I just need some support and encouragment....

[laurabfig]

Hi mamas...I just feel this is the only place I could vent honestly about my kids' preschool and find support. They just began going to a little church preschool that is much cheaper than the montessori they were in last year....I wasn't convinced that montessori was the best and we couldn't afford it this year anyway. So here they are...in a small preschool and the first day my daughter tells me:
"i watched teletubbies and bob the builder at school today!"

I'm thinking maybe she was playing, but turns out, yes, they allow TV during 5-5:30 at night before i pick them up. ( i have to work or else I would get them earlier). she told me again the next day: "i watched teletubbies again when i took my nap". so i approach the teacher again...yes, we watch for 15 minutes while we are getting their mats and blankets out.

then today i had to get my daughter for a dr. appointment and i go in her classroom at 9:45 in the morning and they are eating chocolate chip cookies for a snack! we returned from her doctor appt. and they were having a b-day party for one of her classmates and they didn't save a piece of cake for her (which i wish they would have done even though i don't like her eating so much sweets but for a party i like her to get to be a part of things). she was so sad and felt left out and the teachers said NOTHING to her when we walked in in the middle of the party.

i think i just got off on the wrong foot with the school. everyone seems really nice but there has been so much that makes me upset and i have no good to balance it out with. we can't afford to send them anywhere else and i don't want to transistion them to another place again anyway. both of my kids like it there (my son is 2 1/2 and in a younger class then her)....i guess with getting to watch TV and eat choc. chip cookies who wouldn't like it there?!

Oh please, someone just tell me things could be worse....!!!

OK, gotta go to work. I had a few minutes to vent here during my lunch break! Thanks for understanding...and please feel free to share your stories!

[lisalou]

We had a daycare teacher for a brief period of time who allowed TV at all sorts of times in the toddler room. We complained about it and got it changed.

I don't know, regardless of how you feel about TV to be honest, I don't pay a preschool or a daycare to "babysit" my child by putting them in front of the TV. As my friend said, "It's my job to rot her brain not the daycare's." So no, I wouldn't feel comfortable with it. I can understand every once in a while at the very end of the day when our daycare mixes rooms and is just waiting for all the kids to be picked to put a video on. But not on a regular basis, to me that's not what preschool is for.

As for snacks, dd gets breakfast and lunch there and 2 snacks. If someone wants to bring in a birthday treat it becomes the afternoon snack. Generally food the served is pretty healthy so I don't mind the occasional sugar laden snack, personally. If I found out that she had sugar all day or even for 2 snacks, I'd be pretty pissed.

[boongirl]

I would make an appointment with the director and talk to her/him about your concerns. Tell her the things you like about the school and the things you don't like and ask her how those things you don't like can be remedied. It sounds to me like there are some things happening that you don't like but you also don't have the school perspective on. Talking over it will help clear a lot up and make you feel better.