What should I look out for when finding a playgroup

Ema of 5

Mon, Dec 10 2018, 7:44 am

amother wrote:

I didn't pop in unannounced to observe the teacher. I made an excuse to drop in there during the day. I needed to hand back in some papers, so instead of going at night to the teacher's house, I purposely knocked in at the playgroup during operating hours. I was there for less than a minute, but what I saw set my mind at ease.

I hear what you're saying about coming into the classroom unannounced, but I feel that it's within my rights as a prospective mother to do the above. I would do it in a proper school environment, so why not in a playgroup setting?

Once your kid is in the playgroup, there are multiple opportunities, such as unexpectedly dropping off later than usual or coming to pick up way earlier (you can have a doctor's appointment or something...) This gives you a glimpse of what's taking place during the day when the teacher isn't expecting mothers and is not "putting on her best behavior".

You’re right, two seconds doesn’t really throw things off. Longer than that could though. You stay to watch the kids for a few minutes, you talk to the teacher for a minutes.....any of those could potentially upset the rhythm.
When my kids are in proper school, everything I need to drop off for them goes to the office, they are never disturbed.
One year when I was in a playgroup, we had a kid who would very often come late. That would have been fine, except that his mother always lingered when dropping him off, making it harder on him when she finally did leave, and also upsetting another child, who now wanted her mommy because the other kids mommy was there. After about 2 weeks of this, she was asked to please just drop him off and go.

My4Jewels

Mon, Dec 10 2018, 7:53 am

As a preschool morah just know that there are some kids who cry almost every day at drop off and stop a few seconds after the mom leaves. These kids are perfectly happy all day but at the moment of disconnect from mom they cry.

So I wouldnt say necessarily that if your child cries at drop off that it for sure means something isn’t right.