My kid started going to a co-op preschool, and it’s great. Around a year after becoming a mom, my anxiety started to focus on how I was going to send my baby to school. I just couldn’t fathom the idea of spending a few hours without him. How was I supposed to leave him with other grownups? How were other parents able to send their infants to daycare without having panic attacks (I know sometimes it is not a choice, and I feel lucky to be able to be a stay-at-home mom, but that’s where my anxiety took me).
Then, my son became a toddler, and I finally understood the school appeal. Isn’t it great that there are professionals who teach and take care of our kids while we work or take some time for ourselves?
I did not go to school in the US, so I know close to nothing about the school system here. I just knew that we wanted our kid to attend a public school and that it starts with kindergarten at five years old, but when my son got close to turning two, I started to look for preschool options because I felt like I needed a break and it felt like he needed more than what I was giving him at home. We called to schedule a tour of a preschool that we liked close to us, but they told us there was a waitlist and never called us back. Then I saw someone on Facebook promoting their co-op preschool. We went on a tour, but it didn’t feel like a good fit for us.
Little did we know the perfect school was in the church across the street from our house. One day, we were taking our dogs for a walk and saw yard signs advertising the school’s open house. I had seen groups of kids and grownups at the church playground during weekdays and even searched their website to see if any mom groups were getting together at the playground, but I never really figured out what was happening. Suddenly, I knew it was the school kids.
So, we went to the open house and really liked it. My son started playing with the toys in the classroom like he was at home and connected with the teacher immediately. I also felt like she aligned with a lot of my parenting style. We felt we had found a perfect fit, although we didn’t know exactly what a co-op was.
A cooperative preschool is a parent-driven preschool. Every cooperative family performs a job at the school, assists in the classroom on a rotating basis, and is in charge of cleaning and maintaining the school. Parents are required to get background checks, take Classroom Participation Training, and attend parent education events held at the school or other co-op preschools. The teachers are the only people who receive a salary from the school, which makes the tuition a little more affordable. The board makes every organizational decision that the cooperative families vote on, so it feels like your voice is heard and your opinions matter. The curriculum is based on a “learning through play” philosophy. It is a great place to build community since there is a lot of parent involvement.
One of the things I really like about being a part of a co-op is that when assisting in the classroom, you get to see kids the same age as your kid, interact and learn with each other. The trainings not only teach you how to assist the teacher, but they also teach you how to interact with kids on their level. They also help you understand your kid and their different development stages.
After one semester of being part of the school, I feel like it was the best first school experience for the whole family. I still have a lot to learn about the school system and what would be the best choice for us in the future, but for now, I’m happy with our co-op preschool.
