Anyone seen the Nursery University Trailer?

[trillionaire]

Link to Trailer

Holy bajolie! I had no idea NURSERY SCHOOL was so competitive! This is a bit out of hand, no?

 

[IloveAsschers13]

I watched this when it came out. a BIT out of hand? These people are crazy. They really are. I don''t know why it would ever help your child to be this neurotic.

 

[lyra]

I would be one of those parents who move to avoid this. I was shocked about the 57 y.o. single mom of twins...

And $50K for preschool? No way! It''s *not* university. Don''t these kids get a chance to just be kids? Ever? Sad, IMO.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I saw that a little while ago. Very sad in my opinion.

 

[curlygirl]

Sadly, it is very much a reality in NYC.

 

[jewelz617]

It''s totally sad and ridiculous.

 

[E B]

Date: 2/12/2010 12:27:48 PM
Author: lyra
And $50K for preschool?

...........

I don't....even know what to say.

 

[redfaerythinker]

It''s a sad reality. If you want your kid to get in the right college, they have to get into the right high school, to get in the right high school, you need the right elementary school, to get in the right elementary school you have to get into the right pre-school. Admissions are tough. I got into the right pre-school, but I still was rejected from one of the top tier private elementary schools. My parent''s didn''t have connections or the right amount of money. And that hurt me getting into the right high school. It took me two tries because all I had was my grades and awards to stand out since I wasn''t rich or a legacy. The point is, your kids need every possible advantage, and that starts at the bottom.

 

[charbie]

Its all perspective as to what the "right" university is. I went to a public high school, however we had a number of people go to ivy league schools. We also had a lot of people go to ivy league schools for grad school from my public university.
I have no plans on sending my own children to a designer school.

 

[packrat]

If my kids need to be in the "right" preschool to have a better chance in their future..well..crap, there''s only 2 here and neither are elite. We don''t have elite schools here. This is Iowa. My kids are screwed.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

yep, totally that''s how it is in NYC. I am determined to buck the system...check back with me in like 4 years if God willing I have a nursery school-aged kid

 

[zoebartlett]

It''s ridiculous to put so much emphasis on nursery/pre-school. I''d like to see the documentary but it''s sad that''s it''s so competitive.

 

[redfaerythinker]

Date: 2/12/2010 11:21:40 PM
Author: charbie
Its all perspective as to what the ''right'' university is. I went to a public high school, however we had a number of people go to ivy league schools. We also had a lot of people go to ivy league schools for grad school from my public university.

I have no plans on sending my own children to a designer school.

It''s not the "right" school in an elitist way at all. I live in a large metropolitan area and the public high school in my area was abysmal. The average SAT score was an 800 under the old 1600 scale. I got a better score in the seventh grade. A girl from my church was the class president there with good grades and a fairly good SAT score, but she couldn''t even get into Notre Dame. Whereas a boy from my class in my private high school, got into Notre Dame no problem, with none of her qualifications. As horrible as it may be, names help. They just do, anyone who thinks otherwise is very lucky or very naive. I wish I lived in an area with good, safe, public schooling. But I don''t, so my child would go to private school, no matter what.

 

[DMBsGirl]

sadly, if you live in Manhattan and are well off, this is the reality you have to deal with. A good friend of ours recently went through this with her toddler. We are lucky in that we live in the suburbs outside of New York City and have great public schools where we won''t have to deal with this system. But it doesn''t come cheap, while we don''t pay tuition, our taxes are ridiculously expensive because of the amazing school system.

 

[Winks_Elf]

I don''t get the whole push for nursery school anyway. It''s hard enough once they start kindergarten and are away from mommy, why make that separation any earlier than necessary? I had no choice but to work when Awstin was a baby, but have been home with the children since he was two and I was expecting #2. I couldn''t imagine having to miss out on all the milestones (and I did miss a lot of them with #1). Ruby isn''t even 4 yet, and she''s already reading some words, practicing her letters, and learning to write her name because I TAUGHT HER TO. That''s MY job, not some stranger''s. Between friends, family, church school, and the park there are usually people to interact and play with. I couldn''t see spending money to miss out on time with her. I still have her home with me for another year and a half, and am dreading her going to school. I love spending time with my little ones.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I believe there is value (educationally and socially) in nursery school. I understand and appreciate stay at home moms and what they do for their children, however I think it's wrong to judge others for making a decision that doesn't fall along this path. My step sister is a SAHM who socialized her children and "home schooled" them until they went to kindergarten. Know what? Her eldest had serious separation anxiety and jealousy issues when he had to go to kindergarten. Little brother and sister got to stay home with mommy and he had to go off to the big bad school. He's developed secondary anger issues that are posing a real problem and will require therapy in the future (he should be in thereapy now, but that's a different topic, don't even get me started!) In my opinion she did a disservice to her children. Are all SAHMs like this? No I'm sure they're not; however, those I've see who've made a point to send their children to nursery school have much more well adjusted, social, and confident children.

 

[jewelz617]

I don''t think the point of this thread was to start a SAHM/Nursery school debate. Neither one is the "right" choice and both have proven benefits.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Date: 2/15/2010 9:21:17 AM
Author: PinkAsscher678
I don''t think the point of this thread was to start a SAHM/Nursery school debate. Neither one is the ''right'' choice and both have proven benefits.

Really? I don''t see a debate starting, I see a discussion starting on a discussion forum. The subject is directly related to the OP, the value of nursery schools. Both sides pro and anti-NS have the right to weigh in on the subject and their respective opinions are very relevant. In fact I think there''s a strong commonality between both views, the fact that no one (or very few people) wants to spend $50k on nursery school.

 

[jewelz617]

Date: 2/15/2010 9:45:32 AM
Author: Hudson_Hawk

Date: 2/15/2010 9:21:17 AM

Author: PinkAsscher678

I don't think the point of this thread was to start a SAHM/Nursery school debate. Neither one is the 'right' choice and both have proven benefits.

Really? I don't see a debate starting, I see a discussion starting on a discussion forum. The subject is directly related to the OP, the value of nursery schools. Both sides pro and anti-NS have the right to weigh in on the subject and their respective opinions are very relevant. In fact I think there's a strong commonality between both views, the fact that no one (or very few people) wants to spend $50k on nursery school.

Yes, but I've seen this "discussion" many times before and it often results in frustration and hurt feelings (the benefits of being a SAHM vs. sending your kids to nursery school). That's all I was trying to avoid.

I think the real issue is, why does nursery school need to be a competitive, financially and emotionally draining thing? Honestly I think some very crafty people have found a way to capitalize on hysterical parents that think if their kid doesn't have a $50,000 nursery school experience their chance at an Ivy League school is ruined and they will wind up a bum. People are driven by competition naturally, so why should schooling be any different?

I have my daughter on the waiting list for ONE local nursery school because it's close and what I can afford.

 

[redfaerythinker]

My mother worked full time and so did my father. I know that she would have loved to be a SAHM and she would have been great at it. But the situation warranted me going to a preschool. I am so grateful that they did. Many private schools require some preschool education. It''s a definite leg up. And I''ve seen the children that were not sent to preschool on their first day of school. They were terrified and crying and wondering what was going on. Now this is not every child. Some children will cry on their first day regardless of past schooling. I''m just citing an example.

 

[packrat]

Is Nursery School the same as Preschool?

I think it''s competitive b/c the parents make it competitive. I just see it as "Oh lookee here, I spent a gazillion dollars to send MY kid to Nursery School, yep I said it, Nursery School. Aw..you couldn''t? I''m sorry, but see, MY kid has a better shot at life b/c of what I did. Sorry about yours." The kids in this school probably eat paste and stick beans in their noses just like "regular" kids do. They don''t know the first thing about it being a fancy school-they just want to go play with blocks and color. Maybe they''re learning a foreign language or something of that nature, (which is fantastic and I wish languages were pused in all grades) that wouldn''t be taught in a "regular" preschool..but that''s not B/C the school is elite-it''s b/c they have massive tuition and can afford to hire teachers that normal preschools can''t. They and the parents make themselves elite.

Even if I had the money to spend a gazillion for nursery school, I''d never do it. To me, that''s like spending $100 on a pair of infant socks. It''s stuff parents do to/with their kids to prove that they''re "better" and encourage a competitiveness about money and their standing in life. And of course, every child who attends a preschool at age 3 or 4 that costs that much, goes on to become the world''s only astronauts and rocket scientists and presidents of the US and other various smarty and esteemed occupations.

London went to preschool when she was 4. We didn''t do daycare or the daycare''s that do preschool type programs. She went for 2 1/2 hours a day during the week, the same days the rest of the town''s schools were in session. It''s a free preschool. The other one is an all day every day one, and you have to pay just like regular school. (I think) Then she started Kindergarten this year.

If London wants to be in one of those various smarty and esteemed occupations it will be on her own merits and her own brains and her own will, not b/c we have money, and what she does as a 3 or 4 year old, to my eyes, has NO bearing on what will happen 20 or 30 years down the road.

That''s just me tho. And I''ve been up all night w/her whilst she coughs up some nasty custard looking crap so I''m tired. Take it w/a grain of salt.

It reminds me of the episode of Frasier when Lilith and he are trying to get Fredrick into a certain elite school.

 

[princesss]

I'm not going to lie - if I had the money, I would totally spend whatever it took to get my kid into a good school, and if the good school wouldn't look at a kid that didn't have nursery school, then I'd pay the obscene amount of money it apparently takes to get them into the right nursery school. (Side note: one of my friends in HS did the math one time and realized her parents spend over $1 million on her education from pre-school to HS graduation.)

Luckily, I will never have that kind of money, so I don't have to worry about that stress.

 

[redfaerythinker]

I disagree that it''s like a hundred dollar pair of baby socks. (which I do agree would be totally ridiculous. In my preschool, we had reading and writing lessons, computer class, French lessons, etc. It really prepared me for the admissions interviews and elementary school itself. It wasn''t like my parents were paying truckloads of money for me to play with blocks. And no, I never did eat paste, or stick things up my nose. It''s just a different system. It definitely isn''t the best for everyone, just like all choices in life. You need to do what is best for you and your family.

 

[vespergirl]

We will be paying around $6K a year for our preschool in the DC metro area (in the suburbs about 15 miles outside the city), for 4 hours per day, 3 days a week. It is an excellent preschool and had a competitive admissions process. My son has been in jr. preschool there this year (2 days a week, 3 hours per day) and he really loves it and thrives there. His school has been around for 45 years and has an great reputation and I really agree with the educational philosophy. There were both cheaper and more expensive schools in the area, but I just picked the school that fit our preferences best. His school is play-based, but also works a lot with reading, letters and numbers, plus they have music, dance and cultural programs that the kids participate in every week.

As far as the price goes, we have some friends who think it''s very expensive, and other friends who think it''s not so much, but for us it was more about finding the right school and less about the price (though I can state that there''s no way that we would pay $50K a year for preschool in our area).

I grew up in the NYC metro area, and we went to more humble schools than the ones in the movie, but it''s true that in metro areas the school prices are way more expensive. In the rural town where my DH grew up, people pay only around $500 per YEAR for preschool, because it''s a poor rural area, or they attend Head Start. It a wealthy suburb of DC, they charge a lot because they know that we can afford it and will pay it.

 

[jewelz617]

Don''t get me wrong, I had a private school education and went to a great college in Boston. I see the value in a quality education and know it does matter where children attend school, as it sets the tone for their educational experience.

I guess what I don''t like is that those opportunities aren''t available to everyone because of financial reasons or even something like status. It creates a vicious cycle.

If I had millions to spend on my daughter''s education I would want her to have the best, no question. I''m just not convinced quality education needs to cost $50,000 a semester for little kids.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Date: 2/15/2010 7:29:08 PM
Author: PinkAsscher678
Don''t get me wrong, I had a private school education and went to a great college in Boston. I see the value in a quality education and know it does matter where children attend school, as it sets the tone for their educational experience.


I guess what I don''t like is that those opportunities aren''t available to everyone because of financial reasons or even something like status. It creates a vicious cycle.


If I had millions to spend on my daughter''s education I would want her to have the best, no question. I''m just not convinced quality education needs to cost $50,000 a semester for little kids.

PA, in this I agree with you. Personally I bounced around to a few preschools due to being an army brat. I then changed schools again between kindergarten and first grade. Luckily that first grade school was one of the best districts in the state and I stayed there until I graduated high school.90% of my graduating HS class went to top tier or Ivy League schools. My town was an Ivy League town, it was expected. We didn''t have any competitive nursery schools/preschools in town. The closest to that was the Montessori school. Anyway, I chose to go to a state school for college and then later to an Ivy for grad school. I don''t think a $50k/year nursery school would have made a difference in my educational outcome, other than bankrupting my family and forcing us to move again to a less-than-stellar district. And I don''t think the moving that we did affected me either.

 

[trillionaire]

I just hate the way that this reinforces that fact that meritocracy does not truly exist in this country, and that we still can ''buy'' our way to the top. It''s not the smartest kids that achieve the most or have the best options, it''s the ones with the most money. I think that this is truly a shame. There is a reason that schools like Harvard, Duke and UNC have policies to give a full rid to low-income studnets... they aren''t as likely to be applying in the first place, and not from want of talent.

 

[redfaerythinker]

Date: 2/16/2010 1:46:02 PM
Author: trillionaire
I just hate the way that this reinforces that fact that meritocracy does not truly exist in this country, and that we still can ''buy'' our way to the top. It''s not the smartest kids that achieve the most or have the best options, it''s the ones with the most money. I think that this is truly a shame. There is a reason that schools like Harvard, Duke and UNC have policies to give a full rid to low-income studnets... they aren''t as likely to be applying in the first place, and not from want of talent.

You''re right... Do I think it was fair that I couldn''t get into the high school of my choice because my family wasn''t well to do and with connections? No, but I got in later, and it was because of my intelligence. But it''s also not fair to stereotype the children of the rich, most of them are very nice people and they work hard. I went to a school where the vast majority of students had a lot of money, but they were by far and away some of the most intelligent people I have ever met. These private schools won''t just let you in because you''re rich... You have to have the smarts too. I know this to be true because a girl in my class had a brother that wasn''t admitted because his SSAT scores weren''t high enough. And at my school, legacies ALWAYS get in.

So no, I don''t think it''s fair, that the rich get more advantages, but please don''t flame them for an accident of birth.

 

[purrfectpear]

I would imagine that there are probably about 20% of the students at Harvard or Yale that have never even seen the inside of a preschool, much less a "competitive" preschool.

Anyone that thinks it''s necessary to attend one should get over themselves IMO

As to your highschool not accepting you Fairy, it sounds as though your grades were not high enough, and later they were, and then you WERE accepted. It was about grades, not money or connections.

 

[E B]

Date: 2/16/2010 2:03:02 PM
Author: redfaerythinker

So no, I don't think it's fair, that the rich get more advantages, but please don't flame them for an accident of birth.

This made me laugh. Won't somebody think of the rich, well-connected children?

red, you and trillionare are on the same page. I didn't notice her "flaming" the rich, but rather the institutions that are influenced by money and "name." Of course children who come from money can be intelligent and rightfully deserve a spot in an ivy league, but as you said yourself...

"A girl from my church was the class president there with good grades and a fairly good SAT score, but she couldn't even get into Notre Dame. Whereas a boy from my class in my private high school, got into Notre Dame no problem, with none of her qualifications. As horrible as it may be, names help. They just do, anyone who thinks otherwise is very lucky or very naive."