Preschool Wars

What does $155 get you in SF? Most likely nothing. Yup, preschool applications have begun. Three down and $155 poorer. (That could've been at least 3 outfits for me from TJMaxx). Only 4 more applications to go, plus the additional 4 I applied to 1.5 years ago. Yup, that's pre-Tanner. As I foresaw in a May 2008 blog post, getting into day care and preschools in San Francisco is about as promising as the Giants winning the World Series. You put all your time, energy, money and emotions into it and get nada in return. Statistics say you have a 1 in 8 chance in getting accepted, and like day cares, you should start in utero or in fertility counseling. You're probably wondering how I know this. It's because there are books written on this subject. Yes, there is a book on how to get into preschools in San Francisco. In fact, there are many of them. And I refuse to spend another $18.68 (+ shipping) on this damn sinkhole of money called way-too-competitive-to-get-into-overpriced-and-over-crowded-san francisco-preschools.

I spent 2 hours tonight filling out preschool applications, writing checks and addressing envelopes. I remember the days when the only pre-requisite for nursery school was that you didn't bring a gun to school with you. Now you have to answer application questions like your occupation and the company, ethnicity, what affiliations in SF you're associated with, volunteering efforts, what my child can bring to the school, what do I want out of the school, why this particular school, etc. And the biggest kicker is - if, if, if a spot does open up, you then have to go through a family interview process to then get selected. I say bullsh*t. But I'm still a sucker. 4 more applications to go.

P.S. We're 1 for 6 on the day care odds. After applying 1.5 years ago, we just go into one last week. Figures that I'm not working and can't take advantage of it. I predict that when we finally get into a preschool, we won't even be living in San Francisco.

P.P.S. A big thank you for all the prior postings' comments. I feel so loved again. And I want to know who made the guilt trip comment. Jorge?