Which playgroup ratio would you choose

amother

Wed, Sep 06 2023, 1:40 pm

If you have two options of places to choose from for a 12-18m old, would you send to a morah with 8 kids plus her 1 kid or send to a morah with an assistant with 15 kids plus her own 2 kids. Ik they are both not ideal but if you only had those two options right now which would you go for. The first morah doesn’t have an assistant the second does.
* I’m asking on behalf of someone who asked me. This is not for my kid.

amother

Sapphire

Wed, Sep 06 2023, 1:46 pm

In general I prefer more kids with an assistant, but if the morah has two of her own kids in the group, I would be concerned that she would have her hands full with her own kids and is leaving the assistant with the other kids frequently.

So I would choose the first.

scintilla

Wed, Sep 06 2023, 1:55 pm

Depends on the morahs. If the morah is good I would prefer the second. There's something about a second hand available that I think really ups the quality of care, and I'm saying that as both a preschool teacher and mother.

amother

Chestnut

Wed, Sep 06 2023, 1:59 pm

I would go with the two morahs.
Morahs are human and need to use the bathroom/take a drink sometimes... At least you know the kids are not being totally unsupervised during that time

amother

Fern

Wed, Sep 06 2023, 2:00 pm

amother OP wrote:

To a morah with 9 kids but no assistant, or a morah with 17 kids with an assistant?
So with your kid, it would be a 10:1 or 18:2 (9:1) ratio.
I'd say the second one, if all else is equal.

That said - it's usually not all equal - one will have a contract and the other won't, one will be a warmer and more loving type than the other, one will have better hours or a better price or be trained in first aid.

Visit without your child to get a feel for the atmosphere, ask parents who send there (hard questions), and visit with your child to see where your child is more comfortable (kids pick up on vibes). Go with your gut.