Would you send your child to a gan/playgroup like this?

Where I used to live in a Chareidi neighborhood, lots of these kinds of ganim operated. Where I live now, neighbors complain.
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Posted: Wed, Jun 22 2011, 2:06 am Post subject:

I think people will send. I agree about the numbers - certainly less than 10. Maybe you could get boards to hang on the wall and pin up pictures etc. on them, and take them down at the end of the week.

About being cooped up all day - some people are forgetting this is Israel. There are few days when it rains all morning - IMHO it is essential you have a park/ playground within 2-3 minutes walk to take them to for about an hour every day. But if you have a few really rainy days in a row they could go stir crazy.

The tax side you should be really careful of - if you are caught not having reported they can tell you you've had a gan for the last 10 years with 15 kids every year paying 1000 shekels a month and the onus is on you to disprove them.
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Posted: Wed, Jun 22 2011, 2:19 am Post subject:

I missed the part about 12 kids. Here 6 is standard. Some Israelis take 8. Everyone I know who doesn't work full time (and some who do and don't want maon / mishpachton for whatever reason), sends to ganim like this if they want a social setting before iriya gan. My friend takes 6 kids. The gan is in her sons' bedroom (size wise the LR). There are toys on the lower 2 shelves, and a table in the kitchen to eat and do projects on. She has a tiny merpesit they rarely use (only in the summer for some water play), but she takes them to the park every day for around an hour.
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Let me clarify - I do not plan on taking in more than 6 kids, including my daughter. I had 12 kids when I ran a kaytana, but that was very different. I had a full time helper, my husband was home to help with my own kids, and it was not as structured as I would like a real gan setup to be.

Most probably I would get an assistant for part of the day. As for the poster who mentioned about ganim being filled already; I was goign to make a gan for a younger age, since I had 3 neighbors in the building who said they would rather send to a gan in the building rather than have to go further out. There are not many options here on my street. Now that my daughter's gan is not opening next year, people on my street are scrambling to find something. That is why I am considering this.

Regarding space, so again, I do have a completely enclosed huge mirpeset with a 4 in 1 gym, see saw, slide, trikes, cars, bouncing horses (inflatable), etc. In the living room area itself, I can definitely fit 3 small tables with 4 chairs each comfortabley (but I won't be using that much). On topic of messes...lets just say I love doing art n crafts and I do all sorts of messy things with my kids all the time. Smile

And I do have cleaning help, so I wouldn't be as pressured to have it spotless.
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Oh, and one more thing - I want to clarify the age. This gan would be for kids who would be turning 3 during the year. My daughter would probably be one of the oldest - turning 3 Pesach time.

With this new info. I would consider sending to this gan.
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Posted: Wed, Jun 22 2011, 3:49 am Post subject:

I say go for it! But also decide how many you need to make it worth your while to open. You dont' want to wind up with 2 kids and the choice of working for almost nothing or canceling on the parents. If you have a minimum, tell the parents up front. I know my friend will work even if she only has 1 kid, but other people need 4 or 5 before they will open.

Posted: Wed, Jun 22 2011, 4:03 am Post subject:

Also make sure you have a reliable back up on your premisice for any sick days you may need for yourself or children.

Lol - I believe everything was originally stated in my first post, but other people misunderstood what I wrote and commented, and other people assumed otherwise...funny how broken telephone happens in writing! Laughing

I would DEFINITELY make an arrangement with my assistant befoerhand to make sure she would be on call for sick days.

good point about the backup for the backup...

Posted: Wed, Jun 22 2011, 8:27 am Post subject:

I voted yes and this is actually a normal gan where I live. I back up a ganenet once in a while and I can tell you, that it's much easier if you have no more than 10 kids at a time, and if you have help, at least a couple of hours a day or the whole time, whatever is possible. Then you have an opportunity to do some activities dividig the group, have someone who's changing nappies if need be, not interrupting the main activity, and to go to the loo yourself.
There were days I had 13 children without help, and it was pure survival.

Any way, one room and a balcony don't bother me as lack of space. As for free play, it is wonderful, but still not the whole time, you need to offer something, not every day and not all the time, of course. Hatzlocho!

What about INSURANCE? If anything happens to a child under your care even if it's not your fault, you will be in deep trouble. Think court cases, fines, jail. Can you get insurance for a gan that is not registered?