7 questions to ask before deciding on a preschool

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This time next year, Blaire will be in preschool full time. In Iowa, 4-year-olds can attend preschool for free. Since the daycare center she’s in now works with her on numbers, letters, Spanish, arts & crafts, etc. so we didn’t feel she needed to be enrolled in preschool this school year. BUT, most preschools hold their registration between January and March, so now is the time to start begin looking at our options of preschools she can attend. 

1. What is the weekly schedule?
   Since every parent’s schedule is different, you want something that’s going to work with your weekly schedule. That may mean a class that is only 2 or 3 days per week or it may mean something 5 days per week. Is the class all day? If it’s only partial day, do they have daycare onsite or will you have to pick your child up and take them to daycare? Do they have transportation available from the preschool to any local daycare centers?
2. What is the daily schedule?
   Most successful preschools will have a standard daily routine – since we all know young children thrive with routine. It’s important to make sure they 
3. Is nap time offered daily? If so, are all children required to take naps?
   While it is ideal to offer rest time to the children, not all children still take naps once they are preschool age. If these children are being required to take naps, that may interfere with their normal bedtime. 
4. How are the children disciplined? 
   All children make mistakes and act out. Is time out used as a punishment for everything including hitting, biting, and tantrums? Do the caretakers try to help the children work out their differences? Do children receive warnings before being put in time out? Many school use “time outs” as a way to remove the child from the negative situation/behavior. But time out can look different depending on the school. Are they put in a corner alone with nothing to think about their actions? Or are they put in a corner with a book or a toy to help them have a few minutes to themselves? 
5. Do the children have time for free play? How much?
   Some are very structured and the majority of your child’s day will be spent with all of her/his classmates. Others are play-based and your child will be free to play what they want, for as long as they want.
6. Will they play outside? Where? How often? And in what temperatures? 
   This is very important for us since we are both working parents. If Blaire does not get outside during the day, she may only get to spend 30 minutes outside once we are home in the evenings. She LOVES to play outside and it helps to get out all of her energy when she can run around outdoors. Her current daycare has a great (age-appropriate) playground. They are also affiliated with a school system, so there are tennis courts near the daycare where the younger kids can run around on warmer weather days, and an indoor gym where they can take a walk to, and then play inside on cold days.
7. Are all caregivers CPR and First Aid certified?

I know it seems like next school year is far away, but you know how it is when you’re a parent… You blink and time flies by. So it’s never too early to start figuring out where your little one will go to school.

Ruffle Top | Distressed Denim | Booties | Hair Clips (sold out, similar here)

One “Back to School” tradition you can participate in whether your child is starting school or not, is back to school shopping! It’s the best time to stock up on clothing for the cooler weather that is bound to be coming around the corner. I am loving the trends at OshKosh B’gosh this fall. From casual graphic tees, to dressier ruffles, to tiny distressed denim, I love that Blaire can be on-trend for a great price! 

It’s not too late to support the B’gosh Jeanius Campaign. You can donate a new pair of jeans in-store or make a cash contribution in-store or online (at oshkosh.com/bgoshjenius through September 18. So far, they have collected over $1.1 million and distributed more than 66,000 articles of clothing since launching the program in 2014.  as an annual effort to support our. 

I wish you the best of luck finding the right school for your precious babe! The imagination of your child is something so wonderful and precious, finding the perfect school to help them thrive is such an exciting milestone. xo