I can’t believe my baby girl is now in Kindergarten. Right now I have pictures scrolling on my computer of when she was just barely walking and it seems like it was just yesterday. One thing that has helped her transition to the “big” school is that she was in preschool the last couple of years to get her ready and comfortable with being around other people. She is so shy just like her momma used to be and so we decided to start her in preschool to help break that shell. When we were deciding on where to send my kids to preschool we searched and searched to find one that fit us as a family and our kids. Here are my tips to help you choose the right preschool.
- Ask your friends. This is by far the best way I have seen to get personal stories of where other friends have sent their kids. Ask them about the teachers, the curriculum, the atmosphere.
- Research the internet. Noodle is a comprehensive website that allows you to search preschools in your area and get information about them all in one place. It has many kinds of options for you to sort through to suit your needs as parents. Noodle will give you the basic details that you need to narrow down your search for that one place which will be the perfect fit.
- Visit several schools. Sure lots of places can look good on your internet search, but you and your child need to really get the vibe of the school and how you feel walking in to it and those you encounter while there. You know your child and you as a parent can tell if a certain school may just not be a good fit for them.
- Ask the school questions. Not everything that you need to know about a school can be found on a website. Ask about costs. Ask about policies and rules that they have in place. Ask if their teachers are certified. If you are like me and can barely remember your name most days, write your questions down. You will want to ask what tuition covers. Do they provide lunch/snacks? I could probably name a million more.
Noodle really is a great resource to starting your search for a preschool especially if you are new to the area or if you are moving somewhere soon and want to be prepared. It takes the task of googling every possible school and putting it on one website that will help guide you in your decision. Remember to trust your instincts. You are your childs’ best advocate and you know them the best. You will have the best idea of where they will grow and flourish.
Preschool for my kids helped them to start their education early. It helped my daughter get the socialization that she needed to be more comfortable being with strangers who were not family. She learned that teachers are there to help her grow and learn new things. I am amazed at the transformation that she has made these last few years with the help of preschool. When I dropped her off her first day of Kinder in the big school so was way more comfortable than I ever thought she would be. The second day there were no tears and she jumped right out of the car ready to go. That alone gave me such peace that she was ready for this next step in her tiny life. We struggled to keep her in preschool, but now I know it was the best thing for her. Follow your heart, follow your gut instinct and you will choose the right preschool for your child.
Share in the comments your tips for finding the right preschool for your child.
I appreciate your suggestion to ask friends for recommendations when choosing a preschool. My daughter is almost that age, so my husband and I are starting our search. Maybe it would be good to talk to some of my friends that are parents to see if they have any recommendations.
What really got my attention was when you talked about how you can consider asking your friends for a recommendation of a preschool is the best way to find one. I’m currently looking for a preschool for my daughter. It’s highly important for me to ensure that she will have a positive experience with the preschool that I will choose for her. Since it’s also important for me to consider a highly recommended preschool, it will make sense for me to ask around for recommendations. Thanks!
My husband and I are looking for a preschool for our oldest! It’s very exciting, but also frightening, and I appreciate your advice that we should actually go visit several of the schools. It seems nowadays that we can just research everything we need to on the internet, but going in person would also be very helpful.