Another Sign of the Apocalypse

Getting a child into a pre-school program is generally not a parent's most difficult activity. Except in NY City where the chore has turned into somekthing akin to getting accepted at an Ivy League school.

Check out this NY Times article for the full story.

OK, perhaps the hoops that these parents must jump through is not a sign the world is coming to an end. In a way it's touching that a mom or dad would fret over having to write an entrance essay for their child. But the fact that a pre-school would require such an action is bizarre in and of itself.

Apparantly there is a dearth of pre-school class space, but something tells me the pre-school administrators simply enjoy putting these parents through hell.

To a lesser extent the parents are also to blame. The reason the competition is so stiff, according to the Nanny Diaries at least, is status. Parents want their children placed in the "right" school. Not necessarily one with the best programs, but the one with the most cache. They are driving up demand, thus helping give themselves a massive headache.

This story makes me wish I had the money to open my own pre-school. Charging parents $10,000 per year so their kids can fiddle with Play Do all day would be very satisfying.