Change preschool based on potential but as-yet nonexistent new job?
Hi Folks!
I'm graduating from my MSW (master of social welfare) program in May, and will be looking for jobs starting sometime soon thereafter. I LOVE the preschool my younger son (age 4 as of January 2017) is in now (Casa Cerrito in El Cerrito) - however, their hours are 9am - 5pm, with no extended care options.
I'm guessing most MSW jobs will want me to be on-site from 9am-5pm, but seeing as I don't yet have a job, and don't know where it'll be in relation to where we live, it seems silly to move him out of a school he and I love, and they love him. However, I'm also remembering that most preschools do registration in February, and often have wait lists, sooo......I'm not sure what to do.
Casa Cerrito is also cheaper by about $400-600/month than the longer, local preschools I've looked up.
So I guess I have two questions:
1 - Should I bite the bullet and just sign up for a longer day preschool that will give me the option to work longer hours?
2 - Are there real jobs out there that offer some hours flexibility and that might be open to me working 7-hour days to facilitate dropoff and pickup?
Thanks!
Parent Replies
I recommend keeping him where he is, and then filling in with a babysitter/nanny for extended care if you need it. Remember that during the summer El Cerrito Recreation camps do have extended care (7am-6pm), so that buys you more time.
I wouldn't move him from a preschool that he likes until you absolutely have to - why commit to raising your preschool expenses until it's necessary? My daughter went to Casa so I am familiar with the dealio there. If you like it and want to stay, talk to other families about providing care for your boy before or after school - like you drop him off at another Casa family's house at 8, and pick him up from someone's house at 6? You'd pay them of course, but it still might work out better for everyone than the stress of finding a new preschool. A lot of grandparents do the Casa dropoff/pickups, so they might be interested in some extra cash.
Another thought on your #2 is to look for jobs with school districts, which I believe may have 6.5-7 hour days for some positions. Good luck!