How To Choose A Preschool

Veronica: Choosing the right preschool begins by asking the right question. Hi! I am Veronica at WatchMojo.com and today we're looking at some factors to consider. So you can choose the perfect quality care for your youngster. What are some factors that you need to consider before you even start visiting different preschools? Evelyn Wajcer: I think the first thing you should think about when you're at home is what kind of a preschool suit your child. You want a place that focuses on the development of the child physically but has focus on the pre-academics. If you want a small group place, you want a large group place. Kathy Collins: And I think it's always important to visit as many as possible. That way you can get a wide range of ideas which will open up your mind. Veronica: Should you look for a preschool that is closed to your home? Evelyn Wajcer: If it's close to home and you've days that you're not working that's very convenient, however, if you're at work and if your child closed to you with work, something happens during the day you can get to your child and get the comfort you need or the help you need much quicker. Veronica: How can you tell right away if it's going to be a good preschool? Evelyn Wajcer: Welcoming environment, up-to-date announcements, clean crisp visuals. A place well taken care, well lit, well-ventilated. There are a lot of first impressions that you'll get when you walk into a center. Many of them are geared to parents and to sell the center to the parents you should be looking for what's geared to children. Kathy Collins: It also important to see that the children are happy. What their reactions are to you? How the daycare does look? What are children are doing? Look and see what they are doing not just what's being shown to you. Evelyn Wajcer: Also what you should do is make sure that there is written information available not only for the parents but also for the teachers what to do with kids in an emergency. Emergency never should be posted in the office and your single telephone. It really helps to have a telephone in each classroom. It's expensive. Some people don't do it. Teachers should also have first day training up-to-date, also be well-trained in emergency procedures. How to write up the accident reports? Making sure the accident reports are signed by the parents. They should be as much as possible in transparency. Veronica: What are some things that the parents should tell the caregivers before they leave? Kathy Collins: And if they are first starting off the daycare it's really important to know about any allergies, food restriction and things like that. If they are already at the daycare and they develop something it's important that they also let us know what's going in. Evelyn Wajcer: If the child has been given medicines to help conceal maybe runny nose, coughs, sicknesses, fevers, would be really helpful to tell us. If you think your child isn't feeling well, let us know. Something happened at home that you think is not that important but is for the child, a goldfish die, a pet is sick, a grandmother is ill. You don't have to tell us you had a fight with your spouse, but if there is anything that may have unsettle the child, and a fight will do it, just let us know he is little out of sorts. We don't need details but give us a chance to help your child. Veronica: So now that you've finally chosen the daycare, what's the best way for the first time parent and child separate? Evelyn Wajcer: You're really talking about parents leaving and having a hard time more than you're with children. Because if the children see other children playing and it's a nice happy environment, they are not going to cry. They will cry if they think their parents expect them to cry. You got to try to work with parents in advance to let them know that this is a good choice you've made. Your child will be happy and what we often do is we'll take pictures. Because sometimes and I know it happened with me, with my daughter. Two minutes after she was crying hysterically and I left, she was happily playing and I was told to just go upstairs and observed. But I think it's important for parents to realize that the separation anxiety is a two way stream. Veronica: That's sound great information. Thank you very much. Evelyn Wajcer: Thank you. Kathy Collins: Thank you.