this wasn't in the plan |but life is still pretty good

Bug doesn't attend a traditional preschool, he goes to what's called Joy School. Joy School is essentially a co-op, you join forces with other moms and take turns teaching. The curriculum is all there for you and very easy to follow and teach from. It's mainly values oriented, but you can opt to do Kindergarten readiness activities each day too, which focus on letters, numbers, colors, and shapes.

Our group has three kids in it, so I teach one week (Tuesday and Thursday) and get two weeks off. My sister-in-law's group has five or six kids in it. They've chosen to have each mother teach an entire unit at a time, so she'll do one unit (usually about a 3-4 weeks long) and then get several months off.

You (and everyone in your group) purchases the curriculum and pay a registration fee. Those are all one time costs. There are two years of curriculum. I've already purchased one of them, and next year when I purchase the other one, I'll be able to do Joy School for as long as I want without paying any more money (unless I decide to purchase the optional storybook). So for the cost of a few months of traditional preschool, I've paid for many, many years of preschool for my children.

It clearly isn't an option for everyone, but it works well for us! Aside from the money benefits, I love knowing exactly what my son is learning everyday. I don't always check the lesson plans I don't teach, but there's been times when he's been referring to something he did at school and I can just check the lesson plan for that day to see what he might be talking about. It's also comforting to know the parents and families of the kids he associates with at school.

There's also an option to start a commercial Joy School.

If you're searching around for preschool options for your child (I know some schools around here will start registration very soon), this just might be for you. I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you might have!