Stressbucket holiday.

[rivka]

Yesterday Michael had a second interview for a very good job - capital purchasing coordinator at Mercy Hospital. It's supposed to be an excellent place to work, with good benefits - it's even within walking distance of our house! And he thinks the interview went well.

They're planning to decide over the holiday, and let people know early next week. So we get to spend Thanksgiving biting our nails and wondering: employed or not employed?

Argh.

Also yesterday, we got a letter from the nursery school we visited last month, explaining that they're currently trying to determine the makeup of the class, and outlining the dates in the admissions calendar since "many or most of you have applied to other schools as well."

Applied? We thought we'd reserved Alex a place in the class. I distinctly remember the director telling us that there were two places left in the class, and that we should get our form filled out and our deposit in as quickly as possible. Sure, the form said "application," but that seemed like a formality. She never said anything to make us think that we weren't all set - not "we'll let you know by such-and-such a date," not "we'll select a class from the applications received," not anything. So no, we haven't applied to other schools as well. I can't believe that we might be back to square one with our future childcare.

I don't even know if the $75 we put down will be refunded if Alex doesn't get a place. Application fees aren't usually refundable, but I'd expect a nonrefundable application fee to be a lot closer to $25. It's not like they're having to study Alex's transcripts and letters of recommendation, or anything.

So there's another thing to worry about, over the holidays. Childcare, or no childcare?

They say they'll make up the class by December 1st, and we'll get a letter by the 15th.

Argh.

Comments

[hobbitbabe.livejournal.com]

Fingers crossed for Michael. Walking to work is great; I hope he gets to do it.

As for the nursery school, I suppose that calling them to find out more or lobby them a bit might make you look like one of THOSE parents, pushy people that they might want to avoid? My experience as a sports registrar and camp director makes me guess that when they talked to you, maybe they expected to just take the next two families, but then later found themselves with someone who was hard to turn down (younger sibling of a kid in the program, racial-minority kid from the neighbourhood, someone who had actually signed their kid up at birth and they'd lost the application).

If the school director is feeling conflict-avoidant over this, then calling and showing yourselves to be reasonable tolerant people might work against Alex getting in. For example, if you ask questions about where else you should apply or whether you should be applying elsewhere.

Are you doing anything inherently stressful over the holidays? Or just enjoying a few days at home together with good food?

[rivka.livejournal.com]

If the school director is feeling conflict-avoidant over this, then calling and showing yourselves to be reasonable tolerant people might work against Alex getting in. For example, if you ask questions about where else you should apply or whether you should be applying elsewhere.

Oh dear. I'd thought about not wanting to appear pushy and obnoxious, but I hadn't thought about this.

I was thinking about calling and expressing my flustered surprise and dismay, explaining the misunderstanding, and asking a couple of questions about the process (how will they be picking the class, is the fee refundable). I wasn't planning to push at all.

I had thought to ask her about other schools that share the philosophy of play-based learning and de-emphasize academics, but your warning is making me re-think that. On the plus side, it might remind her that we connected really well on the philosophical issue. On the down side, giving me the names of other schools might, as you say, reassure her that Alex will have plenty of other options.

Ugh. I can't believe I'm even having to think about preschool admissions.

[hobbitbabe.livejournal.com]

But then when I read ratphooey's response I thought maybe I was being too pessimistic.

It can't hurt to mention that you haven't applied anywhere else - didn't even visit anywhere else, in fact - because you were so pleased with how their philosophy and practices meshed with your own.

[therealjae.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't know if this is the *right* thing to do, but I'd definitely want to call, express the flustered surprise and dismay, and do your not-pushy questioning thing. For what it's worth.

-J