I have thought about this for a long time, and I finally feel that I need to share it.
I believe there is one change that could alleviate so many of the challenges Lakewood families are currently facing. Obviously, no solution is perfect, and there is always a cost-benefit analysis involved. But I genuinely believe we have reached a point where this has become an urgent communal need:
Every elementary school should have a nursery and kindergarten program beginning at age three, with bussing provided.
I realize that many schools currently do have preschool classes. However, those programs are generally very limited and available primarily to families who already have siblings enrolled in the school. What I am suggesting is something much broader: that preschool beginning at age three become a standard part of the elementary school system, with sufficient capacity so that it is a realistic option for the broader parent body—not a limited privilege available to a select number of families.
As a mother of several married children, B”H, I watch what my children and so many other young families go through every day—the endless carpools, the stress each year of finding and getting accepted to a morah, the increasingly exorbitant preschool fees, and now, in many cases, no playgroup on Fridays. The amount of pressure this places on parents should not be underestimated.
For many years, there was an understandable concern about protecting the parnassah of kollel families who relied on running playgroups. But the home-preschool model has changed dramatically. We are seeing very young and inexperienced morahs charging rates that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago, while wonderful, experienced morahs who have been doing this for years are put in an impossible position. What was once a beautiful and mutually beneficial system is becoming increasingly difficult for families to sustain.
If every elementary school incorporated a formal preschool program beginning at age three, school acceptance would simply happen two years earlier. Instead of parents spending those years worrying about finding a morah, securing a spot, paying ever-increasing private fees, and arranging multiple daily carpools, their children would already be part of a school system.
The impact would be enormous. Bussing three- and four-year-olds would take an extraordinary number of cars off Lakewood’s roads during the busiest hours. It would reduce traffic congestion while simultaneously removing one of the greatest daily stresses facing young families.
This isn’t simply about convenience. Carpooling multiple young children every morning and afternoon affects parents’ work schedules, family schedules, finances, and quality of life. Multiply that by thousands of families, and it becomes a communal issue.
I truly believe the time for this idea has come. Beginning school at age three, with organized bussing, could completely change the landscape of Lakewood and dramatically improve the daily lives of thousands of families.
It deserves serious consideration.
Anonymous
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Hey maybe it is an idea but personally I don’t like the idea of 3 and 4 year Olds on busses. It’s not safe in many ways. Not for nothing but the bussing in this town isn’t exactly up to par how would adding more children to the routes help it?
They do this in every other place besides for Lakewood. The children go on vans. Not busses. This is a fantastic idea! I wish this would become the norm! It would for sure decrease the hecticness for parents – every year finding a playgroup, dealing with the idiosyncrasies of each morah in terms of schedule, pay rates etc….
Is this a troll?
Now when bussing is such a disaster whichever angle you look at it, you come up with this bright idea?
We need to fix the bussing first before we can think of adding more kids on that bus.
Bussing 3 year olds?
I don’t think so.
In E”Y the 3 year olds go on a tender but they tend to have more life experience & less cuddling than the American kids at that age.
While I was a preschool bus monitor for two-five year olds, out of town, one child wrapped part of his backpack around his neck and was chocking.
How are you going to have 3 year olds on a bus without seatbelts and a monitor?
Well, this is how it is in Chassidishe schools. Starting at 3 and private bussing.
I don’t want my 3 year old in a large school. I don’t want my 3 year old on a bus. Thanks but no thanks. Speak for yourself
You can have the option of a home play group. Doesn’t mean you have to send to school.
So these busses will have car seats and people designated to strap everyone in and take care of all the crying kids and I’m sure pickup and drop off at every stop will take minimum 10 minutes.
Even if they get driven to school by a parent, it’s a major benefit for all the other things the letter writer mentioned
Where I live real school starts at 2 years old.
Bus aside, is lakewood ready to spend tuition for that age? Plus there are building fees, registration fees and Security fees.
We don’t have bus for preschool but we do have a van option which is super expensive.
Some of our camps also have busing starting at 2 years old but there is always a bus counselor and little kids always have a small bus.
The amount of traffic all the buses cause is insane I dont think lakewood can handle that.
Toddler groups are often just as expensive
No where near it. Especially lakewood playgroups- they are 1/4 of the price I pay for my 3 year old
Chassidim in brooklyn did this long ago
I live out of town and my three year old was on the bus last year . Bh all good the tell the tale
Oh please!
Who will give the 3 year olds clothing changes after an “accident”.
Motorists will go nuts from school buses in the middle of the road waiting till 3 year olds barely climb up on the bus and and for the mother to go in the bus and grab them carrying them down.
Most 3 year olds need to nap for 2 hours during the day otherwise they’re “ois mentch” .
Its no rush to get rid of them by throwing them into school at age 3 , they’ve got at least 1.5 decades of school ahead of them, by 6th or 7th grade they will be tired of school already.
The men need to work harder and earn some serious parnassah & the wives need to stay home with the kids.
Leave those poor 3 year olds babies alone.
During the early 1960’s when I was little I stood home with my mother; At age 6 I was sent to Yeshiva Eitz Chaim kindergarten on 13th Ave in Boro Park. Where Solomon Plaza / Eichlers is now; it was in the last old mansion of Boro park between 50 st & 51 st, there were Morah’s only no rebbe’s till the 3rd or 4th grades, after the 1st grade I was sent to an ultra orthodox yeshiva. Years later Boro park became ultra orthodox, Hy Solomon bought the yeshiva, threw it down & built Solomon plaza which is now rented to Eichlers, Banks and other stores and offices.
In Brooklyn this is how its always been done. Obviously there needs to be a bus monitor. Additionally the younger kids finish much earlier so their busses are much shorter routes. Regarding the amount of busses on the streets, think about how many cars would not be on the street!
על הראשונים אנו מצטערים ואתה בא להוסיף עליהם?
Lakewood is the onl community without proper set up for children age five. yes your idea is brilliant. In brooklyn and money chassidish communities all the schools are run like this and the three ear old get bussing. with a bus monitor. and the bus monitor will get paid like an assistant and have to work half the time i would assume
This would alleviate some challenges but create many new ones-supervision, may cause shortage of bus drivers, more morahs, tuition, more space in schools etc.
Brooklyn has been doing this for forever. It’s a great system in all areas. Majority have private run buses with heimishe drivers & bus monitors. Whoever feels that putting a 3year old on a bus is not for them they can drive/walk their child to nursery. It’s time for Lakewood to get their act together.