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Juliette McDonald our Preschool Expert

Meet Universal Preschool's Preschool Expert: Juliette McDonald

Juliette McDonald is the owner of Little Bloomers In-Home Preschool, a private preschool located on the San Francisco Peninsula. She also offers children's art and music classes. She has been committed to working with children and parents for the past 35 years. Juliette has completed intense studies in child development, with a strong influence on art and music. She is a Laurel Springs ISP Correspondent teacher, curriculum design specialist, and a private tutor.

Juliette is the author of a three-volume set of parent co-op art books entitled, Borrowed Recipes for Exploratory Arts. Juliette is also a song writer, singer, recording artist, and performer. She has written and recorded her first two children's CD's, Around and Around, and Kitty Vacation, and is now working on her third CD, It's A Brand New Day.

Juliette is a homeschool mom and together with her two daughters, Yvette and Alainah, she performs children's family concerts throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Juliette welcomes your inquiries. For more information, E-mail her or visit her website at www.littlebloomers.com.

We asked Juliette to share her views on government funded and/or mandated preschool-for-all programs, and to provide some guidelines for selecting a private preschool program...

Government Preschools?

Government preschools? What are we thinking? The early years of life are a time when children are developing trust and a sense of self. In a perfect world, the very best place for them to be is in the family home, in the loving care of parents and other family members.

I know it's not a perfect world. There are situations that occur that make it necessary to put children in the care of others. In fact, I offer such care for families in my home. However, the thoughtful placement of a child's care and education needs to remain in the hands of parents, not in the hands of government.

Every parent knows that each child is unique and has their own individual interests, needs, learning styles, feelings and intelligences.

In the first five years of life, children learn at a very intense rate of growth, much faster than at any other time in human development. They are developing physically, cognitively, emotionally and spiritually. The "best" way to offer an environment that provides our children the "right" approach to learn and develop has been argued by early childhood specialists for years: nature versus nurture, play versus structure, holistic versus academic, religious versus secular, and home versus school. All of these options and more have resulted in great debates in the early childhood arena. But no one debates that parental involvement is the key to a child's academic and life success.

Every parent knows that each child is unique and has their own individual interests, needs, learning styles, feelings and intelligences. This is most evident in the early years. How then, can we expect the government to choose the "right" curriculum for all of our young children? We should not. The decision on what kind of learning environment a child should have must be left exclusively to parents, the only teachers children will have throughout their entire lifetime.

The needs of our children and families are diverse and individual. It's complicated. Mandating and funding government preschool programs would eliminate options. There is no one "right" way for every child to learn. We must protect our right to direct our children's early education without government intervention.

Weighing the Choices

Where the cost of living is extremely high, it may be necessary for both parents to work outside of the home, requiring parents to choose some form of childcare or preschool environment. There are also occasions when every parent needs good childcare. Parents should be able to freely interview and pick their own personal placement that fits well for their children and their families. Here are my suggestions for finding a good match for your family when needed:

  1. Allow plenty of time - Finding a "good fit" with a childcare provider takes time. Allow plenty of time to explore your options.
  2. Make a list of the pros and cons of each childcare option available to you such as: an in-home childcare provider, a private preschool, a parent co-op preschool program, hiring a professional nanny or babysitter, or having a family member care for your children.
  3. Compare costs. Some of the things to consider include: Is working outside of your home and paying for childcare really cost effective? Add up all of the costs for childcare including hidden costs as well -- tuition, field trips, materials/supplies, food, diapers, deposits, your travel expense and time and subtract this from your income to make sure it really is financially beneficial to work outside your home. Compare that to what your costs would be if you stay home with your child.
  4. Consider the emotional cost. Take a good inventory of your feelings as well as your child's. Is this going to relieve stress or cause more stress in your life? Is your child ready emotionally to be away from you, and are you emotionally ready to be away from your child?

Things to Look For in a Preschool Program

Let's go for a spin!

If you have decided that you need to place your children outside your home and family's care, here are some things to consider:

Watch me make a masterpiece!

Interview the program principle, teachers, and/or nanny more than once. I suggest you take a list of these question and any others you may have along with you when you visit a program or interview a nanny. Be sure to take notes right after the interview -- before driving away in your car or right after the nanny has left. It can get confusing after you have visited and/or talked to several people. You may be able to get some of these questions answered on the phone prior to a visit.

When you choose a place or nanny, do make surprise visits and ask about details in the day. Also, listen to your children. They will tell you through their words or behavior if the program or childcare provider you choose is working or not.

For more helpful information from our author, be sure to read Staying Home With Your Children

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