PRESCHOOL REVIEWS

Recently I started to think about where we are going to send Milo to preschool, and over the weeks and months I've become more obsessed about it. When I hear about cost, interviews, and wait lists, it kind of makes my head spin. I don't want this preschool process to drive me to drink during the day. Instead, I'd like it to be a fun, challenging learning experience. 

So, I've started to do some homework. I've pored through posts on DC Urban Mom's (DCUM) listserv, I've tapped our local U Street, Dupont Circle, and Kalorama Yahoo groups, and have even scoured the well known suburban blog: A Parent in Silver Spring (APISS). The best thing I've found so far was a post written by Jessica McFadden of APISS. It's called Paen to Parents with Preschool Paranoia, you should read it, learn from it, and know this process too shall pass. 

In combing through the web, I have yet to find a comprehensive website for DC parents of toddlers going through this process. It appears to be a free for all--with so many different choices. When I think of DC preschools, a few choice schools come to mind. You know, the ones that everybody's talking about. If you live in the U Street area like we do, chances are these schools are all the way across town.

I want my child to go to a great preschool, but I don't think I should have to buy a car to get him to this prized place of early learning five zip codes away. I am determined to find a school close by that fits the needs of our family. Will I succeed? At this point, I have no idea. What I do know, though, is that there will be no preschool I have not visited. I am going everywhere within walking, biking, and a couple of metro stops distance, and will get the scoop. I'll meet with the directors, I'll peek in classrooms, ask the tough questions, and I'll share my experience with you. 

Check back in the coming weeks and months as I review our U Street area preschools. This will include Shaw, Columbia Heights, Dupont Circle, and some other neighborhoods easily accessed by public transportation, foot, or bike. I'm coming up with a standard format for the reviews so you can expect to find the most important details. 

Wish me luck!