in a negative way,  but it really seems like you are so very focused in a direction that won't be helpful to the baby,  and when your child is in his/her teens you will wonder about your priorities.  I'm really always so dismayed at reading your posts that focus on where you can spend the most amount of money possible to get baby items.  It's distressing.  Honestly, it's like watching a Cheers episode of Frasier and Lilith,  before they had baby Frederick,  but that was acknowledged as comedy.  

In case you wonder,  I have money.  I just don't post on the internet on maternity forums for ideas about how to spend the most I can possibly spend for baby items.  

I honestly think you'll look back on this time,  in 20 years,  and wished you had your priorities arranged differently.  

Think playdoh,  not prada.    

[DallasMom11]

Doesn't equal*

[DallasMom11]

Thank you Sanja, healthy babies is #1 for all mothers I hope!

Smichellec: I will give it a read, but I understand that going to private school = Ivy League = billionaire. For all I know my son wants to be an artists or a musician and I wouldn't get in the way of what makes him happy.

[smichellec]

Read "Where you go is not who you will be" by Frank Bruni. CNN just had a great segment on this. You should look into what he has to say.

[DallasMom11]

Bonita, I think the preschool we were looking at starts at 3. It's a Montessori school so they don't really place kids by age but rather skill. It's a really interesting concept that really helps kids that are a little behind catch up and for those in front accelerate. What's even more interesting is that it doesn't even feel like a school. The kids are learning while playing.

[sanja25]

She is doing what she thinks its best for her kid as we all are
If i had that kind of momey i would spend it differently on my kid
But who m i to judge her ways of raising her kid?
Wish you a healthy kid and the smart one too

[MrsHinesD]

I truly think that you and your husband are delusional and are focused on things that are not of significance. Your child is not even on this earth so you should be hoping and praying for a safe delivery. You guys are focusing on status and most people do not spend that much on a year of college. My husband and I are very well off and would never in a day spend that amount of money on pre school and furthermore we both come from blue collar back grounds and attended public school and have been afforded the same opportunities as those who have went to so-called "elite" schools. I work with colleagues from the elite such as Harvard and Yale and yet I still sit at the table with them with my Northern Illinois University Education. Education is what you make of it and the return on investment is great with determination and effort. Lastly, how about thinking about how you would be a great mom and have good influence on your child instead of considering a nanny. I feel that being a good mother and making sacrifices with your time is more admirable than finding an over priced preschool for an "unborn" child to attend and looking for a nanny; lets try raising you own kid. I live among the elite in a very upscale neighborhood in Illinois and have yet run into parents with your shallow thought process but I guess some people need to do certain things to feel good about themselves i.e. Plan on sending their unborn kid to a preschool that costs 30k a year. Once again come back down to earth because most of us on here are pregnant, trying to get through the rough days of pregnancy or moms with genuine concerns that are more immediate and pressing. Well ill end my comment because I don't want to come off as negative but I think your comment and question would be more appropriate for women in your social circle and class that you and your husband are trying to leave an impression on and or fit in with. I hope that you have the most important thing and that is a healthy baby.

[BonitaMichelle]

I think school starts at 14-16 months old. The baby only goes like 10 hours a week. They learn to interact with other children,  create things, and developmental skills. Private religious schools are a great place to start.