J-Man starts kindergarten in the fall, and today was orientation. You may be scratching your head right now and wondering “why the blazes are they having orientation five months before school starts???” You would be a wise and reasonable person to ask such a question. If you have a young child or are planning to have children, let me bestow some new-found wisdom upon you.
You must plan everything a year in advance beginning on your child’s fourth birthday (or perhaps even sooner).
What, you think I’m exaggerating?
Well then, allow me to present to you a real-world example. Our county provides an after-school child care program for children from when school ends (~3:30 PM) until their parents are able to pick them up (~5:30 PM). My son is beginning school in September. If I were to try to enroll him in this program for the 2011-2012 school year, I would be informed that I am 100+ on the waiting list. And if I were to visit the after-school child care program website, I would be see that “enrollment for the 2012-2013 school year starts this July!”
You read that right. In three months, enrollment begins for the following school year.
In other words, if I had wanted my son to participate in the after-school care program at his school for the 2011-2012 school year, I would have had to enroll him in July 2010, one month before his fourth birthday.
So, future parents, I am warning you now. You need to start thinking 12-18 months in advance. Aunts and uncles among you, inform your siblings! Spread the word! Let’s see if we can start booking things 24 months in advance! That will certainly teach all those unsuspecting, uninformed new parents not to wait until only 18 months in advance, muahahaha!!!!
So right now it is April 2011. Does this mean I need to start planning summer camp for 2012? Swim lessons? Soccer practice? PLAY DATES? Actually, I’m of half a mind to email one of the mothers from preschool and ask if her son is available for a play date in July 2012. Hey, calendars are filling up.
Merf In Progress 
oh man….this is the kind of stuff I have to look forward to?
Yeah. The second you find out you’re pregnant, you better register your unborn child for daycare. 🙂
Lol…. One of my clients was saying something similiar the other day! She tried to enroll her little one into part time preschool and was informed it was filled for this upcoming year and its only April!
Hope she got on the wait list. Spots usually open up.
LOL! I remember those days! It gets easier as they get older and then you only have to register for sports for ten months in advance :O
Only ten months, excellent!
That is ridiculous!
Yes, I agree. And I have a feeling it’s just the beginning.
Wow, that’s crazy!!! I had no idea that things had to be planned that far in advance!
Neither did I!
Things like this horrify and terrify me. There’s even talk in Australia of people trying to put their kids of school waiting lists at conception. What on earth is going on?!
Why wait for conception? 🙂
Can we get on your schedule for next March? Would love to have you over to play and we can make bagels this time.
Ha! I think this area is worse than most places in the world. Russ slept out in a preschool parking lot to get into our first choice program, and we were still wait-listed. You should still get on the waiting list for the county program–people move in droves around here and space may open up. I hope you have some other good choices.
Bagels next March sounds perfect! No need for me to get on the wait list. J-Man will be going to his current pre-school for after school care. They bus them over from school at the end of the day. Phew!
Oh my goodness, that’s nuts!
I have a feeling I’ll be nuts by the time this is all over!
Hahaha that’s so strange! I mean, I like to plan ahead but that’s a little excessive!
Yes, this gives “planning ahead” a whole new meaning.
Hey Merf!! Thanks so much for stopping by!! I wanted to comment on your about page but couldn’t find where to comment!! I am from the DC area but moved to TX 5 years ago!! ohh, how I miss it!!
no kidding, ha!! My oldest is 4 and I swear things book up FAST!
I had to close comments on pages/posts older than two weeks to cut down on comment spam. It’s cut spam by 90%!!!
I love DC and would miss it if I ever left. 🙂
I’m a big fan of planning, but I think even this would be WAY too much for me. Maybe I should start visiting preschools now in case I have kids in the next five years (I better… but that for another post, another day)!
Yes, you never know, they may already have a waiting list.
So crazy, and so true!! It’s the same way here in NC…
And as for daycare, forget it. People who get on the waiting list while barely preggers, get notified when said child is approx 18 mos old… “You’re in. Want to come to daycare?” “Um, no. Got it covered, now. Thanks”.
~
Yep, exactly. That happened to me. I guess since I’d paid the wait list deposit, they felt obligated to keep me on the list for two years!
Wow! That is just crazy! Does everyone just know to plan that far ahead? I would think you’re not the only person who didn’t realize you needed to be up on things when your child was 3 years old!!!
I’m sure there are people who don’t. Very disappointed people. I have friends with kids 1-2 years older, so they clued me in.
…this is why I dont have kids. I’d be the one showign up on the day of saying “but I DIDNT KNOW!!!” ahahaha
“You mean I can’t just show up for school on the first day? What?”
Eek, and I thought taking care of my two dogs while balancing my won life, work, etc. was difficult. I have lots to learn before I start thinking about children….thanks for the heads up though, I will keep this in mind when I encounter this in a few years!
Good. I feel like I have saved one potential parent from being the last to know!
It’s crazy how early things fill up;I was reading another commentand it’sridiculous to think of how you have to sign your kid up for PREschool a whole year in advance….crazy stuff!
Right? And it’s just getting worse. By the time you have children, you .. well, maybe you should register them for pre-school NOW!
hahah this is RIDICULOUS! wow, i am so not ready for the joys of kids! on second thought, maybe I should start planning their future lives now before they’re even born!?
thanks for the comment, glad I found your blog 🙂
Yes, it used to be that you just had to think of names. Now you have to plan their lives through college before they are born!
This is crazy! And it would totally overwhelm me to plan ahead so much! I find it challenging enough to plan two weeks in advance! 😯
Me too. It’s a miracle I remembered to show up to the school open house FIVE MONTHS EARLY.
Sign me up for that drink in October! We’re learning quickly that you have to jump on things – especially school – EARLY. Our first experience was with getting Big Boy into pre-k. It was crazy and so were the parents!
And . . . I’ll be waiting for one of those salmon sliders in the mail. Thank you! 😉
Good, I will rely on you to clue me in to some of these things (over drinks)
I *do* want to get a drink next October. Pencil me in! (I have no kids so I’m still just focused on the title…)
Hi S! You’re on my calendar. Don’t flake on me!
That is absolutely crazy! I was from a small town, so they were more than happy when an extra kid came into the equation… I can’t imagine it the other way!
Wow, what a concept. There are too many kids here. Plus, due to the economy, all programs have scaled back. It’s a miracle the county can still educate our children at all.
My daughter was on the wait list for her daycare for over 2 1/2 years…she got in just BEFORE she turned two…so much for putting your kid on the daycare list the second the pregnancy test says you’re pregnant!
Lets go grab a cocktail in July. and then maybe once more in january. Kthx =)
bahaha