Preschool

I recently organized a child care seminar for parents and parents-to-be. The goal was to have an open discussion so that parents could bring all of their child care related questions, worries, hopes, and fears to the table. During the seminar, I realized the differences between child care centers and family child care (also referred to as home-based daycare) were unclear for a lot of families. I was also asked which environment was the best, child care center vs home daycare. My answer was simple: no option is intrinsically better than the other.

Read More

Being a great child care provider or preschool teacher is a tough job that doesn’t usually get the type of social respect it should. Let alone the let alone the financial reward it should!

Throw in a demanding and sometimes fussy bunch of parents (and oh yeah, their kids), and you will find classrooms led by the few, the proud, the brave, the amazing caregivers and preschool teachers!

But wait:

Read More

Never heard of National Child Care Provider Appreciation Day? Not on our watch! It’s every year, the last Friday before Mother’s Day, so it’s coming up. Consider yourself warned. Do your homework and organize something for your child’s child care provider or preschool teacher.

There are quite a few tongue-in-cheek “appreciation days” out there. Today, for example, is Star Wars Day – May the 4^th be with you! But you really should take this Friday seriously: Besides family members, your child care provider is probably the single most important person in your child’s life.

Read More

Homework and parenting go hand-in-hand. The big question is who does it!

When your child gets a little older it is a little bit easier on you. There is a standard definition of “homework” and he or she will (or is supposed to, anyway) do most of it.

Read More

So, you have decided to give your child the gift of languages. Congratulations, your child will thank you for it! As promised in our previous post about raising multilingual children, in this article we are going to dive deeper into language immersion preschool programs and the reasons why they are a great idea!

Read More

Education and politics: what a great mixture for drama in the media.   President Obama’s push for universal Pre-K has given rise to all kinds of debates surrounding the issue. Is it good for kids? Do parents need it? Is it fair? Is it cost-effective? And so on.

Even otherwise peace-loving Swedes seem to be weighing in from across the Atlantic. (Hint: don’t mess with Swedes when it comes to public benefits surrounding kids. They take it very seriously.)

Read More

Have you ever checked how many gigabytes of digital pictures and videos you have of your child? Here’s a fun thought exercise: 1 GB was worth more than a house back when you were born. At those prices you may have bought a subdivision just on the day your child was born!

Even so, there is still something special about daycare or preschool picture day. These types of pictures actually get printed out and framed! Here’s a quick checklist to stay on top of the big day.

Read More

I n our last post we covered what high quality child care looks like, and most of the clues come from observing how your child reacts after they start going to daycare or preschool. In this post we will cover how you can evaluate a child care or preschool program before your child enrolls.

The daycare and preschool tour is a (maybe even the) key moment in the decision making process so it’s important that you do your homework before you visit (and make sure the preschool does theirs). Here’s how to make the most of your daycare tour:

Read More

You asked and we delivered! Now you can use our brand new Daycare Tuition Calculator to know the average cost of child care in your area.

Choosing a daycare or preschool can be challenging.  And for most parents, cost is a major deciding factor in selecting a program.

Our new daycare tuition calculator automatically tells you the average weekly tuition rates in your city, or state based on your zip code, your child’s age, and the type of program you’re considering, home daycare or a child care center.

We’ll even suggest a few child care providers and preschools in your area that may be just the right fit!  As parents, we understand the challenges of finding the perfect daycare for your family.  We hope this tool helps you find the right place for your little one!

We’ve all been there.  You go to pick up your sweetie from preschool. You’re ecstatic to see your preschooler and they are over the moon to see you. You hug, you kiss, you gather up their belongings and you scoop them into your arms.  Then, you ask the question that parents have been asking since, it seems, formal schooling began:

How was your day?

It’s a simple question. Only 4 words. You anticipate a long list of activities, lessons, learning experiences and social accomplishments! You want to hear everything. You are giddy. Did they paint? Did they color? What songs did they sing? Did they get to play outside or was the playground too wet?

But…

Read More