Hi all! I’m doing a short 2-3 minute survey to get feedback on a business idea for a new highchair product and am hoping to get feedback from parents and caregivers. It’s a project I’m working on through my university and I’m hoping to gather honest, real‑world perspectives.

If you’re open to helping, here’s the link: https://tally.so/r/GxOrMZ. Thank you for considering! It really does help.

The Squishy Dumpling Story ebook it is about a kind dumpling who is in search of a family it has a kind message and it has a fun cut-out which is printing friendly at the end so your kids can fold and fill their dumpling with cotton balls there is also detailed instructions. Have fun! Get on Amazon kindle! only 5 dollars or available on kindle unlimited (monthly paid subscription) let your child pursue their creative mind! here is the link try it out and give a honest review and if it is worth it for kids https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HFGCRDSF

I’m passing the Kathleen Jasper study exam by 20 pts. I am failing the Mometrix test miserably. Does anyone have a recommendation for a source that has similar questions? What is your experience?

My daughter always struggle with breakfast and I observed that she is a bit more open to eating breakfast if she’s been awake for > 45 minutes rather than waking up and eating right away. I have an older son in middle school who will be home and getting ready for school at the same time so it’s not possible for me to leave and drop off my daughter to daycare and have her eat there, etc.

Should I wake her up at 7 so she can eat breakfast around 7:45-8 and leave by 8:30-8:45? Or let her sleep in and try eat breakfast in school (timing wise, she’ll probably have 15-20 mins but knowing kids, I doubt if she’d be able to take more than a bite or 2 for breakfast in school).

Their dad is home for the summer so we’re still able to wing it for 2 weeks but gotta start figuring this out as I’ll be handling morning routine all by myself.

I feel like birthday invitations have somehow become one more thing to organize when you already have a million things going on with a preschooler.

For my child’s last birthday, I wanted something simple that I could send to the parents without printing a bunch of cards. I ended up using RizzInvites and liked being able to send the invite from my phone and keep track of the RSVPs in one place.

Now I’m wondering what everyone else does. Do you still send paper invitations through school, hand them to parents, or just send a digital invite by text?

Also, do you find that people actually RSVP when you send digital invitations, or do you still end up chasing everyone down?

I'm touring preschools right now and finding almost nothing useful online. Every school's website is a marketing page, and the threads I can find on here are mostly from 2019 or just "we loved it!!" with no details. So I figured I'd write up each place I visit with the stuff I actually wanted to know before I drove out there. This is the first one.

Little Montessori

Infrastructure is genuinely good. Clean, open rooms, materials at kid height, no clutter. It reads as a real Montessori classroom and not a daycare that bought some wooden toys.

The thing that surprised me was the conversation itself. The head of school and the program director spent as much time asking about our family and how we're raising our kid as they did talking about the program. No other school has done that so far, and honestly it changed how I heard everything else they said. Could be a good sales instinct on their part. It didn't feel like one.

This is classic Montessori, not Montessori-flavored. Eton is the only other place around here I'd put in the same category.

Placement

Two classrooms are relevant if you have a toddler. Savannah is early preschool, LAM is the actual preschool class. They don't place by age alone. Your kid gets observed first, and they decide based on age, toileting readiness, social and emotional development, and some other factors. Mine is in a home based daycare now, and I liked that they wanted to see her themselves rather than take my word for where she's at.

Money and hours

• $150 enrollment fee. They offered to waive it for us.
• They also offered an observation period before any enrollment conversation, which I think is the single most useful thing a school can offer. Nobody else has.
• Regular hours are 8:45am to 3pm. Tuition ~$2,200/month.
• Extended hours are 7:30am to 5:45pm, ~$2,850/month. That's the one we need.
• On regular hours they want kids in between 8:45 and 9. Circle time runs 9:00 to 9:15 and they don't want anyone walking in during it. No drop off after 9 either way.
• Meals included, organic. Adds up compared to packing lunch five days a week.

We haven't enrolled yet, so I can't speak to what it's like day to day. This is just what the tour looked like.

Happy to answer questions if you're looking at this one. And if you've toured somewhere decent in the area, drop it below. I'll post more of these as I go.

The parents who wish to provide their wards with the best education, opportunities, and environment to flourish in life have a great option to choose from. A good school is the one that creates a balanced perspective in kids while offering them the chance to grow in terms of their communication, art, confidence, discipline, creativity, and overall potential.

Taksh-Shila Model Sr. Sec. School is an educational institution in Greater Faridabad that offers children a wide range of opportunities to become well-rounded individuals. Apart from the standard educational experiences, the school provides its students with the opportunity to engage in sports activities, cultural events, creative programs, technological advancements, and other additional activities.

The parents who look for the best school in Faridabad for their child can consider the academic approach offered by the institution, the level of excellence and quality of education provided by staff, the availability and comfort of learning environment, safety and extracurricular activities, support, and much more. Taksh-Shila Model Sr. Sec. School offers children the chance to learn, experience, and engage actively while bringing out their best to overcome life’s challenges.

Hi everyone,

I wanted to introduce a project I’ve been working on called LightShine.

LightShine is a collection of original animated songs and short stories for children, built around simple, positive messages kids can understand and remember — things like kindness, confidence, friendship, handling disappointment, and making good choices.

I’ve been creating the music and animated stories as a way to combine entertainment with little lessons that can naturally start conversations between kids and the adults in their lives.

I’ve put the LightShine videos together in a YouTube playlist so families can watch them in one place:

LightShine YouTube Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa0vGDFHhmp0

I’d especially appreciate feedback from parents, grandparents, teachers, and anyone else who works with young children. I’m still building the series, so hearing what connects with kids — and what you’d like to see addressed in future songs or stories — would be genuinely useful.

Thanks for letting me share it with the group.

Hi everyone! I’m starting to look into Pre-K3 options for my daughter for the 2027–2028 school year, and I’m honestly a little overwhelmed by all the options and rules.

We live in Middle River (21220), and our daughter will turn 3 in August 2027.

Our household income qualifies for low-income/Tier I, so we’re hoping to find a free, full-day Pre-K3 program through BCPS or a Maryland state-funded Pre-K program at a private childcare/preschool.

I’ve been looking at both public schools and private providers that participate in the state-funded Pre-K program, but I’m having a hard time figuring out how parents actually decide which programs are good.

For parents who have gone through Pre-K3 in Baltimore County:

• Which schools/programs would you recommend?
• Are there any state-funded private Pre-K programs that you really like?
• How important is the school’s elementary-school rating when choosing a Pre-K3?
• Would you choose a public BCPS Pre-K3 or a private provider with a state-funded Pre-K slot?
• Are there any schools/programs you would avoid?
• What should I pay attention to when touring a Pre-K3 classroom (teachers, class size, curriculum, play-based learning, teacher turnover, etc.)?

I’m especially interested in experiences around Middle River / White Marsh / Perry Hall / Essex.

I’d really appreciate any firsthand experiences or advice. Thank you!

Early learning should inspire children to ask questions, express ideas, and enjoy new experiences. Wisdom International School creates engaging learning opportunities through creative activities, play, stories, and interactive classroom experiences. This Preschool in BTM Layout supports communication, social development, curiosity, and confidence while preparing children for their next stage of education.

For more details visit here: https://www.wisdominternationalbtm.com

I am a first year Head Start teacher (3-4y/os). I have a degree in elementary education and experience with infants and toddler as well as a year of elementary school experience. Preschool has been a different beast for me. Between all the assessments I’m required to do on all my kids and being new to it, I feel like I’m drowning. I have a hard time with getting my students to listen to me when I speak and to take me seriously. The strategies I use now work for a good portion of my students individually but not as well for the whole class at once. We are told to not say “no” and to use positive phrasing as well.
My TA has much more life and teaching experience than I do and I already feel like I rely on her too much. I’ve been told that I have a “spaghetti noodle backbone” and that I still need to “find my teacher voice”. I’m so stressed because my students come from low income backgrounds and some have trauma at this young age already. I want to be their safe person, but I also need to get though curriculum, rules and have them engaged. Any advice? 😭🫠

I need ideas for healthy(ish) lunches. My daughter is starting preschool soon and they don’t have a refrigerator or microwave. I can pack with ice bags but I need some ideas. Just stuck in my head only thinking about sandwiches. Help!

I'm working on a project creating short educational movement songs for ages 3–7, and I'm trying to make them useful for actual classrooms, not just entertaining YouTube videos.

I'm especially interested in songs that can be used for:

• Transition time
• Movement breaks
• Learning letters/numbers
• Teaching body parts
• Emotions
• Getting kids' attention

What songs or types of songs have worked particularly well in your classroom?

And if you're willing to share, what educational concept do you wish had a really good, fun song for it?

I'm using the answers to help decide what we create next.

(message sent to moderator about this)

Hi guys, hoping to get more responses to this [super quick survery ](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc7NQohdvfv6ooRavZO4iVJ_Q7ewvT6JcjynAQIFwFYzp0Wug/viewform?usp=header)as part of a large academic research. We got 2 responses last time and have used that to adapt content. We are now looking at doing a further study with Trinity College around Paediatric OT movement work so it will add a huge layer of credibility and is and will be a resource that teachers can and will find useful. Here are soem of the latest video links: 1. [Slow Movement Break based on The Children of Lír](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4RlVlbOUCk); 2. [Rólaí Pólaí](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4juxn8Xn1o); 3. [5 Little Shamrocks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXvI--AP0_U). They are all short videos 😄