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The Adventures of a Twin Mom

Motherhood and Travel Blog

January 8, 2020

Selecting the Best Preschool for Your Child

Oh goodness, friends…it was a process picking a preschool for Camden and Ella! I thought I’d share about my experience in case it might help someone.  If you’re local to Charleston, I’m sorry but I will not be naming the schools I toured or the school we selected.  This is for my kids’ own safety and because it’s just my opinion and I don’t want to hurt another schools’ reputation.

First things first, I toured 10 schools and they were all very different! My first tip is to have all your questions printed out ahead of time so that you can make sure all of your questions are answered.  Here is a list of questions or topics to look into:

  • What is the cost?
  • What are the days/hours?
  • Will my kids be in the same class?
  • Are meals or snacks provided?
  • Curriculum
  • Video/security
  • Vaccinations
  • Teacher/child ratio
  • Class size
  • Staff experience, education, background checks
  • What does a normal day look like?
  • Will they be going outside every day to play?
  • Sick child policy
  • Do we have top priority to return the following year or how does re-enrollment works?
  • How is discipline handled?
  • Security (doors locked, open door policy)
  • Are there ever students left alone with teachers or is it always a 2:1 ratio?
  •  Do you use an app to track check in/check out, send messages, post pictures?
  • Is it ok if we miss class occasionally?

I toured 10 schools, yes 10! I am that crazy mom!  While some of them had a lot of similarities, they were all pretty different. I could see my kids at only 3 of them though!  We have ours ranked and I’m hoping we get into our first choice but if not, I know my kids will be in good hands at the next two on our list as well.

Here is a list of things I liked about the preschools:

  • Had large classrooms with a lot of natural light
  • Teachers and staff were friendly
  • 2-3 teachers per classroom!
  • Nice playground
  • Very clean facility
  • I loved the curriculum (all 3 schools we’re down to, have very similar curriculums)
  • Hosts fun events like Grandparents Day or holiday shows
  • Security was top notch

Having toured 7 preschools that I couldn’t even picture my kids at, I have quite a long list of things I didn’t like:

  • Small rooms with not much natural light
  • Parents rotate bringing snacks for the class, I’m sorry but this is not for me! I like knowing for now what is going in my toddler’s bodies.
  • We want part time preschool and while one offered it, they charge the same price for part time and full time. This seemed ridiculous to me!
  • One preschool kept the nap mats in the bathroom- eww!
  • No security cameras in the building
  • Old/small playground
  • Only 1 teacher per class
  • Not every teacher was CPR certified
  • Now the one that made me really angry stated that they would place my twins in separate classrooms. I know in the future we will be separating Camden and Ella, what year that is I’m not sure but it won’t be their first year.   I did not appreciate a preschool telling me what’s best for my children when they haven’t even met them or know anything about them. #endrant 😉

I am so excited for my two kiddos to start preschool next year! I know they are going to love it.

I hope this helps someone in selecting the perfect preschool for their child or children! It’s not always a fun process but it’s so important! Good luck, mamas!!

17 Comments

Comments

  1. Mitch Chaitin

    January 9, 2020 at 12:13 am

    This is a great list. We got lucky and had an amazing pre-school in our complex, and luckily got in. In NYC it is like a blod sport to try to get into a good school for any age group!

    Reply
  2. Ann

    January 9, 2020 at 4:05 am

    You have got some great advice here, thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  3. Ntensibe Edgar Michael

    January 9, 2020 at 5:15 am

    Definitely! You had in mind quite the detailed check-list for your two babies. If anybody is to simply wander through different schools, they will end up with “nothing” since they all “look the same”. Kudos and let’s see where this step takes us all.

    Reply
  4. Sonia

    January 9, 2020 at 5:50 am

    Goodmorning and thanks so much for sharing am working on that now for my daughter so this was very resourceful!

    Reply
  5. Stacie

    January 9, 2020 at 7:28 am

    I think this is going to help a lot of moms and dads. Picking a preschool requires a lot of thought. You want a place of education and fun, not just a glorified babysitting service.

    Reply
  6. Ayishia

    January 9, 2020 at 9:51 am

    It’s so frightening and a true sign of the times that top notch security is now a requirement. I can’t even imagine that level of anxiety. Very helpful post.

    Reply
  7. Marcie W.

    January 9, 2020 at 11:27 am

    I don’t think touring 10 schools is crazy. Nothing is more valuable or important than our babies. Good for you for making a well educated decision!

    Reply
  8. Fiona Cambouropoulos

    January 9, 2020 at 11:53 am

    It is such an important choice, as you say it pays to do your research and make sure they go somewhere that you feel really comfortable with.

    Reply
  9. Heather

    January 9, 2020 at 1:29 pm

    It’s so important to not only research and visit but to ask around. We found, what we thought, was the best preschool and then a few weeks in, our daughter was bitten in the face TWICE by the same boy, days apart. The school refused to do anything but write up an incident report and kept calling it an accident. The same thing happened to our neighbor’s daughter in another classroom. We found so many things wrong with that school in the short time we were there. We were so much more selective after that!

    Reply
  10. Matt Taylor

    January 9, 2020 at 4:28 pm

    Wow, you really did your homework. I don’t have kids but when I do, my friend’s mom runs a preschool out of her house, so I will probably just take my kids there. haha plus she lives a mile away from me.

    Reply
  11. Eileen M Loya

    January 9, 2020 at 9:11 pm

    I am happy you wrote about this. It is a great resource especially for first time parents. My primary concern then was safety. I did ask a lot of questions, observed how classes were being conducted, etc. After all, you will be entrusting your child to them for a few hours each day so you have to be sure they are safe, and happy with lots of learning fun.

    Reply
  12. Shilpa Bindlish

    January 9, 2020 at 9:29 pm

    How important it is to select a good preschool can’t be debated. Every parent look for a good one for sure.

    Reply
  13. Subhashish Roy

    January 9, 2020 at 11:50 pm

    Very nice advise. Getting into a really good preschool is so very important for the kids today. And a tough challenge deciding on which one. This post has so methodically listed the dos.

    Reply
  14. Melanie williams

    January 10, 2020 at 8:05 am

    Not only is this super important, as a children’s education sets them up for life, but there is also some good information here x

    Reply
  15. Lily

    January 11, 2020 at 2:40 am

    Great question parents should really consider when selecting a pre-school. It helps them in the most important and age to start their education at that cute age.

    Reply
  16. Farah Al Zadjaly

    January 11, 2020 at 6:32 am

    This is such good tips and helpful.. I sent it to my sister as she was confused and worried.

    Reply
  17. Erika Brady

    March 11, 2020 at 5:57 pm

    I like that you mentioned touring multiple preschools until you found some that you could see your kids at. My brother is looking for a preschool to take his little boy to, but my nephew is very active and loves to run around. I’ll have to help him research preschools in his area online to find one that has the types of activities that will help manage my nephew’s extra energy while also preparing him for kindergarten.

    Reply

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Hi! I'm Brianna! I'm a wife, mom of twin toddlers, a blogger, and a world traveler. Welcome to a small piece of our perfect chaos!

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This is 4! We celebrated Camden and Ella’s birth This is 4! We celebrated Camden and Ella’s birthday last week with a FOURever Sweet/Candy Land themed party. Sharing all the details on today’s blog post (link in profile).
Happy 4th Birthday, Camden and Ella!! These past 4 Happy 4th Birthday, Camden and Ella!! These past 4 years have flown by.  I’m so proud of the little humans you are becoming! We love you across the ocean and back!
Water-bugs just like their mama! 👩‍👧‍👦Going through our photos from our trip to @greatwolflodge. I miss it already! #GreatWolfLodge #Hosted #PawPledge
Is there anything cuter than a baby wolf? Yep, twi Is there anything cuter than a baby wolf? Yep, twin baby wolves! 🐺🐺 We had the best couple of days at @GreatWolfLodge! Camden asked if we could move here. #iwish I’ll work on a blog post when I get home with more trip details. #hosted  #GreatWolfLodge #PawPledge
Splashing the day away with my favorites! We’re Splashing the day away with my favorites! We’re having the best time at @GreatWolfLodge! We come here every winter to escape the winter blues for a few days. You can follow along in my stories. #hosted  #GreatWolfLodge #PawPledge
Don't let this picture fool you, renovation with y Don't let this picture fool you, renovation with young kids is no joke! However,  @sharkcleaning has made it so much easier to keep up with the dust and chaos. #SponsoredByShark The new Shark® Wandvac™ System does it all...this powerful vacuum can go from a stick vacuum to extended lightweight wand-to-hand vacuum! Plus, it has an awesome docking station, it doesn’t need to be hidden in a closet. Visit SharkClean.com to purchase the new Shark® Wandvac™ System.

 #SharkWandVac #SharkCordlesssVacuum
Twinning Tuesday with my best girl! The adorable a Twinning Tuesday with my best girl! The adorable and comfortable outfits we're wearing are from @moodytigerofficial You can use: Mom15 to get an extra 15% off!  #moodytiger #moodytigeractivewear #kidsactivewear  #moodytigerleggings
Mermaid hair don't care. 🧜🏼‍♀️💁🏻 Mermaid hair don't care. 🧜🏼‍♀️💁🏻‍♀️ I am loving my new beach waves that I get from using @bondiboost Wave Wand.  I'm hair challenged and it's 3x large barrels are SO easy to create these beach waves and their Heat Protect Spray helps reduce future damage from heat.  Head to my stories to see how this works! I promise, if I can do this to my hair then you can! #BoostYourRoots #BondiBoost
They picked out their outfits and are quite proud. They picked out their outfits and are quite proud. 🥰

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This is 4! We celebrated Camden and Ella’s birth This is 4! We celebrated Camden and Ella’s birthday last week with a FOURever Sweet/Candy Land themed party. Sharing all the details on today’s blog post (link in profile).
Happy 4th Birthday, Camden and Ella!! These past 4 Happy 4th Birthday, Camden and Ella!! These past 4 years have flown by.  I’m so proud of the little humans you are becoming! We love you across the ocean and back!
Water-bugs just like their mama! 👩‍👧‍👦Going through our photos from our trip to @greatwolflodge. I miss it already! #GreatWolfLodge #Hosted #PawPledge
Is there anything cuter than a baby wolf? Yep, twi Is there anything cuter than a baby wolf? Yep, twin baby wolves! 🐺🐺 We had the best couple of days at @GreatWolfLodge! Camden asked if we could move here. #iwish I’ll work on a blog post when I get home with more trip details. #hosted  #GreatWolfLodge #PawPledge
Splashing the day away with my favorites! We’re Splashing the day away with my favorites! We’re having the best time at @GreatWolfLodge! We come here every winter to escape the winter blues for a few days. You can follow along in my stories. #hosted  #GreatWolfLodge #PawPledge
Don't let this picture fool you, renovation with y Don't let this picture fool you, renovation with young kids is no joke! However,  @sharkcleaning has made it so much easier to keep up with the dust and chaos. #SponsoredByShark The new Shark® Wandvac™ System does it all...this powerful vacuum can go from a stick vacuum to extended lightweight wand-to-hand vacuum! Plus, it has an awesome docking station, it doesn’t need to be hidden in a closet. Visit SharkClean.com to purchase the new Shark® Wandvac™ System.

 #SharkWandVac #SharkCordlesssVacuum
Twinning Tuesday with my best girl! The adorable a Twinning Tuesday with my best girl! The adorable and comfortable outfits we're wearing are from @moodytigerofficial You can use: Mom15 to get an extra 15% off!  #moodytiger #moodytigeractivewear #kidsactivewear  #moodytigerleggings
Mermaid hair don't care. 🧜🏼‍♀️💁🏻 Mermaid hair don't care. 🧜🏼‍♀️💁🏻‍♀️ I am loving my new beach waves that I get from using @bondiboost Wave Wand.  I'm hair challenged and it's 3x large barrels are SO easy to create these beach waves and their Heat Protect Spray helps reduce future damage from heat.  Head to my stories to see how this works! I promise, if I can do this to my hair then you can! #BoostYourRoots #BondiBoost

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