Frugal preschool hacks.
The Preschool age of raising kids is just one of my very favorite ages! It is so much fun! I love the sweet innocence, and the fact that their cute personalities are starting to show. The only negative to these years is that paying for preschool tuition can get expensive! Preschool is optional for many families, but for those of us who want our kids in school before elementary school I am sharing a few ways to save money on preschool!
Why Is Preschool Important?
I understand that not everyone feels the need to have their children in preschool, and that’s OK! My belief is that there are a million different ways to be an EXCELLENT parent and that there is NOT a one size fits all when it comes to raising kids.
We decided to enroll each of my three kids in preschool for a variety of reasons, I’ll share a few of them below:
- Learn important social skills. I really wanted my kids to get practice interacting with kids their age, so they could learn how to share, say sorry, and be a good friend.
- Practice being in a structured learning environment. Another important part of preschool for me is giving the kids practice sitting still, following directions and listening to a teacher.
- Give them a head start on kindergarten and reading readiness. I really love that preschool gave my kids a head start on reading and math skills. It helped me feel more confident when sending them to kindergarten.
How To Save Money On Preschool
Alright, now let’s get to the nitty gritty! Here are a few ways you can cut costs on preschool tuition!
1. Compare Prices
An important step to saving money on preschool costs is to shop around. Make sure you spend time, research, and effort to compare prices of multiple preschools in your area.
I recommend asking for preschool recommendations on Facebook Marketplace and from a few good friends. Once you have a list of possible preschools call each of them to find out more information.
As you are shopping around make a list of each preschool including their tuition price, preschool times, and pros and cons of each one. This will help you when making the decision of which school is best for your child.
I’ve found that the preschools done out of the home tend to be the most budget friendly.
2. Try A Public Preschool
Most preschools are private, but there are also many public preschools available if you look for them. These public preschools are usually made available to low income families or kids with developmental delays, but they will sometimes accept others who don’t qualify….so make sure you ask!
The best way to find public preschools in your area is to spend some time googling local public preschools to see if you can find some. I also recommend calling your local school district to see if they offer any public preschools.
3. Offer To Volunteer
Many years ago, when my oldest was in preschool and money was tight, I asked her preschool teacher if there was anything I could do to help in the classroom in exchange for a discount on preschool tuition.
She was so nice and excited about my request! It was truly a good situation for both of us. Immediately I was put to work copying papers and cutting out shapes for craft projects. In return she gave me a 25% discount. Yay! She’s the best!
In the years since then I have heard from other friends of preschool teachers offering similar discounts in exchange for help in the classroom. Remember that not every teacher will agree to this request, but it never ever hurts to ask!
4. Form A Preschool Co-op
Instead of paying for preschool, form a co-op with a few other moms and teach preschool yourself! A preschool co-op not only saves money, it is also fun!
Here’s how it works:
- Find 4 other moms who have children the same age as your preschool child.
- Host a meeting with the other moms where you can discuss curriculum, routines, and expectations for the preschool.
- Assign each mom one week every month to teach the preschool kids at her home.
I’ve found it works best when everyone is following the same routine and curriculum to help the preschoolers get use to the structure of a classroom, which is why the meeting is so important to have.
I did a preschool co-op with a few friends for my youngest child and I loved it! It was such a fun way to interact with my son and his friends. Plus, it was free!
Our preschool co-op schedule looked something like this:
- Review the calendar and date.
- Discuss the weather.
- Lesson focused on a color, number, or letter. The lessons were pre-assigned to each mom before the year started.
- Free play time.
- Snack time.
- Story time.
Each mom was also asked to choose and host one field trip during the year. My field trip was in the fall, so we toured my dad’s potato cellar and talked about potato harvest! It included a ride in a tractor, so the kids were all in heaven!
5. Homeschool Preschool
If a preschool co-op isn’t your thing, you might want to consider teaching your child preschool lessons at home yourself. This is what I did for my middle child, and we both loved it! We still talk about our time together spent doing preschool.
A homeschool preschool often works best when you set a specific day and time to do school. This really helps to keep you and your child on schedule. Next you should spend some time planning out your daily curriculum. It might help to look up kindergarten readiness tips to help you decide what to focus on while you teach.
There are also many free printables offered on pinterest that you can use for your homeschool preschool. It really is possible to teach preschool at home!
In Conclusion
Raising kids is expensive, but there are steps we as parents can take to help alleviate some of those huge costs. If you are wanting a way to prepare your child for kindergarten, without breaking the bank, try a few of these suggestions!
I have done most of them and saw first hand how helpful they can be in decreasing the high cost of preschool tuition. If I can save money on preschool, then you can too!
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