Stay at home costs

Mojisola

ben_m_g wrote: »

DD is nearly 3, the reason I am not happy in her preschool classes is that she is showing signs of going backwards and not being happy.

For example she can draw/paint people and shapes quite well, since going into preschool she only scribbles.

She can also spell her own name and can read all the letters, her preschool didn't even know this and had been setting her work form 1-10.

The amount of time she comes back tired and upset, painted on or hurt is just so much more frequent than I would like. Kids have to go through this I know, and in big classes it is hard, but rushing her to hospital over a suspected fracture and the preschool not really knowing what happened - inexcusable.

You've just got her at a rubbish preschool.

Have you considered finding a better one?

ben_m_g

Not possible with OH working unfortunately, I leave the house at 6am and she starts work at the same time as the preschool does.
I cannot leave any later due to traveling and her place cannot give her flexible working.

The preschool those issues aside, is very good, meals are healthy, regular trips out, equipment is modern and is geared around encouraging learning and the staff (there now) are very good, its just the management squeezing extra children in and are not able to give DD the time she needs as a young preschool-er.

skintchick

My OH 'pays' me £200 a month as it's all we can afford. I have a 5yo at school and a 3 month old. It's tight as that is for all my personal and baby spends, I would find £300 better but we just don't have it.

cr1mson

Have you considered the possibility that she is frustrated as she is finding the social aspects of preschool hard as she has previously been so focussed on the more academic aspects of her learning?

At this age I would suggest that this is the focus in terms of preparing her for the next step i.e. school. Most teachers I know would far rather have a child starting school who can follow instructions, sit still, dress herself, feed herself, and interact well with her peers than one who can spell her name, count etc.. Depending on the preschool it can be taught in a different way to at school which can cause issues.

Finally in terms of the scribble are you sure this is not rather than a step backwards but a step forwards i.e. emergent writing?

thriftylass

They are starting school early enough in this country, let them be kids and play. Yes teach them manners and social interaction, but there is enough time for counting, writing etc in school.

But to answer your question, staying at home is also about extra heating, food etc. However, in regard to teaching materials etc. Loads of them can be home made, just look through the internet.

Gigglepig

Staying at home can also have a long term impact on career progression/future earning potential, pension etc so when you are budgeting and comparing scenarios it may be good to take that into account as well as the short term loss of salary.

ben_m_g

cr1mson wrote: »

Have you considered the possibility that she is frustrated as she is finding the social aspects of preschool hard as she has previously been so focussed on the more academic aspects of her learning?

At this age I would suggest that this is the focus in terms of preparing her for the next step i.e. school. Most teachers I know would far rather have a child starting school who can follow instructions, sit still, dress herself, feed herself, and interact well with her peers than one who can spell her name, count etc.. Depending on the preschool it can be taught in a different way to at school which can cause issues.

Finally in terms of the scribble are you sure this is not rather than a step backwards but a step forwards i.e. emergent writing?

Some interesting points,
Socially she is very capable, a bit of a ring leader with lots of friends. The environment has changed (it will be worse in school) as there are a lot more children around and less supervision, but that is part of my consideration.

Taking her out of a competitive environment may make it more of a shock once she is in school with far larger class sizes.

ViolaLass

ben_m_g wrote: »

Taking her out of a competitive environment may make it more of a shock once she is in school with far larger class sizes.

Particularly if you continue to push her ahead academically.

Is there anything this paragon of a child can't yet do? Could you focus on improving that aspect?

MadPipAb

We all worry so much about the academic side with out first child, but honestly I wouldn't worry about this. I work in a preschool and if she is coming home hurt and upset, this is a concern which you should definately address with the manager.

If you are unhappy with things then pull her out. If you are more concerned about them recognising her learning ability, I wouldn't worry about this. The biggest hurdle for children in preschool is being independant and being able to interact with their friends. This is more important in setting them up to succeed in reception where the learning will really take off. It's all about the social skills and preschool is such a brilliant learning curve for them.

AngelOfTheNorth

When budgeting, you'll also need to consider potentially increased utility spend due to being in the house more. May not be an issue if you're on fixed rates, but if you pay for your usage it could be. Especially in the colder months.