https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 17 Jun 2026 12:20:31 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unhappy-with-preschool-#post-1895809 Thu, 09 Oct 2014 18:07:31 +0000 hummusgirl 1895809@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just wanted to update that we spoke with the director and it went well. *She,* unlike the teachers, was very warm and understanding - said she appreciated our raising the issue to her, she completely understood where we're coming from, preschool teachers should be loving and caring, she'd work with the teachers to improve, etc. </p> <p>That was last week and we haven't seen a huge difference in LO's teachers (as expected, you can't force loving and energetic if you're just not), but they have been trying, I think. And today, for the first time, my husband reported that when he dropped LO off, he said "Down!" and ran off to play instead of clinging and crying. </p> <p>We're still looking at other places but as long as LO seems happy, I feel a lot better about leaving him there, at least for another few months while we're on the wait list for other places. Thanks for all the advice. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unhappy-with-preschool-#post-1883902 Wed, 01 Oct 2014 08:28:42 +0000 LittlePinkHouses 1883902@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Are they not warm or just introverted? My DD has a teacher (still in the infant room) who is very introverted, but a wonderful caregiver. She's just not effusive. Just very calm and quiet. </p> <p>That said, if it's really a sour attitude, I think that says a lot (negatively) about the preschool. I would tour other places. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unhappy-with-preschool-#post-1883361 Tue, 30 Sep 2014 19:14:34 +0000 Mrs. Pen 1883361@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't view 24 months as preschool age- still toddlers! My son is 31 months and still in the toddlers room at his daycare, but either toddler or preschool I agree that you want your LO somewhere that they are valued and loved! I know no one could ever love my son the way I do and I don't expect that, but I also know my son is extremely affectionate so it warms my heart when I hear one of his teachers tell me they were giving hugs and kisses! I think kids need to feel like they belong. It would worry me if my child was asking to not go to school- it would weigh so heavily on my heart!! We had a hard adjustment period, but even though he was having a hard time- he still loved being there, so we stuck it out. </p> <p>I think touring other places is a good idea. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unhappy-with-preschool-#post-1883268 Tue, 30 Sep 2014 17:36:39 +0000 kakimochi 1883268@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>at preschool age, it seems pretty important to have warm teachers, and at any school, you would want teachers who are excited about teaching. I can see at my daughter's preschool teachers are warm and caring and have conversations with her as soon as she walks into the room. and I see the other kids too, how much they enjoy their teachers. that's good you are talking to the administrator, but yeah, you can't force someone to be warm and excited, I would definitely look around and see what your options are. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unhappy-with-preschool-#post-1883244 Tue, 30 Sep 2014 17:07:59 +0000 NovBaby1112 1883244@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hummusgirl: lol, well I'm a first time parent too and my LO is 2 months younger than yours...so take my advice with a grain of salt! It's just my opinion that anyone working directly with children- whether its a daycare, preschool, etc- should have their hearts in it, be friendly, loving, and a source of comfort for children. It would be concerning to me if I thought they didn't care about the job and were just going through the motions, like you said. If your LO was older, like 4+, than I would probably feel differently, but even then- all teachers should be engaged and interact/speak with their children/students. Hope that makes sense! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unhappy-with-preschool-#post-1883192 Tue, 30 Sep 2014 16:18:33 +0000 brownie 1883192@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hummusgirl: It was the best transition we have ever had (he has always struggled with school. He often told us he doesn't want to go but I got to see the schools and the teachers and I know there wasn't a problem he just loves us). By the second day he runs in and participates. </p> <p>Our issue was that we moved started a new preschool it was terrible and so we moved him again. I will tell you that he has changed for the better since then. He is so much more well behaved and hasn't had many accidents since the transition. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unhappy-with-preschool-#post-1883190 Tue, 30 Sep 2014 16:17:18 +0000 hummusgirl 1883190@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Baby Boy Mom: I'm sorry his new teacher wasn't good. It's so hard - even if you find a great place overall, that's no guarantee that the individual classroom will be a fit. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unhappy-with-preschool-#post-1883186 Tue, 30 Sep 2014 16:14:30 +0000 hummusgirl 1883186@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: It's so hard! Hope she's adjusting well. I think I might feel differently if LO was Olive's age, but he still seems like a baby who needs TLC to me. </p> <p>@rachiecakes: So glad your LO is happy there! That's the feeling I want. </p> <p>@NovBaby1112: Thanks for the validation. That's what I thought but then it's like, I'm a first-time parent, what do I know?! </p> <p>@brownie: I'm sorry you went through that but glad you're in a better situation now. Was the switch to another school hard on him? My LO is pretty go-with-the-flow but I hate that he's had his whole life uprooted and now we could be making yet another change. </p> <p>@catomd00: I hear you. He doesn't cry when we drop him off and always seems content enough when we pick him up, so I don't think we necessarily need to pull him immediately but I don't want him in that environment too much longer. I think he'd just rather be with his dad than at school, and I want to find a school where he'd rather be there than with us (y'know, most days...) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unhappy-with-preschool-#post-1883168 Tue, 30 Sep 2014 16:00:35 +0000 catomd00 1883168@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>As someone who just went through a bad daycare experience (so take my comment with a grain of salt because I'm probably just hyper sensitive), I would pull him out immediately if you are able. I just wouldn't feel comfortable sending my child somewhere that he clearly didn't want to go to. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unhappy-with-preschool-#post-1883144 Tue, 30 Sep 2014 15:47:22 +0000 brownie 1883144@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Warm, loving is not necessarily the MOST important thing. But there are a number of things that concern me in your posting. We just went through a terrible preschool for our son and he was there for 3 months and it was the worst decision ever. His new school is the absolute best decision we ever made. The teachers know my kid. If I mention something they tell me if they have seen it or not. Are they always hands on and hugging no, but they do care about him and his development.</p> <p>They can tell us what he did that day and if there were problems. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unhappy-with-preschool-#post-1883078 Tue, 30 Sep 2014 14:48:40 +0000 Baby Boy Mom 1883078@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I totally agree that having a warm loving teacher is so important when they are little. Last year that's exactly what we had and it was so good for LO. It made him really love school esp considering his teacher was the adult he saw most other than us. This year we also moved and his new teacher was just going through the motions and LO didn't want to go! We ended up pulling him out. :/ </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unhappy-with-preschool-#post-1883062 Tue, 30 Sep 2014 14:41:33 +0000 NovBaby1112 1883062@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think pre school teachers should definitely still be loving, warm, and nurturing! 24 months is still very young, and at that age I think it is more important to be around loving and warm caregivers than anything else. I just think all teachers, if they love children and like teaching them, should be caring and friendly and interact with them! I would 100% look around to see what else is out there, and make sure you meet the teachers as well to get an idea of how they interact with your child. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unhappy-with-preschool-#post-1883054 Tue, 30 Sep 2014 14:38:41 +0000 rachiecakes 1883054@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hummusgirl: My J just started preschool last week. I'm not there for drop off, so I'm not sure if his teachers greet him with hugs or get down to his level, but he does love it there. His favorite things are playing outside and with the other kids. The only time he's had a 'bad' day so far was when one kid kept taking toys from him all day long. He was ready to go home that day.<br /> It's too soon to say whether I love his teachers but I know he's having a great time and has already learned so much in his week there, it's crazy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unhappy-with-preschool-#post-1883044 Tue, 30 Sep 2014 14:35:10 +0000 mrbee 1883044@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hummusgirl: Our daycare was so loving... but our daughter just joined a preschool, and it is not the same! From what I can tell, preschools are usually (but not always) that way... with less hand-holding than the kids get in daycare.</p> <p>She still enjoys it though, because the toys and play area is better than the daycare. Still, it's a real adjustment because she was so emotionally bonded to her old daycare! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unhappy-with-preschool-#post-1883033 Tue, 30 Sep 2014 14:29:35 +0000 hummusgirl 1883033@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our LO, 24 months, was in a nanny share until a month ago when we moved cross-country and enrolled him in preschool. It seemed like a good school, NAEYC certified, and while we didn't meet his actual teachers on the tour, I assumed that preschool teachers are probably all warm and loving. </p> <p>Well that was a bad assumption. Now we're three weeks in and we don't like his teachers. They're not warm/loving/energetic - they just go through the motions and it seems like their hearts are not in it. They don't greet him with a big hug or get down on his level or talk animatedly to the kids. In fact I don't think they really talk to him at all. It's child-led play but the other kids are younger and don't talk much either. He says he doesn't want to go to school in the mornings which breaks my heart. </p> <p>My friends (not in our city but elsewhere) say their kids love school, the teachers are so caring, etc. I know LO is safe and getting ok care, but I don't want just ok, I want to feel really good about where he spends most of his days (which is how we felt about our amazing former nanny). </p> <p>We're going to tour a couple other schools to get a better sense of what else is out there. We also have an appointment on Thursday to talk to the director about what can be done, like moving him up to the next class when there's an opening. Beyond that though, I'm not sure there's much that can be done because if you don't have a warm/loving/energetic personality, you can't force it. </p> <p>Any advice? Do you love your daycare/preschool? Is it unrealistic to expect more joy and energy and love in a preschool classroom? </p>