oh daycare, how i've missed our daily struggles

It's been a while since I've written about problems with daycare, first because I was worried someone from there would find it, then more recently because we really have had a good experience there. For the past year or so Dylan has loved her teachers and had a lot of good friends in her room. I don't know that she eats or sleeps there any more than she did as an infant, but that's more her decision now and I don't worry about her while she's there. She comes home happy and chattering about her day for the 10 minutes before the Evening Evils hit.

Soon after she turns three she will probably be moved into one of the preschool rooms. I think aside from missing her teachers it should be good for her because she could probably use some new activities with some slightly older kids. I imagine they'll make sure she gets to stay with her friends, so I've generally been looking forward to it.

Today they sent home some information with the costs and "curriculum" for next year. The mainstay seems to be that they have three tiers, and they will give your child more (or less) individual attention and teach more (or less) reading and math depending on how much you are willing to pay. They didn't give a lot more detail than that (ie will your child be left to cry in a corner with the lowest level? will they actively teach your child incorrect information if you pay less?), but it again makes me wish there was another option that would work as well for us. Alas, being down the street always seems to win out. I don't really think a lot of formal teaching is necessary in preschool, but I think Dylan would really like it and I'm pretty sure she's ready to learn how to read in the next six months or so. Her reading repertoire so far includes "baby" "no" and of course "dylan, dylan, and dylan," but she's got all the basic ideas about letters and sounds and will sit and yammer on with me for a long time about what letters are in what words.

I think what we'll probably do is go with the cheapest option because I feel like this is a scam and because I'll be home a lot next year and if I feel like she needs some learnin' I can just do it myself. But ugh.