Vent about my sons preschool

[the1bea]

Just need to vent a bit. Dont need to reply, i just need to vent.

My son is 3. He has been sick for the past year, holed up in a hospital. So he is a little behind socially because of that. Plus I do not have anyone his age group that he knows. So that is why I wanted him to do preschool, to interact with kids his age and get away from us. Well, I had a choice, Head Start, or the Rec. Center where my mom works. I chose the Rec Center. My mom offered to pay the $75 a month. Plus I did NOT want him to go to school with all of the neighborhood brats, whos parents let them run wild while they are at the bar, or lock them out of the house while they do goodness knows what. My neighborhood is horrid!!! Plus the Rec Center offers awesome things that Head Start just can't offer to students. Swimming, Rock Climbing, Gymnastics weekly. :) Plus monthly feild trips, ect... It was an awesome preschool.

Anyways, we always felt that his teacher was just not "right" for the job. She used to be a HS teacher, and this was her 2nd year as a PS teacher. And we felt like she just did not like us at all!!! Would not talk to us, anything. No say Hi or Bye when we dropped him off for class. The 1st class field trip in Sept., we had to pay $2.00 per person to get in, (it was in an apple orchard and they got to pick apples) she did not even take our money because not once did she even talk to us!!! And she thinks my son is aggressive. He hit 1 kid last week, but why did he hit? Another kid stepped on his hand. Did she see that? No, of course not. So my son has a problem with structered enviroments. What 3 year old wants to sit in a circle and read a story, when he can go play on computers?!?!

So we had to have a meeting with her and the preschool admin yesterday, since he is "agressive and she has been reciveing a ton of complaints from ALL parents" Since my son has been sick the past year, he is a little behind in social skills, and he is not articulate in speech so he is hard to understand. He is in speech therapy to help with that. No big deal, its not like he is 30 and has to REALLY worry about social and speaking skills. Goodness, he is ONLY THREE YEARS OLD!!! They wanted us to put him in Head Start to help with his "delays". Ya know, if my son was such a problem and she wanted to keep him in the class, she would allow us to join the class and make sure everything went well with him. (we have to be parent helpers oce a month) did she want us to be in the class -NO!!! Sigh. So what was REALLY going on in the class room??? I was a parent helper only once. The school day is only 2 hours long. It took her OVER a half an hour to talk to me!!!

So I took him out of the program.

I guess this is for the best of him and us. Why pay someone if you are not happy with the work. Plus I dont need a kid tramatized by the school enviroment. I have, hopefully the next 20 years for that. If he goes to university. ;)

that is my vent right now.

[twinkiesmom]

first year is always the hardest. My two just turned 3 when they started daycare and omg - they were always sick. But once they get exposed to all the cooties, it seems to go a little better. Also, once they get used to that environment w/other kiddies, etc., it seems to fall into place. I have a kid that can be a brat at times, and last year, I would occasionally go be a 'classroom helper' just to make my presence known and give him the evil eye if I hafta. It always helps if you can be a part of your child's classroom. Hopefully, the next PS will be better for you!

[Willow]

My son went to Head Start when he was 3 years old. I was working at the time and chose to enroll him in Head Start instead of private day care. He's always been very social so that wasn't a problem for him. The only problem he had was when it came to nap time. He had stopped taking naps before he turned 2 years old. He didn't want to have to lay on a cot. He wanted to be playing. How can you force a child that isn't tired to lay on a cot. That was really the only problem we had with it.

[ajksmom]

My daughter just turned 4, and she is enrolled in the Head Start Home Based program. Maybe that would be a better option for you, if offered.
Here my daughter's teacher Mrs. Faith is a wonderful lady, she comes to our home once a week for an in home visit. At these visits WE (it is parent/child based) work on our goals (ours now is letter recognition) and do educational things together. The social part comes at least 2 times a month with socializations. At these all the home based kids and parents meet and do activities, play together and just basically socialize. My child gets to make frequent visits to the classroom (as long as they are not full) to spend the day, and I am always more than welcom to stay and help out, (they even had me fill out app. to be a sub), plus the kids get to go on field trips with the classroom students and even just some home based field trips.
My daughter had not had much socializing with other children her age last year before she started this program. All she ever had was one on one with her cousin or the little girl up the road. At first she was not one to sit on the carpet for a story either, but now she does really well int he classroom.
So maybe if it is an option for you, this would be a good first time thing, and then next year he might be more ready to be involved full time in the classroom.
GOOD LUCK WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO DO.