You can ask any parent at the Main Street coffee shop—the one with the endless waitlists and the rave Facebook reviews—about this preschool, and you’ll hear whispers (and occasionally loud assertions). This is all the rage. Life is full of stories. The mother of two, Sarah, asserts that her once timid daughter now delivers poetry aloud during family dinners. Hey Jake! A butterfly garden is in his son’s future, and he wants to know all about beehive dynamics. Have parents gone completely bonkers over interesting newsletters and themed snack days, or is this like Hogwarts for little ones?
The first thing you’ll notice when you step into the preschool Walnut Creek daycare is the vibrant walls painted in various colors, the fact that the kids genuinely share, and the smell of finger paint combined with Goldfish crackers. The most illogical fear (the vacuum, of course) and favorite dinosaur of each student are things that teachers never forget. A chipmunk might be taught to sit still with the glance of one teacher—Ms. Lena. Chaos? Of course. Still, it’s effective in some way.
Puppet shows, sandpit disputes, and discussions about gravity are some of the morning activities that make up the play-based curriculum. No, seriously. I was outwitted by a four-year-old who attempted to explain why apples fell. “Gravitude is bossy,” she proclaimed. The air is thick with wonder, and the kids’ inquiries have more power than any one-size-fits-all curriculum to guide the way.
New TikTok trends come and go more quickly than safety upgrades. Preschool drop-off is more pleasant than curbside pickup at some places, and the playground barrier could keep Jurassic Park predators out. Questions about allergies? The staff is more knowledgeable about your child’s unique nutritional needs than even your grandmother. The director is in continual contact with the parents, to the extent that it makes one question whether they are truly co-parenting.
However, we must address the most pressing issue: tuition. It hurts. As soon as they see the monthly cost, some people flinch. Others, meanwhile, argue that the happiness their child feels when creating edible volcanoes is priceless. Who needs priorities?
A few of the neighboring alternatives provide weekly math worksheets and alphabet drills. Rules of engagement, though. Unless Olivia, who is just two years old, gets involved, the youngsters figure out how to bargain without a UN mediator.
So, is this daycare deserving of the time and energy of parents? Maybe it’s because every student’s narrative seems to stick in the teachers’ mind. I suppose it’s the crazy art projects. Perhaps it’s the fact that, for once, children can study and laugh simultaneously, allowing exhausted parents to sip their coffee in the knowledge that their child is flourishing. Just don’t steal my lotto ticket for next year and tell me if all the fuss is justified.