How much $$$ do you spend on your Pre-schooler?

[Fettuccine]

My turn too:


My 3rd one coming soon and getting $12,000 baby bonus. Will use that for her future preschool. In fact, my little girl (number 2) also uses her baby bonus of $6000 plus us topping up $6000 for the preschool fees. But will finish soon... She has started preschool since playgroup.

Now that my son goes to p1 next year, the preschool fees are saved and that will cover costs for future enrichment classes/books/etc/travel exps.

Currently, we are paying for:
1) JHKim Taekwondo - $180 per month (2 kids) = $180
2) The Ballet and Music Company (for ballet) - $110 per month x 1 = $110
3) The Ballet and Music Company (for Music) - $250 per month (2 kids) = $250
4) Diapers and milk formulas per month = $100
5) Miscellaneous: Toys, multivits, playgym, books and stationery per month = $150
6) Medical? My kids hardly sick currently.
7) Savings at OCBC young savers account per month x 2 = $200
Child insurance for both at xxx amount mthly
9) Son's K2 school fees per term (3 mths) = $1300+

Overall, still manageable, adding Abacus and Kumon soon if son keen to pick up...

My advice is to set a budget and use it wisely

[poohcutie]

hi


another KS mummy here reporting.
DD1 used to attend SHichida since 11 mths old till abt 3.5 yrs old...so total investment including buying materials alreadi like near to $10K

DD1 now 5 yr old
daily 3 hr sch - $250 per mth
Berries world -$120 per mth
English - $200 per mth
Abacus - 110 per mth
2 Arts session - 180 per mth (jst withdrawn not long ago)
dancing - 70 per mth

DD2 (2yr old now) attended right brain sch and GUG before but withdraw her after one term coz programme seems not suitable for her. Hence next yr she will be attending full day pre-sch. Fees $1K per mth.

nt forgetting their medical insurance n other policies and milk powder....

still managable but somehw our lifestlye change.no more frequent shopping at luxury boutiques and saloon visit.

[ChiefKiasu]

poohcutie:

...DD1 used to attend SHichida since 11 mths old till abt 3.5 yrs old...so total investment including buying materials alreadi like near to $10K...

Looks like a good spread. You see any \"effects\" from all that Shichida training?

[wonglady]

Hi ladies


I'm a newbie...have been following all these on $$$child care or Kindergarte...I have a 4 yr old daughter and I sent her to this Kindergarten (east coast)...wholistc education with fine arts program and of course...the academics.

S$$ 1950 for 10 weeks... so not sending her to any more enrichment classes...they even include the phonics, grammar and so on... My opinion, value for money.

[ChiefKiasu]

wonglady:

Hi ladies


I'm a newbie...have been following all these on $$$child care or Kindergarte...I have a 4 yr old daughter and I sent her to this Kindergarten (east coast)...wholistc education with fine arts program and of course...the academics.

S$$ 1950 for 10 weeks... so not sending her to any more enrichment classes...they even include the phonics, grammar and so on... My opinion, value for money.

Wow... is it a whole day programme? Can share what kindy it is? Sounds like NAFA.

PS. I'm a guy... hope I qualify to ask these questions

Update: Oops... just realized your kid is indeed in NAFA from your other thread. You are lucky! How long did you have to queue for it?

[wonglady]

put my daughter’s name while they had an open house in 2006…wasn’t so sure as to whether to place her there as I was not impressed with the management then… when they called me in 07, realized that the person-in charged has changed. No harm going there and have a look again. I was lucky and I really liked the way things were managed…very friendly and there, i decided to put my darling in…was really good timing and that’s when the enrolment picked up…now, can’t even get a place…recommended NAFA to my friends and they could not get a vacany…


BTW, the current fee is $500 per month (4 hrs) excluding other material fees for existing student… new students pay the new rate and agin excluding …I reckin if I send my dsuaghter to another cheaper kindergarten, I will still need to pay for art, music and so on…

kiasu, huh??? expensive?? mu guess is yes but good!!:lol:

[mom2boys]

now my turn to stress :oops:


4yr old son - full day CC @ $580/mth with speech and drama lesson once a week @ CC (from ARTs).
- arranging art & craft lessons

plus a 1yr old 2nd son - intending to throw him with the elder brother to the same CC
plus swimming lessons $120/mth

that counts to be $1160/mth for CC only. pocket already 1 hole burnt..after reading the rest, I now stress whether to sign up more enrichment classes for my ds1 after teacher @ CC comment that my sons need to catch up.. :?

[ChiefKiasu]

mom2boys:

...after reading the rest, I now stress whether to sign up more enrichment classes for my ds1 after teacher @ CC comment that my sons need to catch up.. :?

Hi mom2boys, academic enrichment programmes for pre-schoolers are mostly effective only if there is parental participation. Most programmes are really meant to teach the parents how to teach their children at home. There is no point in sending the child to expensive programmes if you do not have time to follow up.

This means that if you already know how to teach your child, and do a bit of research in finding out what you need to prepare your child for P1 and beyond, you do not need to spend on the enrichment courses. If you read the posts in this forum in depth, you will find that most parents read to their children regularly to encourage reading, and train their children in adding up to 10, and 100. I'm only sending my daughter for Chinese enrichment classes.

Did the CC teacher say what aspects of your child is \"lacking\" at this point of development?

[wonglady]

Hi mom2boys


Hope I did not stree you too much. My thinking was sending my daughter with all these enrichment integrated so that I could spend time with her over the weekend. ChiefKaisu is right…I think CC or Kindergarten can help to a certain extend. As parent, we still need to do some reinifrcement at home and help to extend their knowledge further.

Can’t just leave everything to school. NAFA is expensive but I reckon if I send my daughter to enrichment classes over the weekends, I can’t spend quality time with her. Also, the amount may even add up to be more than expected.

Guess we have to weigh what’s important…I also took a while to ponder…hee…hee

[mom2boys]

hihi,


CC teacher commented that my ds1 doesn't really seems to be interested in learning..might also becos my boy only started to attend pre-school in a church kindergarten early this early for 1term afterwhich i switched him to a full day CC. so compare to those started earlier from the same CC, he is behind time. from the way he hold the pencil to the way he write his name lor... :oops: so i worried that he's trying to act not interested cos he's not confident enough...i need to find a way to brush up his writing skills....any courses for this?
i've tried spending one weekend afternoon coaching him to write properly..in the end...almost give up :x my boy just talk n talk n talk..communication skills super but motor skills (like writing) bad..or is it I'm too paranoid?