Considering preschool ~ PLEASE give me your input

I feel for you. I have been through it twice and my third child will be going to preschool in the fall. I think first you should feel comfortable at the school. You will be leaving your child there. You need to know in your heart that this is the perfect place for him. If he knows you think this place it Great, when he will feed off of your feelings/ emotions. If you have some place/ places inmind, ask if you can sit and observe their room before enrolling him. This is a very very hard stage for you in your child's life. You will cry, but we all do! What I have look at with the facilite is- is it clean, check the bathrooms too, how big it the room, how many students, if you can find out the boy/girl balance, do they have a reading area, how nice are the books (of course we are talking about preschool, but do they replace books that need to thrown out),painting area and outside area. Do they have a daily schedule they keep (a time for learning, playing, outside)? How many field trips do they take and where (can you come along). Holiday parties- are they open to all parents to come and stay (help). Do they have an open door policy- can you show up and observe the preschool anytime without an appointment. Talk with his soon to be first teacher or teachers- what's their personality like, are they energetic, organized, FUN, what is there teaching style, what do they do when a child behaves badly. With all this, is it a good fit/ perfect compliment to your son's personality and learning style. Good Luck!

Check tohe teacher to child ratio. Feel comfotable and relaxed when you walk in (the environment feeling), check for cleanliness. Hope this helps.

Nursery as we call it in the uk is a scary decision for every parent the first time! The most importanr rhing is to find somewhere where your son will feel safe and secure and the staff are friendly and encourage the children as the individuals that they are! I am a qualified nursery nurse and I think that the main thing is that children feel happy, safe and encouraged to learn through play! As for how many days a week etc that really depends on what fits in best with your family circumstances! Remember many children play up at the change in routine and will cry when you leave them - but having seen this from the other side I can tell you that the tears stop very soon after you leave - it is just your childs way of piling on yet more guilt! lol xxx