Advice!! Pasir Ris Childcare

[lbs]

hi shook
oic..maybe you have to spend some time to explain to your mum different between this two CC? Hope your 'headache' will be resolved very soon.

.


Oh, I didnt know about Nissi's feedback cos my boy's nanny didnt mention if it is good/bad..but seems that her grandniece has been there for few months already.

 

[shook]

lbs
I asked my mum if she wanna visit Carpe Diem. She said I v lor soh, kept visiting cc n ask a lot of questions. Kinda put a full stop to the cc search

My colleague n my cousin told me muz c who r the teachers n bring my son to the 2 cc to choose which 1 he prefers

I had gd impression of Nissi till I found out the problem.

Actually I only visited cc wif 24 mth licence except Carpe Diem since Sarah n u said not bad. Carpe Diem juz started Jan tis yr. Of coz their licenece is 1 yr, MCYS need to observe b4 granting to 24 mth licence

 

[lbs]

shook
Agree that we must bring along our child when we pay a visit. Not only the teachers but can see how she/he reacts to the CC environment also.

Actually Carpe Diem just took over from the previous owner & they did some repainting of the outside..Don't think they do any renovation though.

Carpe Diem should be ok if you dont mind the space..

 

[shook]

lbs
Last 9 I asked my son if he wanna go cc he said yes. I asked him wanna go the cc he visited last sat (ie LV) he said no. Than I asked him if he wanna visit another cc. He said yes
My hubby asked my son separately if he wanna go LV. My son said yes. Rex (his best friend in playgroup) oso goes LV. I told him Rex will go PCF next yr. Than he said he oso wants to go PCF.

I talked to my hubby. He din really gime his view of LV vs Carpe Diem but can tell dat he has the concern of whether my son can cope in P1 if we put him in Carpe Diem since Carpe Diem is play base. No worksheets for the kids to do

 

[lbs]

shook
Your boy so CUTE!

Hmm..we actually didnt think so far till P1 cos at this point our main objective really for him to get socialise & most importantly discipline! haha..

But again, come to think about it, is indeed a real concern cos seeing my friends' kids who are in P1 this year, already so stress with their school work!

 

[ineedmilk]

shook:
how was kiddyabc when yr son was there? good? i thot it was located at blk 585?

i read some earlier posts in the forum on Nissi - also not gd comments. Something abt sick children walking around with running nose (no one wipe their mucus) in the CC.

I haven't started my search for CC in pasir ris yet. That time I just anyhow sign up my girl at YMCA CC. But actually she didn't like it - i shld have observed that my girl didnt like the place. Cos when i brought her there to sign up, she was scared and not comfortable. But when i brought her to LV to look see, she was happily exploring the place. End up, I chose YMCA CC cos 2 mins away from my place whereas LV is a few bus stops away.

 

[sarah]

foreverfriends, i think you are just like me. always constantly searching as long as fee not paid!! hahaha... anyway, we are all going thru tis stage and as mothers, it's only natural for us to want the best for our children. so don't be discouraged if your mum or hb says otherwise. you can go and recce all the CCs you want first (i've covered most CCs!!). only need to involve them when you're more or less decided on the CC...just need their final nod. my motto...MUMMY KNOWS BEST!!

 

[sarah]

went to Nissi for BJG trial last month. hb and i think their teaching standard quite a letdown.

 

[shook]

lbs
When I told my cousin abt my hubby's concern of Carpe Diem, she said hey your son is only 3 yrs old u think of P1. I asked her back u mean u gonna change cc for your children every now n then?
How's your cc search?

AQ
There r 3 branches of Kiddy abc in Pasir Ris. Kiddy abc @ blk 569 not bad. Teacher v experience. She's been a kindergarten teacher since she left school. 1 thing I m v satisfied n happy wif them no HFMD
Did u visit NTUC n Carpe Diem?

Sarah
Wat's your view of LV vs Carpe Diem?
I only visited 3 cc n decided on LV. Din consider Carpe Diem till I read your comment. My mum prefers Carpe Diem compared to LV coz P is Chinese. Actually she has not visited Carpe Diem. She visited LV n First step. She likes First step the most coz nearest to her hse. But I dun like First Step
Ya, constantly searching as long not made pymt yet. Afterall, it's not cheap n it affects our child's life
BJG used to b gd but all the gd teachers left

 

[lbs]

shook
We already confirmed with Kinderland, my boy starting next week..

 

[sarah]

hello mummies, just signed up w GUG today. so we going to have a once a week class there on saturdays till he's ready to go for half day CC.

made an appt to visit character montesorri at pasir ris park tis sat. spoke to the supervisor there. sounds better than old management. the good thing abt there is tat their ratio is 1:6. very good hor?? currently there are only 5 children in playgroup and 2 teachers overseeing these 5 children. CC fees is quite ex thou. it's $650 for half day. after subsidy it's $575. will decide after the visit. cheers!

 

[sarah]

foreverfriends, i havent gone to view LV. LV has an open day next month on 29 jul. you may want to wait till then. think they have some kind of disc if you sign up on tat day. you check w them?

if you really want space, then consider LV. but then again, i believe carpe diem has fewer kids. you decide lah. i can't really advise you cos' as I said, i've not visited LV. do you know whether the church near loyang pt has CC? if yes, it would be another option for you. ;-)

 

[shook]

lbs
Oops u mentioned b4. I forgot abt it. My memory v poor since I wz pregnant. Sigh...

Sarah
It's gd to bring your boi to enrichment class 1st b4 sending him to cc
Ratio of 1:6 is v gd. MCYS's guideline is 1:8 for toddler gp. Dat's y the fee is high
How do u know LV has open hse on 29Jul? Actually the P asked me if I visited Motherhood fair. I told her no n asked her any promo during Motherhood fair. She said waive off reg fee n 1 T free. I asked do I get dat. Than she said ok she will give me.
Yes'dy brot my son to visit Carpe Diem n checked more details wif the director. Find the director of Carpe Diem not hard sell. She even asked me to trial b4 deciding. My son chose Carpe Diem over LV. I decided on Carpe Diem but will still go for the trial. Turned dwn LV already. There r pro n con of Carpe Diem n LV, can't hv the best of both world.
Loyang pt is too far for me

 

[sarah]

Foreverfriends, LV ties up with my company. think there's a $50 disc per mth if i sign up w them. tat's how i got to know abt their open hse. i visited carpe diem in punggol. too far for me but i wanted to see e place. after talking to the founder, i went to view their pasir ris branch. since your son likes carpe diem then go w his choice. ;-)

 

[lbs]

hey shook
Is ok..can understand..my memory fails badly too every since pregnant..

You are right, there are always pros n cons on different CCs, so really depends which one you feel most comfortable with.

I am too testing out with Kinderland & see how it goes..hey, do keep me updated on how's Carper Diem..cos who knows if Kinderland not good, I may really switch to Carper Diem since is just wlking distance from my blk!

Hi Sarah
Wow! Character Montessori also quite ex..I think the new management raised the fees cos when I visited last time, I remember after subsidy is around $400~$500 range

 

[sarah]

hi lbs,

yah i think so too. so i asked the supervisor whether did they do up e pl since then, she said yes. they apparently did up the garden for more play area and the driveway has new tiles to allow the children to cycle and ride their cars there. told me to go take alook myself. i will go check it out on sat since so far, i've not seen one CC i really like. character montessori is quite big and spacious. if management changed the curriculum and made the pl more fun for learning, i probably consider them.

 

[shook]

Sarah
Since your co ties up wif Learning Vision, can send your son there n try out. It sounds not bad, esp the P. She is v motherly n knows how to win children's heart. Tis is wat I missed n her healthy menu n only 1 hr TV time per wk
Wow u r so on, even talked to the founder of Carpe Diem
I heard dat the br in Pongol is v big. Think facing the sea is it?
How do u find the Pasir Ris br?

lbs
I will only bring my son for trial in mid Jul. OK let u know.
Thot Kinderland is more x than Character Montessori

 

[lbs]

Hi Sarah
Do update us on your visit to Character Montessori

Hi shook
Yea, tats why I find the fees goes up liao.For Kinderland, half day is $585, after subsidy, I am paying $510 loh...

 

[sarah]

Foreverfriends, i probably go to LV to take alook too before making e final decision. heheh...i v kiasu. must see everything first then can decide!! Carpe Diem in Punggol v big. Though i hav some concerns, overall i think i would consider if i stay near there. the one thing i really like it there is tat the chidren are split into different air-conditioned rooms for their afternoon nap. i don't really like children to all sleep in one big hall concept. fees there is surprisingly quite reasonable. maybe because it's really out of the way. far end of punggol.

pasir ris branch i find abit small too. it's quite a typical CC. my pl is near west plaza. too far for me to consider.

 

[shook]

lbs
I wonder if cc increase fee due to the increment in GST. Learning Vision n Carpe Diem in Pasir Ris oso increased their fee. In fact many other bz sectors do dat. Hawker the worst, GST increase 2%, they increase 20%

Sarah
How much is Punggol Carpe Diem charging? Is the founder in dat br?
Thot u r not far fm Carpe Diem Pasir Ris dat u went to visit the centre

 

[lbs]

hi shook
Hmm..maybe...I wonder if Kinderland will increase fees as well..

Talking about hawker, I think many really "cheng huo da jie"!

 

[sarah]

foreverfriends, don't remember how much carpe diem punggol's fees alrdy. i think it's ard $500+ for full day. carpe diem pasir ris is abit far for me. my place is near west plaza. mil's place is near whitesands. why i not considering pasir ris carpe diem is becos' they don't provide transport.

 

[sarah]

lbs, kinderland is a good choice i must say. went down to kinderland after visiting character montesorri. kinderland's curriculum is v structured. spoke to the p there and i really like the SPACE!! the only downside is tat the pl is really v hot!! my son was perspiring like crazy in tat 30 mins we were there. he also developed abit of a heat rash. also P said tat they don't normally use the air-conditioning. ;-( hb told me after tat tat e roof is not insulated w the right roofing to keep the heat away. overall, i think kinderland is quite good. i really like the library, the eating area and the wadding pool. plus pt is tat P sends the children home herself in her honda jazz. tat's why 1-way is $80. i prefer honda than mini bus..hahahha

w character montesorri, it's more ex but it's quieter (not near main road). it's not as clean as kinderland but they allow children to sleep in an air-conditioned room. it's also nearer to my pl. they spent abit of $$ to do up the main entrance and the car porch. children can use the car porch to cycle and ride their cars. the chinese teacher told me tat they will cont to renovate the rest of the CC. i hope tey do cos' their fees r quite high. the rest of the CC looks e same as before. hb said we will go down to character end of the yr to recce again. whether they make any improvements, we will wait and see since we will only sign up at e end of tis yr.

 

[lbs]

Hi Sarah
In the opposite, I actually shortlisted those only with non aircon environment than aircon. Firstly, my boy has sensitive nose & aircon makes his nose "stucks"..Then, in aircon environment, viruses tend to spread easier..which is a minus point for me.

Yea, agree that their place is really clean & overall set up is indeed well structured.

Yea loh, personalised "chauffer" thats why more expensive loh.

Actually, the younger kids will be "based" at the back..so still not that bad..

 

[sarah]

yah.. actually i kinda like kinderland. just abit far off for me. i definitely hav to wake up earlier to send him there. but don't you find e pl super hot?? at character monte, thou they didn't switch on e aircon when we were there, it wasn't as hot as kinderland.

another thing abt kinderland tat i don't really like. their ratio is 1:6 for playgroup. currently, it's 12 toddlers w 2 teachers. so i asked the p if my son joins, then it would b 13 toddlers and would she hire another one more teacher, she said most likely not. then ratio would be 2:13. feel abit too crowded for 2 teachers to handle. will see how lah.. ;-)

 

[shook]

lbs
I thot u said Kinderland increased their fees?
Quote
"Yea, tats why I find the fees goes up liao.For Kinderland, half day is $585, after subsidy, I am paying $510 loh..."
Dequote
I only short list cc w/o air-con

Sarah
Pongol Carpe Diem charges $685 b4 subsidy
Oh I thot u wanna get your mil to help fetch your boi so Carpe Diem is fairly near white sand. I walked to Carpe Diem wif my son last Thu. Abt 18 min
No wonder $80. How many kids took the transport fm the P?
mcys guideline is 1:8 for tod gp so Kinderland still within the guideline for 2:13 they won't get a new teacher. 1 thing u check if it's 2 teachers or 1 teacher 1 assistant
Hv u decided Character Montesorri or Kinderland?

 

[lbs]

Hi shook
no lah, the one I mentioned is Character Montessorri. Cos when i went to check it out in late April, the fees were lower than Kinderland. But now is higer liao. For Kinderland, the $510 (after subsidy) I paid, I think has been their fees since beginning of this year. Sorry to confuse.

I am hoping that Kinderland wont anyhow increase their fees in the near future loh.


Hi Sarah
I think is due to what your hb said, the roofing..but for me, we are quite ok cos we don't use aircon at home & my boy is used to that already, although he does really perspires a LOT!

So you intend to enrol for PG, not CC?

 

[lbs]

ooo..just sent my boy to Kinderland earlier.P called, so far ok, no cryings...crossing my fingers..

btw, shook
You were asking how many kids taking the private transport? I didnt check with P before but she did mention that not many opt for this option..so I guess is not many..

 

[shook]

lbs
OIC
Didn't u accompany your son since today is his 1st day in Kinderland?

 

[lbs]

hi shook
nope, I spent about 15 mins peeping from outside..Anyway,the advise from P is the best way to let your child adapt faster is for parents to learn to "let go" faster.

Just went to pick him up, so far he enjoys a lot & seems to be adapting well according to his teachers *cross fingers*

I asked him if he likes to go school, he said 'yes' & when I asked him if he wants to go tomorrow, he happily said loudly 'YES!" hopes this continues..

 

[shook]

lbs
I thot normally need to stay for the 1st 3 days. Your son is v brave. Has he attended playgroup b4?
A daddy I know fm tis 4rum told me normally kids will think of familiar faces n environment b4 sleeping. His gal is v independent but when come to nap time in cc cried buckets. I dunno how my boi will react bcoz he is v shy in front of strangers. Is your boi shy in front of strangers?

 

[lbs]

hi shook
actually the P didnt stop us to stay if we wish too but from her experience, she noticed the significant on parents "action" in relation to the kids's reaction in CC initially.

My boy is not exactly shy in front of stranger but usually he will 'observe' the person for a while before he warm up.

Maybe he is on half day? cos there is no nap time for half day so can't tell how he will react if he is on full day..

 

[sarah]

lbs, tat's v encouraging to know.. tat your son adapting v well to CC. hope ours would be like tat too!! ;-)

foreverfriends, hb said we will go one more trip down to character monte end of e yr. decided to send jabez to GUG for e time being so we r not really in a hurry. we shortlisted MMI, character monte and kinderland.

carpe diem pasir ris too far for my mil to walk. hb doesn't want to trouble his mum.

 

[lbs]

sarah
I think is really normal for kids to fuss initially..for my boy, he did fuss a bit now & then but *crossing fingers* so far he enjoys himself very much.

Personally, I think another important factors for parents to consider when choosing CCs will be the activities they provided. From what I observe, if the activities are interesting, kids will be more engaged throughout & less fuss...hahaa

 

[shook]

lbs
Your boi is v gd fuss a little bit only
Wat interesting activities did Kinderland provide?

Sarah
Jabez attend GUG on wk n or wk day?

I m thinking dunno whether to let my son trial on wed to Fri than go cc Mon on his own or trial Mon to Wed than Thu on his own

 

[lbs]

hi shook
Besides the usual ABC, 123..etc..yesterday, they did some craft works..making jellyfish & crabs!
The teacher draws a big jellyfish/crab for each kid on a paper. The kids will glue & stick the paper strips to the jellyfish/crabs!haha

They also learn to peel potatoes & make into some kind of stamp which they can used to mix with colours & stamp on white paper..hehe

Also, they used some blocks & asked the kids to 'build' anything they like. Then, the teacher asked them what they have built..My boy as usual' built his favourite choo-choo train

Today, was told that they have some outdoor activities at the playground..also heard that some Fri (if weather allows) they will have some water activities. There is a small swimming pool at the CC. They will fill up with water only when the kids are going to have water play.

 

[shook]

lbs
Wat do they use to peel potatoes?
So many activities. No wonder your son is happy there
Did u apply leave y'dy n today to peep you son in Kinderland?

 

[lbs]

shook
I am not sure..didnt ask..it was written by his teacher in their daily activities book & 'confirmed' by my boy..

No, I was working from home yesterday so can spare more time at the CC ..

 

[sarah]

shook, jabez will start GUG in 2 wks time. he's attending sat classes.

lbs, kinderland sounds fun!!

 

[shook]

lbs
R u a WFHM?

Sarah
Is tis the 1st time Jabez attend enrichment class?
BTW Jabez is a unique name. How did u get tis name n how do u pronounce Jabez?

 

[sarah]

shook, we attended trial classes here and there. but tis is the 1st time we committing to such a class. jabez is from the bible. hb wanted it. it's pronounced jer-bez.

 

[lbs]

shook
No, just that my job allows me to work from home sometimes..

sigh..u know what ladies? Just when I thought my boy is ok liao, he was making fuss when we picked him up at his nanny yesterday evening. He started telling us 'I don't want to go school'. When I asked him why, he just went on saying, I don't want to go school~ *faint*

We think he has started to realise that he cant get his way in school like he used to be & also we suspected he indirectly got this negative idea through his nanny as she kept telling him things like,

1)Your school so far, nanny cannot go visit you...
2)Now you cannot be naughty, else teacher will beat you..etc


We spoke to his P this morning , cos my boy was still making a fuss when we reached the school. The P told us that it is quite normal for some kids to have 'delayed' reaction aka started the fussing/crying only after few days in school. So, it is important for parents/caregiver to give them the firm reassurance that school is a place for them to have fun, making friends, learn etc...No wonder P told us before full day is better than half day if we cannot make sure the child gets the consistency during the 2nd half of the day..Now , make me wonder shld I start him full day soon..

 

[sarah]

lbs,

it's difficult for you cos' nanny takes over and you can't restrict her from saying things..

do be aware that full day may cause your son to fall sick more right?

 

[lbs]

hi Sarah
yea loh..tats why heachache..

hoepfully is just a passing phase & will be over very soon..

 

[shook]

Sarah
U v lucky to b able to get trial @ GUG

lbs
Oh yes I heard dat some kids r ok n happy to attend cc in the beginning but fuss later
IMHO, if u r going to put your son full day eventually might as well put him full day right fm the start

Sarah, lbs
I heard dat it's the same for the kids to get sick b it full day or half day coz once the kid is exposed to outer environment n wif more ppl, he/she is exposed to virus. I feel dat 1st half of the day more kids, more exposure to virus

 

[lbs]

hi shook
actually we still thinking if let him go full day eventually or not..jin sim tia..sigh~

 

[shook]

lbs
Huh...Y u sim tia if put your boi in cc full day but ok 1/2 day?

 

[lbs]

shook
cos no matter what, in "school" he cant do what he wants, when he wants..everything is about routine..

somehow, I have this feeling that my boy is afterall a 2 years old & there will be many many years of schooling for him ahead. I hope he has the "freedom" to enjoy himself as much as possible..err, not sure if you understand what I mean...

 

[sarah]

lbs, totally understood where you coming from. for me, sending jabez to playschool early is more for him to socialize. so half-day playgroup i feel is sufficient. eventually he would know tat the routine for half day is after school, he gets to return home for a good home cooked meal. afternoon naps will also be done at home where it's more quiet and comfy.

if you think like me, then just cont w e half day CC. anyway, as you said before, all children will go thru e separation anxiety process. let him be. he will grow out of it soon.

 

[koapolar]

lbs
Oh yes now dat u mentioned, director of Carpe Diem told me some kids r ok wif cc for a start but cry later coz they feel they loss the freedom they hv @ home
Agree wif Sarah, if u hv a long term caretaker n juz want your child to socialise wif kids of his age, than cont wif 1/2 day cc

I feel reflief dat I din send my son to Learning Vision in view of the dengue fever outbreak @ the fishing pond area. Hv to pass by the fishing pond area to go to Learning Vision. Besides there r mosquitoes @ the playground area outside Learning Vision