Once you have your first child, and after you have looked into their eyes and experienced that “what now?” moment, you automatically begin thinking about how you are going to provide certain things for them, and one of the more pressing matters that will be on top of you before you know it is the matter of where they will begin attending school, through daycare or preschool centers.

Like any business, daycare and preschool have their good ones and bad ones, and of course being a good parent you want to place your child in the best possible place, somewhere you know that they will be looked after, cared for, taught well, and fed nutritiously. That said, it is time to determine where your child will be going to school.

There is an old “Baby Blues” comic strip where the parents are trying to enroll their child in preschool. The headmaster asks when she will be born, to which the father replies “I smell ‘waiting list'”. Sometimes, though, that might be exactly the case, so beginning the search when your child is born might be a good idea.

Identify what’s important to you. Do you need a preschool that is convenient to your work? Or home? What does the curriculum involve?

Write down everything you’re looking for a preschool to offer and see who measures up.

Do your homework. Ask around. Talk to other parents and see where their kids went and what the experience was like. Don’t hesitate to contact professional resources such as The Childcare Aware Hotline (800-424-2246) which can put you in touch with a referral agency in your area. In addition, finding schools accredited by The National Association For The Education Of Young Children (NAEYC) is a good sign of quality and excellence in early childhood education. To be sure, accreditation and licensing do not guarantee competence, but they do inspire a measure of confidence.

Interview. Nothing beats a personal inspection of the school. Call and ask a few of your preliminary questions; if the answers sound positive, then move to the next step and arrange a sit down meeting and tour of the facilities. You should find out about class schedules, teacher-student ratios, etc, as well as a good understanding of the vacation schedules and fees.

Observe. Many schools will allow you to actually spend some time in the classroom, watching the teacher and their interaction with the students. Personal observation can go a long way towards helping you to determine if this is a solid choice for your child.

Orientation periods. These are designed to ease the stress on the child (and parent!) of coming into a new environment. Orientation durations vary, but sometimes may include less than a full day’s attendance for the first few days, a well as allowing the parents to come along for part of the process.

Ultimately, it comes down to what your gut tells you. If something about the school seems wrong, then thank them politely for their time and pursue the idea no further. All three of our children attended preschool and kindergarten at our church, because we were familiar with the quality of care, were impressed by the curriculum, and knew that with kindergarten offered, we would be able to go one more year before turning our kids over to a secular educational system that may not always jibe with our personal and religious beliefs.

So check out your local offerings, and find the preschool best suited for your child’s needs.

Author Bio: I am the Director Of Content for Leadsbyfone LLC, a lead generation company servicing the water damage restoration industry. We are based in Atlanta, GA.

Category: Education
Keywords: preschool, daycare, education, childhood, best school, teacher, student