Quick can everyone help me decide!

[heliana]

Keeping the childcare section alive, its yet another post from me teehee!

Ok, Im v lucky, I have been offered 2 great places for dd for kindy next year. i have to decide by wednesday which one to take. Can you all help please?

First one is a montessori and the other is a c&k.
Both are really lovely places.
The C&K is just around the corner from my house, while the Montessori is 20mins drive.
The C&K is smaller eg. there are three multi age rooms in the Montessori, and as far as I know just the one class at the C&K.
I like the idea of the Montessori education and also there are some little things I like, like they can use natural sunscreen, they let the kids chop up their own fruit for morning tea, they have a water filter with real glasses for the kids to get themselves drinks, and they are very respectful of the kids.
Probably more chance of meeting other like minded parents if she goes to the montessori.
Don't think either will follow on to the same school as dd. Maybe the C&K has more chance, but it has a school just near it and we are going to one a little further away.
The days are better for the Montessori - Tues & Wed, while the C&K is Thurs, Fri, and every second Wednesday. Who knows what days I'll have at uni next year but my Mum currently has her days off on Thurs Fri so she can mind dd on those days if Im stuck. (She is willing to change her days though)
The C&K we can walk to (Big plus), while the Montessori is a fair drive in the opposite direction to my uni.
.. But, its in such a nice spot, near the sea.

Oh Im soooo stuck. Keep leaning one way then the other. Going to have a look at the C&K on Wednesday, but I think I will have to let them know straight away, because its very in demand.

What do you think? Which would you choose? Why?

[Floweryfields]

How do they feel - what's the atmosphere like? Arrive when the parents are either picking up or dropping off and get a sense for what the families are like, will you fit in well with you and viceversa.

In the end, if they are both so close, is the price different? Could that be what decides it for you.

[Patooties]

I can't really comment on the Montessori kindergarten as I've never been to one, but have to say that my 2 older dd's went to a C & K kindy and we all absolutely loved it. I guess it is one of those things though, that it depends alot on the kind of program the teacher loves. Perhaps when you visit the C&K, ask them about their philosphy, and bring up some of the points that impress you with the Montessori program. You may find that they adopt many of the Montessori ideas.
good luck

[Rivlas]

One thing to think about is how tired you will be a the end of the day. A quick walk to pick up your DD & refresh yourself or having to drive the extra miles in traffic after Uni.
Sorry, just my practicable mind at work

[bon]

I love the C&K kindy that my DD currently goes to, and my DS went to two years ago. It is just a fantastic place, with fantastic teachers who really nurture and encourage the children. I don't really know anything about Montessori, but I can definitely recommend C&K.

[2CheekyMonkeys]

i would go the C&k, it is a community based care and so you could join in the parent committee if you wanted to and get some of the things you liked about montessori possibly included in the C&k group.

i tried to get into the c&k at deception bay but they had a massive waiting list :-(

[bon]

Hollo - that's where my kids go. It really is a great kindy

[MantaRay]

This really isn't an easy one hun. I think so much depends on the child. I think C&Ks are excellent for most kids - DS1 is at one this year - but I don't think that it suits all kids. The same with Montessori - it is a great system, and I love their values. And I think it is particularly good for the kids that don't fit in so well at a C&K. But there will be other kids who don't do so well there, or if they do, they might not do so well going back into a more mainstream education system when they start school. WIthout knowing your DD, I couldn't begin to advise you on which way you should go.

FWIW we drive for 10 mins to get to day care and kindy and it's quite manageable, but an easy walk would be better. My DS1 has some special needs, so for me, finding the place where he will fit in best is more important than convenience. However this is probably different for a child who would do well at either place (which would be most kids I think).

Sorry that's not very helpful.

[2CheekyMonkeys]

hey, bon if you can pull some strings and get my DD in that would be great! :-) LOL

[luna moth]

I would probably go for the C & K.
I'm not that keen on Montessori, really, despite having gone to a Montessori kindy myself. I'm all about freedom within play, and "true" Montessori doesn't really encourage that - each set activity has a set way to carry it out, and the child will be corrected by the teacher if they're not doing something "properly" I think that every child has enough chances in their life to be told they're doing something wrong, so why start early?
If they don't operate this way and it's not a "true" Montessori kinder, then they're using the name as a gimmick to attract a certain kind of parent. Which I also don't agree with. But some people, like my mum, love the Montessori method.

That's my $0.02

[bon]

hey, bon if you can pull some strings and get my DD in that would be great! :-) LOL

LOL would love to but somehow I don't think I would have that much influence. But you never know your luck - you could put her on the waiting list anyway. Next year they are changing to a 5 day fortnight, and I have a feeling that some of the kids on the list will not be enrolling because of that (makes it hard for parents who are studying or working because you do either mon, tues or thurs, fri and alternate wednesdays).

[2CheekyMonkeys]

ooo, thanks for the tip bon. might pop in one day next week and put her on list. i'll say you recommended me ;-)

[luna moth]

The five day fortnight is INFURIATING - also for childcare centres in the surrounding area! We have to try and fill in their gaps. That is one thing I don't like about C & K - they don't seem to provide wholistic family support, or recognise individual family requirements.

On waiting lists... ALWAYS put your name down if there is no space! Easier to get your name off a waiting list down the track if you change your mind than it is to get it on!

[bon]

I know what you mean - we don't want to change to a five day fortnight but C&K are basically forcing us. It is supposed to make it fairer for all families as it means that everybody gets the same number of hours, instead of having a group of children do 3 days a week and a group that only does 2days a week. If we don't make the change, we basically won't be able to be affiliated to C&K anymore and that means our funding goes.

[MantaRay]

As a family with both parents working full time, we have found this year, with DS1 at C&K, pretty tough. There is the alternate Wednesdays, and the short days. They only go from 9 til 2:30. If I drop him off at 9, I don't get to work (by train) until nearly 10:15, and to pick him up I would have to leave at 1:15. Then there are school holidays, and the extra things - such as concerts for term break up that are at 1pm, and invariably on the day that my ILs pick him up. It really makes it hard for all of us. Their curriculm is great, but it is very hard on the family. We couldn't do it without lots of help from the PIL, and also my work being flexible - I work from home one day a week to make the drop off and pick up easier, and I also start late on kindy Wednesdays and make the time up.

[heliana]

Thank-you all so much for your replies!
I did read them last night before I went along this morning, but I was too tired to reply then.
Well, I went along to the C&K this morning to have a look, and its really nice. Big backyard, happy kids, really relaxed teachers. And its tucked away in the park under big trees.
I loved it! Reminded me of my kindy when I was a kid.
Was a bit worried, because when I was looking at cc's, the c&k one was the worst. But this is just a kindy, not cc, and it seems good.
They have the 5 day fortnight there as well, that would be really frustrating trying to fit work around that.
My Mum said enroll her in both (The c&k and montessori), then just send her for 2 days at each place. So four days in total, and miss the alternate wed. Not sure about that one, but its a thought. Especially since I wont know what days I need until the last minute.
Snugglybean, thats a good point. It does seem to be a true montessori, and they had some great activities there, but the director was showing me the blocks, that they line up in order, and I asked, 'what happens if they just want to build a castle or something' and the look on her face sort of said no, but she said, oh they can do what they want, but we don't encourage them to knock about the blocks because they are very expensive'. Actually I think she mentioned the word expensive about three times but other than that I liked it there.
Rivlas, thats a good point too, Im usually pretty shagged by the end of the day and I will have to allow the extra time to pick her up.
MantaRay, yes I know what you mean. Her personality I think she would easily fit in a Montessori, she seems happy to play by herself, quietly working on something and gets a bit overwhelmed by the groups of kids running around. But then she goes to cc now and is happy there.
Hmm anyway, thanks again. I enrolled her in the C&K and I think I will be happy to take her there. Not sure yet if we will take the days at the montessori as well. Think I have a week to pay the deposit.
I might have to just so I know if I have Uni all day on say a tuesday, she can still have somewhere to go. I suppose I could try and find her a single day at a family day care if it happens that I need it, but I usually have only a few weeks notice to do so, and I would like to get her settled in. Alot of centres around here have a minimum of 2 days. The montessori has min 2, and the kindy is 2-3. Her current cc has min 2 also.
What do you do when your children go to kindy? Do they just go to kindy? Or do they have other days in care?

[heliana]

Gosh I just realised what a long post that was
blablablah

[2CheekyMonkeys]

i dont like the sound of the montessori.. you gotta question their priorities when all they worry about is how much something cost not the development and enjoyment of the children.. hmmmm

but if you like it i dont see any harm in doing both montessori and c&k. which suburb are you in by the way?