Babe’s Running Start Preschool

Our family has had a wonderful experience at Babe’s. My older son started attending when we moved to Pacifica a little over a year ago. He was sixteen months so it wasn’t the easiest age for big changes, but the teachers made it a very smooth transition. He bonded with them immediately. He was usually the first in the toddler room in the morning, so he had some one-​on-​one cuddle time every day to help acclimate him. He loved the art projects, and would tell me all about his friends and teachers and what he did that day.
Babe’s was also very mindful about the transition from the toddler room to the preschool. In the weeks leading up to his second birthday, he would visit the 2-​year-​old class for short periods of time, so he would get used to the more structured environment. I was very heartened to see that my son, who is a very high energy child, could sit still and engage in the preschool environment, and I am sure the patience and positive reinforcement that they provide helped with this.
My younger son started attending Babe’s as well when he was almost four months old. They let him do his thing and eat/​sleep by his schedule, which was perfect for my little guy, who is very much a creature of habit. He bonded right away with his teacher, and as he started rolling over and sitting up, was able to start enjoying playtime alongside the other babies.
The staff is excellent at communicating about how the boys’ days went, sharing new knowledge and skills that they acquire, and overall, just keeping us informed. With their patience and encouragement, my older boy has made great progress with his potty training, and they’ve reinforced his counting and alphabet skills.
We recently moved to Marin, so we had to say goodbye to Babe’s and move to a new preschool. Honestly, that was probably the most difficult thing about the move, since this has been such a happy home away from home for our family. I’m really glad that they’ve had this time at a place where every single teacher and staff member went above and beyond to help them learn, grow, and thrive.

The daily response for parents to the query: how was my child’s day? was «It was a good day». Every day. Generally each day is good at Babe’s Pre-​school.
This preschool has a lot of potential. It needs TLC and general maintenance around the site. Some of the teachers are outstanding and wonderful. Some are a bit negative. Some of the employees really put their heart into it, even though it is a tough, low paying job. One caring teacher called me at home to check on my child when she went home sick one day. Above and beyond.
There is a fair amount of turnover and parents are not informed when new employees come on the scene. The ratio of teacher to student tends to be high. (Unfortunately, when the government laws changed allowing higher ratios for infants and young children, I commented on the large number of children in the 2 year old class-​over 20. The director responded that they have to get used to it as there are as many children in kindergarten. Note the age referenced: 2) As of graduating my child has made some good friends, as have I, from the socializing on the playground. It would be nice if the preschool encouraged more parent involvement or social mxing, as we can help and learn a lot from each other.
It has a fantastic play yard, probably the best aspect of the pre-​school. It has great playstructures and rubber surfacing, swings and monkey bars which the kids LOVED, although the sand in the large sandbox has not always been free of animal visits during its long history and has never been replaced. The food provided is typically adequate school food, although a bit heavy on the sugar in the pre-​K class. One lesson plan was: «Ice Cream Stew» served just before lunch. That being said, there were plenty of creative projects; I am always in amazement as to what can be thought up of ordinary items, many of which are «upcycled». The teachers all had such creative ideas! Each pre-​K kid graduated with a big stack of aweseom stuff they made.
Students are in age specific classrooms and there are a lot of nice toys. I had always hoped that they did more reading and stories, but that was minimal. They created a great naptime routine which all students must follow although my child repeatedly complained of teachers talking throughout the naptime. She was afraid to say anything lest they get mad. One of the good things about childcare centers is that adults can interact and share ideas regularly as opposed to a home care situation which usually involves only one adult. It takes a village.
There is a lack of periodic enrichment programs (reading, dance, music, art, theater, nature, etc) for the children and there is no teacher professional development offered. They do prepare a holiday performance which is very cute where the children sing a variety of holiday songs. However the daily routine seems to be adequate and takes care of kids’ needs. The children pick up the routines and follow suit easily. Circle time, play time, clean up etc… I noticed that the same children get discipline (exclusion/​time-​outs) over and over.
The preschool graduation ceremony was over the top with caps and gowns and was entirely excellent. The director organized a slideshow of the kids throughout the years and the teacher orchestrated a lovely heartfelt procession and ceremony. Upon our exit, I asked for a report or review on my child’s learning experience and style throughout the year and the teacher did not respond. She started talking about her own needs.
I would highly recommend that anyone searching for a preschool does a thorough search including spending hours observing and listening to how the employees speak to the children and to each other. It is imperative that there is a lot of encouragment and positive words heard. Get references and check backgrounds. It is one of the most important influences in a child’s life. Knowledge about the importance of early childhood education is becoming more prominent. Children are our future and our investment in their education is essential. The structure for life experience is greatest during a child’s first 6 years. Great pre-​school experiences have the potential to influence great change in our society.
I hope that anyone reading this thinks about what they could do to benefit the children in their lives, be it their own or others’. Children deserve a great deal of respect, encouragement and every possible opportunity to explore, discover, create, interact positively with other children as well as adults. We as parents, must place trust in other adults as parenting partners as children cannot advocate for themselves.