How do parents make a tradeoff between quality and the cost of preschool education?

Answer 1

Price, in this case, is not always an indicator of quality. Quality refers to the type of care and educational/social skills that your child will receive from the staff. Quality can also refer to the level of expertise of the staff and the attachments they form with the children they care for. You want to look for the preschool where you feel your child will be loved unconditionally. Both of my children have attended a preschool where I feel that way about the staff. They know us personally, make us feel welcome all the time, take my thoughts and feelings seriously, resolve disagreements quickly, and there is a general feeling of respect between me and the staff. My children both loved going there, and they always greeted their teachers with big hugs every morning. I used to think that if my kids wanted to stay at school, even when I came to get them, that it was a good thing. It meant they felt safe and cared for by their teachers. The preschool they attended was in the moderate range for childcare prices in Southern Calif.... around $500/mo. for 5 days a week, 1/2 days. For the feeling I got, and the attachments my children made, it was worth it. There doesn't have to be a tradeoff... quality can come with a lower price, you just have to look carefully.

Answer 2

don't spend a million on preschool. Preschool is best for developing social skills. Working on your childs intellectual skills does not need to be done in a school at that age. Get your child in a school where they will be able to interact with other kids and adults and where you feel they will have the most room to grow socially. Then work with them yourselves to bring them to their intellectual potential (which you have hopefully been doing all along since birth). This will mean that your child is getting education from school, education from home, as well as social skills from school and family skills from home. Instilling a love for school, the ability to interact well with others, a strong educational foundation, and always needed family time will do more for your child than any exclusive preschool (or private school later of, for that matter) could do.