Figuring out Montessori times

[physmom]

DH and I are moving in about a month to a new city and DD will start a Montessori school there (we're going to go visit first in a week or two but unless things are drastically different from what we've seen on their site and our conversations with them we plan to send her there). I'll be going back to work full time so we were planning to send her to their full day program from 10:30-6pm. They have one that's even longer still but I just don't want to be away from her so long (I have very flexible work hours).

Well, that was the original plan but you know how plans go... you have everything figured out and then the next week you find out you're pregnant. ;) So now we're really rethinking what we should do. The cost of sending DD to the full-day program is R$2,000 a month (since we're paid in that currency just think of it as $2,000 a month even though the exchange rate is different). We can afford that but for two kids would really be pushing it (especially since we need to save up to buy our own place!!!). Option 1: What we were thinking of doing then once baby #2 comes and my maternity leave is up is switch DD to the mornings class and then hire a nanny in the afternoons. Baby #2 could actually also go in the mornings since they have a 0-3 program there too and the nanny could just pick them both up afterwards. However, DH and I can definitely see the problems with that since that might be a lot of change during the day for the baby (two different caregivers every day). Plus, it might be hard for DD to go from full-days (with her friends in there) to half-days. The total costs would probably be about R$3000 for us.

Option 2: would be to keep the baby with the nanny all day and DD at school at day but I don't like that at all because the kids would never see each other. :(

Option 3: the baby stay with the nanny all day and DD does half-days. In that case we can hire transportation from the school to our home but we have to check out how safe it is first. This may be the best option since the baby would have the same caregiver but DD will still get the benefits of going to preschool with friends and getting some "big kid" time to herself.

Option 4: we just send both of the kids to the Montessori school all day. I know DH prefers this because he doesn't trust nannies here. Most are very uneducated, according to him, and he feels like it might very well be hard to find someone who could keep up with the two kids and still interact with them well (as in be able to read books to them, etc). Plus at school some of the teachers at least understand English and they do have English lessons so DD would get a bit of that whereas with a nanny she wouldn't at all. But the costs are so high!!! We're going to see if we can get some sort of deal for the second kid but I don't have much hope for that.

I don't know... I'd appreciate any input. If we knew we could get a good nanny it would be one thing but DH (who grew up here) is certain that might be very difficult.

[carmel23]

Honestly 10:30 to 6 seems like a very long day for a young child.  My daughter is newly 4 and is exhausted after being in school 1/2 days, and she has 3 siblings so she is certainly used to being with children, but school is different. 

I don't know which option will pan out, and I think you might have to see once you are there.  But that's my two cents.  Hope it is somewhat helpful.

[CatsCradle]

My DD has been in a full-time Montessori for three years (she's 4.5).  She has done fantastic.  I think the success is two-fold:  first, she has been used to this schedule for some time now, so I think she has adjusted accordingly.  Second, I would take a hard look at the daily schedule of the school.  I know that for the half-day kids (which is in the mornings), they are engaged in their Montessori work the whole time they are there.  Not so for the full-time kids.  There are several hours of Montessori work in the morning, then lunch and nap, then much free play, then group activities, then a walk if weather permits, then back to free-play, reading, singing, etc. until pick-up time.  The Montessori "work" occurs mostly in the morning.  The rest of the day is more play-based.  Also, the full-day kids get to take numerous field trips to museums, they go to music class at another location once a week, they have swimming on Thursdays and on Fridays they usually participate in ethnic cooking for lunch.  

I'm not a nanny person myself, although I know that it works well for a lot of people.  Full time Montessori has worked really well for us.  Good luck in your decision.

[physmom]

Thanks for the input from both of you.  DD's basically been in every type of childcare situation imaginable (me WAH, daycare, part-time nanny, daycare, and with a grandparent).  It's been a crazy ride but when it came to ease of us leaving and what situation she seemed the happiest I think it was the daycare (granted, it was a really, really great day that was a multi-age environment in a foreign language to her with tons of wood toys and lots of outdoor play and one-on-one attention).  Our babysitter was also great but something about me leaving the home environment really stresses her out.  

I have a feeling she'll do just fine in the full-day environment and it might be easier than half days and switching to a nanny the second half of the day (transitions are not always easy for her).  Plus she's really social and enjoys having other kids around her.  I remember after she had settled in at the daycare when I would go to pick her up she'd be all excited to show off her friends there to me.  I *think* since it's a full-day program it's much more like what catscradle described sort of a combination between montessori (maybe during the morning since I don't think they afternoon just an afternoon session) and a daycare.  I know they have a larger campus (this place goes from newborns up to 9th grade) with gardens that the kids take care of etc so there's plenty of room to play there.  

If we could afford it I'd love sending both kids there because like catscardle we feel more comfortable in a non-nanny environment (we really lucked out with our last one but like I said DH isn't hopefully for finding someone as good her locally).  Then the kids would be together all day (well, more or less since I'm sure DD would have a work period and the newborn probably not ).  I'm still hoping they give us a good deal but I doubt it will happen. 

[Dar]

Your daughter just turned two and you're due with your second in 8 months? Is there some reason you need to plan so far ahead? I'd start with your daughter and not worry about what to do a year down the road yet... your daughter might love her class and want to stay all day, or she might find it tiring and she might get better with transitions... your new baby might be happiest at home with a nanny for a while, or he might be the kind of baby who always wants to be where the action is. It just seems like borrowing trouble to worry about it now...

[physmom]

I guess, I just like to plan ahead.  It's actually 7 months, not 8, but it does matter to some extent because if we want to go the nanny route we'll want to start looking for one ASAP so DD is already used to her.  It would also be good to have an idea financially wise if we're going to be spending an extra R$1,000 a month in a few months or not because we'll be looking for apt soon and that will, obviously make an impact on our price range.  I was just hoping to hear if anyone else had a similar experience or some insight into the problem.   

Originally Posted by Dar 

Your daughter just turned two and you're due with your second in 8 months? Is there some reason you need to plan so far ahead? I'd start with your daughter and not worry about what to do a year down the road yet... your daughter might love her class and want to stay all day, or she might find it tiring and she might get better with transitions... your new baby might be happiest at home with a nanny for a while, or he might be the kind of baby who always wants to be where the action is. It just seems like borrowing trouble to worry about it now...