Yikes... local preschool!

Over the last few months I've had a look at 5 different preschools.  

School is a big deal here.  

 

I've wanted to see:

1. How many kids are in each class? (on average about 30)
2. How long are the school days?  Is there flexibility to do a half day?
3. What are the teachers like?  How do they discipline the children?
4. Do the students, for the most part, seem happy in each class?
5. What are the toilet situations!
6. Tuition costs.

I haven't been impressed with many of them because...

• Some schools/classes felt too crowded and claustrophobic  
• I didn't like the bathroom situation ej: (30 children outside in a line all weeing on the grass.)  I've never seen grass in the same way after that.!
• Some felt far away and didn't seem worth the commute
• Others seemed to operate on a "be afraid of the teacher" basis and kids regularly seemed distressed there, or just bored.  Oh the stories I've heard about teachers.... 

BUT...

There's one that seems alright 

• It's clean
• Kids seem happy
• Teachers seem interested in their jobs
• They seem to be flexible (we can arrive after breakfast, try it for a month, take him home early, etc.)

All Chinese kids start preschool when they're 3 years old (or before) and will be left the first day from 7:30am-5:30pm five days a week.  They eat three meals a day there, have a sleep, learn, play, do some music and I'm sure miss their parents/grandparents.  The classroom had a few books, a few chunky, simple puzzles, brain-teaser puzzles (no idea what they really were, but the best way I can think to describe them), insect jars and a few toys.

There is a boys and girls toilet area.  They seemed clean.  Both areas were all open (no doors).  The boys only have squatty potties.  The girls have those with a few mini upright ones too.  My little man is use to upright toilets, so trying to prep him for the squatty ones:)

Kids go to school for 10 hours a day.

I can't imagine going to school for that long (especially as a 3 year old)!

My little man will be taking in lots of Chinese and he'll be expected to speak it back.

The teachers told me that they're excited that he can correct their and other students' English pronunciation.  Yikes!  So I've asked the teachers (3 times) to NOT talk to him in English (some of them speak a bit of it).  Because I want his Chinese to improve.  He can understand it but he doesn't always speak a lot of it.  And because it doesn't quite seem appropriate for him to be expected to teach English.

So he's excused from English classes... supposedly they will individually work on his Chinese with him.

We will get there around 8 because I'll give him breakfast at home (instead of rice, stir-fried veggies and porridge he'll have peanut butter toast at home)

I will pick him up early (at noon) and intend to have intentional little man and me time in the afternoons so that he can feel loved and supported (I don't underestimate the pressure or intensity of going to a school, being different and functioning in a different language at 3).  

I've told them we'll TRY it.  If it's not a good fit, we will look at different options. (homeschooling, etc.)

Today we went to get him a health check.  

It was a dingy building and he was pinched and poked a lot by nurses and other people.  I tell people not to touch him.  I don't want to react too negatively, because I don't want him to react to my reactions. But I want to protect him. So I'm trying to find the way to tell people NOT to touch him without distressing him (not putting too much emotion in my voice, not getting mad, etc)  Maybe I just need a sign or to put a t-shirt on him that says: PLEASE DON'T POKE ME.   OK, not to get carried away..

Anyways...

They did routine things..

1. Weighed him
2. Checked his height
3. Eyes (According to the lady he has some sight troubles.  I was lost in translation as to what the problem was.  Oh dear!)
4. Checked his hearing.
5. Listened to his heart.
6. Was asked various questions including: can he feed himself, pull down his trousers by himself to use the toilet, take his shoes on and off by himself... He was showed some lines and asked him which one was longest.  He was asked to identify animal flashcards (they allowed him to speak in English but they did tell him that he answered incorrectly when he called a rooster a chicken (they said is should be called a cock) we had a bit of a talk about that.  Anyways..
7. Took blood (while he SCREAMED)  I really felt for him.  We had a "special breakfast" just the two of us afterwards and had some quality time as a reward for it all.  I really love one-on-one time with my little boys.  

This isn't quite the same preschool experience that I had when I was little.

But I figure I'm living here and will give a local school a try because...

• We want him to interact with kids regularly and improve his social skills
• improve his language 
• give local preschool a try so that we can gain experience and see what it's like for so many other parents.
• if I ever want him to do further public schooling here, this is a key first step.  I've been told that kindergarten is a review of preschool and that he will be behind if he doesn't go.
• And I can always try homeschooling..

I'll let you know how it all goes!  

Thanks for reading everyone!