What should I look out for when finding a playgroup

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Forum -> Chinuch, Education & Schooling

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amother

Firebrick

Sat, Dec 08 2018, 11:00 pm

I am a newbie in this field. Its my first child that I will be sending to playgroup. What should I look out for in deciding if it's the right playgroup? I always here stories about people that were unhappy , and wondering what are the warning signs if something's not ok with playgroup?

justmarried:)

Sat, Dec 08 2018, 11:23 pm

If it’s clean
If you like the teacher
How many children per adult ratio
If it’s spacious
That’s the main things that are important to me

amother

Ecru

Sat, Dec 08 2018, 11:45 pm

What age playgroup are you looking into?

amother

Firebrick

Sat, Dec 08 2018, 11:49 pm

18 to 24 months...

amother

Ecru

Sun, Dec 09 2018, 12:23 am

Justmarried mentions some great points.

You might also want to find out what the routine is...
Aspects like naptime duration, what happens with the kids when they wake up
How often diapers are changed
What procedure is if a kid in the group gets sick (I have had a playgroup morah keep sick kids all the time because she didn’t get paid for sick days off... and my son caught something new all the time)
If the teacher cooks for shabbos etc during playgroup hours when kids are awake
If teacher seems to be the type who would be willing to communicate
Also - when looking into student teacher ratio , be sure to specify what the MAXIMUM is . My friend had been told ratio was 1 babysitter per six kids and before she knew it there were another 4 kids and no additional help .... and there was obvious lack of supervision

Good luck!

amother

Oak

Sun, Dec 09 2018, 1:41 am

Go down to the place to see what it looks like. Clean, spacious, layout, ventilation, where the bathroom is located, etc. Ask to observe the teacher in action for a bit. (Teacher's reaction to your request will also tell you a lot.)

Pop in unannounced to see how the teacher interacts with the children. If the kids are safe and taken care of.

How many kids are in the group, and what is her maximum amount of kids she will accept. Note: She might not keep her word on this, but at least if you hear what she says, you get the feeling of how responsible she is. Is she trying to make every last dollar on the cheshbon of the kids or is she committed to the kids she already accepted?

Ask her if she helps out with toilet-training. My kids only went to playgroup once they were toilet-trained, but for others this can be important.

Listen to what people say and what they don't say.

amother

Firebrick

Sun, Dec 09 2018, 3:16 am

Thank you. Good points! Anybody care to share bad experiences and in retrospect how they should've noticed before? I once sent to a babysitter, a neighbor. I was young and naive, and was wondering why the other neighbors don't send to her, they all told me its for technical reasons. Like they want next to their work etc... She made pan amazing impression. Enough toys. Clean. Only 5 kids.... After a while she got upset because I paid Monday instead of Friday. She sent me away. When I was by the new babysitter I started realizing how pressured I was by neighbor. Heavy OCD. I always had to bring the exact food she wanted, she was very controlling. After living a whilr with her in building, it was very obvious that she is emotionally unwell. I can just hope no damage was done to my daughter. And I'm curious what are some warning signs, or good signs to be looked out for....

amother

Oak

Sun, Dec 09 2018, 9:43 am

Warning signs:

Seeing a kid doing something dangerous even ONCE while you drop off or pick up. That's also why I never use transportation for playgroup; I need to be see what's going on there and be in touch with the teacher daily.

I once saw a kid climbing onto a ledge right near a burning crockpot. Had I not shrieked, I don't want to think what would have happened...

A teacher who shmoozes excessively with mothers at pickup and drop-off is usually a sign that she's neglecting the kids. You're not the only mother she shmoozes with, so for a good portion of morning and afternoon, the kids aren't being supervised.

If any of the teachers/assistants are often not there at pick-up/drop-off when you're there on time. Gotta wonder when she arrives and leaves.

A teacher who brings her baby to playgroup might not be so present.

If your kid often comes home with a dirty pamper, or with a clean diaper but with a rash (which indicates the kid was in a dirty diaper the whole time and changed right before pick up), or if your kid is toilet-trained but often comes home with a change of clothing, they're not being taken care of toilet-wise. For a kid who is toilet-trained, you might see UTI's and anxiety associated with not having easy access to the bathroom.

When you pick up your kid, what are all the kids doing? In one place when I came to pick up my kid after extended hours, all except the front light were turned off and all the kids were in their coats and they were doing NOTHING. Literally not a toy to be seen. It bothered me because who knows how long they were lounging like this in the dark. To test it, I came half-hour earlier than usual (still part of extended hours), and I saw the same scene. I should have pulled my child then. Instead I called the owner of the playgroup and she ended up firing that teacher (and hiring another incompetent one).

And the main thing: If your kid keeps crying when you drop him off, even if he seems fine at pick-up, there's something wrong.

amother

Oak

Sun, Dec 09 2018, 9:46 am

Having said all that, I never sent a kid under 2 to playgroup. My kids were at the least 2 and 4 months before starting playgroup. Under 2 I sent to a babysitter. If you have a trusty babysitter, consider keeping your kid there for better care.

OOTforlife

Sun, Dec 09 2018, 9:50 am

A lot of good suggestions already.

You should ask how the teacher handles misbehavior.

You should also ask what her policy is on notifying parents. What kinds of things can you expect to be notified of immediately? What kinds of things can you expect to be notified at pickup?

OOTforlife

Sun, Dec 09 2018, 9:53 am

If it's in a private home, you should also ask who else will be in the home during playgroup hours. And follow-up questions if necessary.

amother

Oak

Sun, Dec 09 2018, 9:58 am

OOTforlife wrote:

Right. In one lovely place, it took me a few days to realize the teacher never asked for emergency contact info!

Chayalle

Sun, Dec 09 2018, 10:36 am

Look for a playgroup with a Morah and an assistant who is not related to the Morah. Basic safety. I did not send my kids to a playgroup where there is not two teachers.

Ema of 5

Sun, Dec 09 2018, 10:45 am

amother wrote:

I agree with you about everything except this. Please do NOT pop in unannounced. You can ask for time range, but popping in unannounced really throws everyone, including the Morah, and she may be left with an emotional mess to clean up. I had that once in a classroom I worked in, and it did NOT go well.

Ema of 5

Sun, Dec 09 2018, 10:51 am

Find out the vaccination policy and the sick policy, so there won’t be any surprises down the road.

Ask the food policy- do you send your own, does she provide, or do the parents send in on a rotation?

Find out what the extended hours are, and what the cost is.

amother

Blonde

Sun, Dec 09 2018, 11:11 pm

At least two teachers, regardless of how few kids in group
Teacher doesn't leave in the middle to run errands (I've met my son's morah doing a big order in the grocery. When I confronted her about it she said it was during naptime, and she couldn't understand why I was so bothered.)
Clean, 100% childsafe environment,
When asking specific questions before signing up, teacher listens to your questions and answers them respectfully without getting defensive about never having had a problem with whatever you're inquiring about
What is child to teacher ratio (6-7 per adult is pushing it already),
What is max amount of kids being accepted in group
Is the teacher in tune to the stages of early childhood development and early childhood education
If its in a home, does the teacher take care of housework during work hours,
Does the teacher sit and play with the kids
What is the daily schedule
Sick policy
Cleanliness with diaper changes- hand washing bet each child? does changing table get sanitized regularly? do toys get cleaned if child puts it in mouth?
Food policy; Do you send lunch? Any allergies in class? Do they provide? What kind of meals?
Make sure to give emergency contact info in case you're not reachable.

amother

Ivory

Mon, Dec 10 2018, 1:24 am

Agree with just about everything above. Also, the place should be clean, but not completely tidy. It should look like kids are playing.

Librarian

Mon, Dec 10 2018, 1:33 am

IMHO you should only be considering LEGAL day care options for your precious child. They are spot inspected every 3 months and the strict child to teacher ratio must be maintained at all times. CPR, first aid and many safety precautions are mandatory. Heath and cleanliness are top priorities. This is the way to go.

amother

Oak

Mon, Dec 10 2018, 1:42 am

eema of 3 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".

amother

Oak

Mon, Dec 10 2018, 1:44 am

Librarian wrote:

Except in places where they pull all kinds of shtick you might not know of.

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