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I'm suspicious of any pre-kindergarten program that isn't upfront about what it's real purpose is - and that is almost always to provide a place to warehouse ch

I'm suspicious of any pre-kindergarten program that isn't upfront about what it's real purpose is - and that is almost always to provide a place to warehouse children during the day so that their parents can both work. I would agree with the study's comment that many children are not suited for a full-day school environment at four. When I was a child, half-day kindergarten was still the rule, and the height of our scholastic achievements was learning the letters and numbers and not to bite people, a tall order for many five-year-olds. Hopefully when I have children, I'll be able to live close enough to one or both sets of doting grandparents...

beart 8y ago
These programs tend to vary wildly in quality, which is why you run into situations where you have to wait list your child for over a year to get into a program. While it is true that school enables both parents to work, I don't think it is fair to classify them as warehouses. As a parent of two children under three, with a grand mother who loves to be involved, it is definitely wonderful. However, the boundaries can start to blur when you rely too much on family. The daycare relationship is more of a business relationship and much easier to deal with. You can also be assured that your children won't be eating ice cream every day.