We sent our daughter to one of the most “prestigious” and sought after preschools in SoCal…one which is associated with JPL/CalTech. That connection obviously puts visions of your child becoming a future rocket scientist in the minds of parents, so the demand was huge. The school was very expensive (>$2500/mo) but the irony was that the education was all “play based”…even the rockets scientists at JPL and CalTech wanted their kids to grow by playing rather than rote learning as adolescents. Our daughter had a good experience there and the teachers there were very caring and thoughtful people. Having said that, there was no “magic” formula there, so for all the young parents out there who think that life is over if their child doesn’t get “accepted” by some prestigious and popular preschool…don’t fret. There are plenty of places where a child can learn by playing…and certainly less than for what we paid.
I can relate to your video! Preschools can be very, very expensive, today! As a teacher who teaches young children, preschools should be affordable for every family. It shouldn't be based on income! Much Aloha to you and your family.
I remember when we were looking for my daughter's preschool about 10 years ago. It was stressful. We couldn't decide which preschool to send her. We put deposit about $50 each school when she was 1 year old. We couldn't decide one so we let my daughter to pick. She choose the one that has a big tree and nice swings at beautiful yard. It was about $900 a month and I thought it was pretty expensive. But she enjoyed the preschool a lot. She is now doing very well at her middle school and I believe one of the reasons the preschool's teaching model was suitable for her. We, parents enjoyed all the school events too!!
Could you share the elementary and middle schools please? We are moving from overseas and am having difficulties navigating the schooling system and what would be the safest environment, thank you for your time
@@beautyhai Hi, Sorry to respond late. I am originally from Japan. The educational system is very different from my country. I don't know your background so it is hard to give you an advice.... There are big gaps between people who have and not. Many parents like to send kids to private school. But some parents don't like to send their kids to private school. In mainland, only 18% goes private school. But I read somewhere that more than 30% of kids in Hawaii go to private school. My daughter will apply for private high school this year because her school teacher recommended her to go to private school. My daughter has been great at public school. I think you need to speak with many people here when you get here. You need to visit school and feel what there are like. But if you have specific questions that need to know, I am happy to answer you.
Interesting. It’s so good for your son that you found a place where you think he will thrive. So important to be tuned into your boy’s needs. I’m glad for you all.
I’m so glad you talked about this topic. I have two town sons and they both went to pre school. Helped them to learn to interact with other students. Plus they learned colors, numbers in a playful way. Plus it gave me a way to learn if I needed to hold them back for one more year and not force them into kindergarten sooner than they need. Plus I’m glad you both gave awesome feedback based on your needs. Plus the pre school I used was $475 for half day 6:45 am -1 pm. Or full time $675 for a full day for back in 2002. 6:45 am-5:45 pm. Our pre school allowed my children to attend for two weeks with one parent there so they get adjusted slowly in the beginning. In the beginning they we very clinging and after two weeks my boys were asking me to leave.
We moved home to Hawaii last year & getting our son into pre-k was easy but OMG, the cost! In Nevada, we paid $850/month…. We now pay $1475/mo in pre-k tuition. Then when I went to consider putting my toddler in daycare, I was able to find a place quickly but still $1650/mo. Just found out we are expecting again so my hubby & I finally decided to keep the kiddos home with us (I’m self employed) till we can get them into pre-k otherwise we’ll be spending $60k a year to put them in daycare/preschool/private school
My wife is a preschool teacher and she tells me how much kids grow from start to finish. Super integral to maturing. So glad you found your son the right preschool. Such a fun time for the kids. In Hawaii Kai… let’s just say a preschool starting with a W, near Kahala Mall is the one all the private school kids go to. 😂
My friend’s son had a delay in speech development so the state covered his preschool tuition. I don’t know specifics as to why and how but that was nice of the state. My daughter went to a small informal type of preschool and I had stars in my eyes as she really stood out as a coordinated toddler that can learn all the songs and dances fast and with spirit. She then moved to a formal preschool and she changed into an introvert shy kid that just wanted to disappear in the crowd. I’m not sure if that was just natural development or if learning conformity to the class was not so good for her. Another bummer was starting kindergarten. You will find that 80% of the students will just sit and wait one full semester until the 3 kids in the class that didn’t go to preschool learn how to sit down and follow directions. The 80% will need to do the same thing they learned in preschool while the non preschool kids learn the alphabets and numbers…
Montessori school is amazing (both my kids went to Montessori). It's such a different way of teaching than academic school, which kids will experience for the remainder of their school years. It follows the growth of the child, allows them to work at their own pace. But they also get to teach other kids "jobs" they have mastered. I hope your son enjoys his time there!
Moiliili Honwanji was good. Went to Lumbini Honwanji Pre-School as well. Both were multi culturally friendly, my daughter spoke more Japanese when she was smaller so it really helped going to both schools.
Yes! Buddhist preschools/schools for the win! My temple in San Jose has schools, the kids do Scouting, do all kinds of things, they're taught real ethics (not mainland take-the-money-and-run selfishness) and grow up to be solid citizens.
Glad to hear you got your keiki in a good program. There are a lot of options, but sounds like you picked a winner. I think you'll be stoked when they're all pau with preschool and off to public kindergarten more prepared socially. Then think about how much money you'll save. Childcare costs are crazy high. It's nuts the tax code for FSA only allows you deduct $5500/year, meanwhile people are spending that every couple of months for preschool and/or aftercare. That limit hasn't changed since 1986. We're paying $63k a year for two preschool-aged kids and can write off less than 9% of it. The tax code needs updating for sure.
Yu guys going enroll Son in Hongwanji Japanese Pre School? I went there in one growing up in my small Oahu town. Excellent safe environment, with Custodian/Teachers very safe, proper guardianship, with super good lunches! Really good! And they keep the keiki in line, no let um run around like crazy kids, too! And practice Japanese language!
Glad the stress is over, and a choice is made. It's a common dilemma for most parents these days. For the older viewers, most of us didn't have such a stressful issue as it was tough enough with both parents working and only one car and multiple kids, so the parents and the kids managed by what existed at the time. In the long run, I'm more confident that as a couple, both of you have the best interest of your children and no matter what pre-school, school they eventually go, they will be successful because both of you are active parents wanting to spend as time & quality with them, that whatever they might not have introduced by the school, their wise parents will ensure that they've provided their best guidance to ensure that they are loved, cherished and supported. They can go to the best school, but home is where they will learn the most important things from their parents.
Glad you got your child on the path! I know its hard, costly, and often frustrating, but you two are doing the right (and best thing). Just gotta' trust this ol' haole. The system there sounds like it has some similarities to here in Massachusetts. Here, most public school systems in larger communities and cities are absolutely horrendous in the student outcome of performance. They act as day-care centers until the child is 17 or 18. The State allows a limited number of "charter" or magnet schools to be established in cities and towns which operate under separate regulations and policies outside of the local school committees (a good thing), are paid for by the state (aka, taxpayers, but we subsidize public schools anyway), but are very limited in enrollment availability. To get your child in one of the charters, it is done by lottery, so at least it an equal chance of yea or nay for your kid. Buuut (there is always one of those 'buts'), charter schools are often VERY (my emphasis) negatively viewed by both the media (or under-played for results) because it threatens the tenure-ship of established teacher unions, and holds bureaucratically entrenched administrators accountable. Why? because the charter schools operate on a performance/results factor, and non-engaging, deficient or outright negligent admins and teachers can be fired, as there is no tenure nor long-term contracts. As a result, in some communities, the charters often rebuked or shunned as being somehow near-racist or at the least, a privileged or special interest format to be reviled. (yet, they are geared for the lower income families to take advantage of) Hmmmm, I always was led to believe we all should strive for the good of the children. Very strange world we live in. Hang in there, and keep being great parents.
Mahalo for the encouragement. Charter schools have an interesting reputation here. Great for learning Hawaiian language. However, I know some examples of mismanagement, as reported in the news.
Great choice of education for your son! I wish I had known about Montessori Schools when my children were younger. I love that the Montessori philosophy is a student self directed, hands on, and collaborative play environment! 🥰❤️🤙🏼
wow, that was quite a process for you guys. I applied to one school (9 months early, when my son was 2) and he was in! It's been so good for him. But I'll probably have to wait until he is out of preschool to put my daughter in, because paying for both of them at the same time is not an option lol
That is not the Hawaii I left back in 1976. You can't buy a home, you can't drive to work, you can't afford to buy groceries, and now you can't even put your kids into a preschool. I don't like going to the beach, and the humidity is horrific. Other than family and food, why would I go back there?
I guess you're trying to get your kid onto the Punahou track. That will be hard, but once they go to Punahou they're set for life so it's worth it if you can do it.
@@HelloFromHawaii It's pricey!!! Supposedly there are scholarships but those go to people who can afford it anyway. It's the Punahou Mafia. Out of 5 of us, my father managed to send the oldest of us, my older sister, there. The rest of us? Public school and out of us other 4, 2 no grad at all! I took my GED, got "some" college trying to do a 4-year degree and work ... that's really hard and I don't recommend it. My parents were mainland style, don't help the kids at all. Even when we were under 18, my parents never missed a meal but we kids missed plenty, yep, literally don't even feed their kids if it means they themselves miss one bite of food, that's mainland style. But yeah, the older one, no problems there, got it made for life. That's how it works. I hope you can do the best for your kid and get them into a good career (government, Unionized) and to save save save their money, bury it in the yard, save save save ....
I really understand what you experienced I remember when me and my wife looked for a pre-school for my son. I thought it was pricey but it was worth it for social skills and learning. Wait until you get to the college age, if you think pre-school is expensive, we paid for private college. $$$$
What kind of hours are these preschools offering? When we sent our kids to preschool it was two mornings a week. As a result it only cost 200 a month. This is just the normal way to do preschool in my area.
Depends on the school. Some have to start early because parents have to work. And of course, they have to end late too. Hard to find those 6am - 5:30pm preschools.
haha. I went to Kaimuki Evangeline Christian preschool in Palolo. The place is still there but called something else now days. I think I remember "Mother Rice" or however it is spelled to be the big time preschool in the early 80s lol.
Hi, can you give some native Hawaiian accommodations on the islands? I like to support locals and specifically Polynysian / Hawaiian resident. It's really hard to find anything online. Thanks in advance. Greetings from Germany Oliver
How come? You have to work so hard for a lower standard of living than almost all the USA. After 30 years in Hawaii I moved to Mexico and something like a quarter or a third of Mexicans enjoy a higher standard of living. Mexico is slowly raising it's standard of living which gives hope and a positive attitude. Hawaii? Well sorry but it's going backwards, very sad. Very depressing and sad.
We sent our daughter to one of the most “prestigious” and sought after preschools in SoCal…one which is associated with JPL/CalTech. That connection obviously puts visions of your child becoming a future rocket scientist in the minds of parents, so the demand was huge.
The school was very expensive (>$2500/mo) but the irony was that the education was all “play based”…even the rockets scientists at JPL and CalTech wanted their kids to grow by playing rather than rote learning as adolescents.
Our daughter had a good experience there and the teachers there were very caring and thoughtful people. Having said that, there was no “magic” formula there, so for all the young parents out there who think that life is over if their child doesn’t get “accepted” by some prestigious and popular preschool…don’t fret.
There are plenty of places where a child can learn by playing…and certainly less than for what we paid.
Mahalo for sharing. Glad you were able to look back at the experience in a thoughtful manner.
I can relate to your video! Preschools can be very, very expensive, today! As a teacher who teaches young children, preschools should be affordable for every family. It shouldn't be based on income! Much Aloha to you and your family.
I remember when we were looking for my daughter's preschool about 10 years ago. It was stressful. We couldn't decide which preschool to send her. We put deposit about $50 each school when she was 1 year old. We couldn't decide one so we let my daughter to pick. She choose the one that has a big tree and nice swings at beautiful yard. It was about $900 a month and I thought it was pretty expensive. But she enjoyed the preschool a lot. She is now doing very well at her middle school and I believe one of the reasons the preschool's teaching model was suitable for her. We, parents enjoyed all the school events too!!
Could you share the elementary and middle schools please? We are moving from overseas and am having difficulties navigating the schooling system and what would be the safest environment, thank you for your time
@@beautyhai
Hi,
Sorry to respond late. I am originally from Japan. The educational system is very different from my country. I don't know your background so it is hard to give you an advice.... There are big gaps between people who have and not. Many parents like to send kids to private school. But some parents don't like to send their kids to private school. In mainland, only 18% goes private school. But I read somewhere that more than 30% of kids in Hawaii go to private school.
My daughter will apply for private high school this year because her school teacher recommended her to go to private school. My daughter has been great at public school.
I think you need to speak with many people here when you get here. You need to visit school and feel what there are like. But if you have specific questions that need to know, I am happy to answer you.
Interesting. It’s so good for your son that you found a place where you think he will thrive. So important to be tuned into your boy’s needs. I’m glad for you all.
🤙
I’m so glad you talked about this topic. I have two town sons and they both went to pre school. Helped them to learn to interact with other students. Plus they learned colors, numbers in a playful way. Plus it gave me a way to learn if I needed to hold them back for one more year and not force them into kindergarten sooner than they need. Plus I’m glad you both gave awesome feedback based on your needs. Plus the pre school I used was $475 for half day 6:45 am -1 pm. Or full time $675 for a full day for back in 2002. 6:45 am-5:45 pm. Our pre school allowed my children to attend for two weeks with one parent there so they get adjusted slowly in the beginning. In the beginning they we very clinging and after two weeks my boys were asking me to leave.
Sounds like a great experience. More expensive these days, but worth it.
We moved home to Hawaii last year & getting our son into pre-k was easy but OMG, the cost! In Nevada, we paid $850/month…. We now pay $1475/mo in pre-k tuition. Then when I went to consider putting my toddler in daycare, I was able to find a place quickly but still $1650/mo. Just found out we are expecting again so my hubby & I finally decided to keep the kiddos home with us (I’m self employed) till we can get them into pre-k otherwise we’ll be spending $60k a year to put them in daycare/preschool/private school
#Grateful 🙏 love you guys, thank you, #mahalo
My wife is a preschool teacher and she tells me how much kids grow from start to finish. Super integral to maturing. So glad you found your son the right preschool. Such a fun time for the kids. In Hawaii Kai… let’s just say a preschool starting with a W, near Kahala Mall is the one all the private school kids go to. 😂
Lol 😄 Yeah, everyone knows
Experiencing this as well. Thanks for sharing.
My friend’s son had a delay in speech development so the state covered his preschool tuition. I don’t know specifics as to why and how but that was nice of the state. My daughter went to a small informal type of preschool and I had stars in my eyes as she really stood out as a coordinated toddler that can learn all the songs and dances fast and with spirit. She then moved to a formal preschool and she changed into an introvert shy kid that just wanted to disappear in the crowd. I’m not sure if that was just natural development or if learning conformity to the class was not so good for her. Another bummer was starting kindergarten. You will find that 80% of the students will just sit and wait one full semester until the 3 kids in the class that didn’t go to preschool learn how to sit down and follow directions. The 80% will need to do the same thing they learned in preschool while the non preschool kids learn the alphabets and numbers…
Mahalo for sharing. Interesting what changed for your daughter. And I'm hoping my son learns how to act in a classroom by the time K starts.
Montessori school is amazing (both my kids went to Montessori). It's such a different way of teaching than academic school, which kids will experience for the remainder of their school years. It follows the growth of the child, allows them to work at their own pace. But they also get to teach other kids "jobs" they have mastered. I hope your son enjoys his time there!
Me too. Interesting teaching style. Looking to see how he does.
Moiliili Honwanji was good. Went to Lumbini Honwanji Pre-School as well. Both were multi culturally friendly, my daughter spoke more Japanese when she was smaller so it really helped going to both schools.
Yes! Buddhist preschools/schools for the win! My temple in San Jose has schools, the kids do Scouting, do all kinds of things, they're taught real ethics (not mainland take-the-money-and-run selfishness) and grow up to be solid citizens.
Was Waolani Judd one of your choices?
No, but heard good things about that school.
Thank you for sharing your experience! I'm a single guy in their mid 20s but still found value in this video (:
Well, if you ever have kids in Hawaii one day, you'll probably go through this preschool application struggle.
Glad to hear you got your keiki in a good program. There are a lot of options, but sounds like you picked a winner. I think you'll be stoked when they're all pau with preschool and off to public kindergarten more prepared socially. Then think about how much money you'll save.
Childcare costs are crazy high. It's nuts the tax code for FSA only allows you deduct $5500/year, meanwhile people are spending that every couple of months for preschool and/or aftercare. That limit hasn't changed since 1986. We're paying $63k a year for two preschool-aged kids and can write off less than 9% of it. The tax code needs updating for sure.
Yeah, the costs are high. And another thing to factor in come tax season.
Yu guys going enroll Son in Hongwanji Japanese Pre School?
I went there in one growing up in my small Oahu town. Excellent safe environment, with
Custodian/Teachers very safe, proper guardianship, with super good lunches! Really good!
And they keep the keiki in line, no let um run around like crazy kids, too!
And practice Japanese language!
Heard that's a good school but not sending our son there.
What is the problem with Hawaii public schools?
Glad the stress is over, and a choice is made. It's a common dilemma for most parents these days. For the older viewers, most of us didn't have such a stressful issue as it was tough enough with both parents working and only one car and multiple kids, so the parents and the kids managed by what existed at the time. In the long run, I'm more confident that as a couple, both of you have the best interest of your children and no matter what pre-school, school they eventually go, they will be successful because both of you are active parents wanting to spend as time & quality with them, that whatever they might not have introduced by the school, their wise parents will ensure that they've provided their best guidance to ensure that they are loved, cherished and supported. They can go to the best school, but home is where they will learn the most important things from their parents.
Mahalo for the comment. My parents made it work for us back in the 90s. I'm sure we'll make it work today.
you guys are a great team! you look beautiful together.
Love your channel
I feel like your experiences not much different from west los angeles or San Francisco area. Costs are way higher here.
Glad you got your child on the path! I know its hard, costly, and often frustrating, but you two are doing the right (and best thing). Just gotta' trust this ol' haole. The system there sounds like it has some similarities to here in Massachusetts.
Here, most public school systems in larger communities and cities are absolutely horrendous in the student outcome of performance. They act as day-care centers until the child is 17 or 18. The State allows a limited number of "charter" or magnet schools to be established in cities and towns which operate under separate regulations and policies outside of the local school committees (a good thing), are paid for by the state (aka, taxpayers, but we subsidize public schools anyway), but are very limited in enrollment availability. To get your child in one of the charters, it is done by lottery, so at least it an equal chance of yea or nay for your kid. Buuut (there is always one of those 'buts'), charter schools are often VERY (my emphasis) negatively viewed by both the media (or under-played for results) because it threatens the tenure-ship of established teacher unions, and holds bureaucratically entrenched administrators accountable. Why? because the charter schools operate on a performance/results factor, and non-engaging, deficient or outright negligent admins and teachers can be fired, as there is no tenure nor long-term contracts. As a result, in some communities, the charters often rebuked or shunned as being somehow near-racist or at the least, a privileged or special interest format to be reviled. (yet, they are geared for the lower income families to take advantage of) Hmmmm, I always was led to believe we all should strive for the good of the children. Very strange world we live in.
Hang in there, and keep being great parents.
Mahalo for the encouragement. Charter schools have an interesting reputation here. Great for learning Hawaiian language. However, I know some examples of mismanagement, as reported in the news.
Great choice of education for your son! I wish I had known about Montessori Schools when my children were younger. I love that the Montessori philosophy is a student self directed, hands on, and collaborative play environment! 🥰❤️🤙🏼
wow, that was quite a process for you guys. I applied to one school (9 months early, when my son was 2) and he was in! It's been so good for him. But I'll probably have to wait until he is out of preschool to put my daughter in, because paying for both of them at the same time is not an option lol
One application? Wow. Glad he was able to get in.
That is not the Hawaii I left back in 1976. You can't buy a home, you can't drive to work, you can't afford to buy groceries, and now you can't even put your kids into a preschool. I don't like going to the beach, and the humidity is horrific. Other than family and food, why would I go back there?
I guess you're trying to get your kid onto the Punahou track. That will be hard, but once they go to Punahou they're set for life so it's worth it if you can do it.
Lol. No Punahou track for him. Can't afford the tuition 😆
@@HelloFromHawaii It's pricey!!! Supposedly there are scholarships but those go to people who can afford it anyway. It's the Punahou Mafia. Out of 5 of us, my father managed to send the oldest of us, my older sister, there. The rest of us? Public school and out of us other 4, 2 no grad at all! I took my GED, got "some" college trying to do a 4-year degree and work ... that's really hard and I don't recommend it. My parents were mainland style, don't help the kids at all. Even when we were under 18, my parents never missed a meal but we kids missed plenty, yep, literally don't even feed their kids if it means they themselves miss one bite of food, that's mainland style. But yeah, the older one, no problems there, got it made for life. That's how it works. I hope you can do the best for your kid and get them into a good career (government, Unionized) and to save save save their money, bury it in the yard, save save save ....
I really understand what you experienced I remember when me and my wife looked for a pre-school for my son. I thought it was pricey but it was worth it for social skills and learning. Wait until you get to the college age, if you think pre-school is expensive, we paid for private college. $$$$
Gotta start saving for college 😅
Its crazy that preschool seems mandatory.
Chris, you and your lovely demure wife are a good team -- The A Team. And, I love how you two interact on-camera, as well.
What kind of hours are these preschools offering? When we sent our kids to preschool it was two mornings a week. As a result it only cost 200 a month. This is just the normal way to do preschool in my area.
Depends on the school. Some have to start early because parents have to work. And of course, they have to end late too. Hard to find those 6am - 5:30pm preschools.
The more I hear about Hawaii the more I wouldn’t want to live there
It's not all bad. Just something to think about that many don't consider before moving here.
I was a St. Louis trust fund baby. My brother is Punahou.
I don't have kids but posted for the algorithm.
haha. I went to Kaimuki Evangeline Christian preschool in Palolo. The place is still there but called something else now days. I think I remember "Mother Rice" or however it is spelled to be the big time preschool in the early 80s lol.
I went to Mother Rice for a while, but changed to another school.
@@HelloFromHawaii any good? I remember my mother saying how expensive it was then. This was like 83. Lol.
Curious are there preschools that are Reggio inspired in Hawaii?
Fyi, the audio in this video is noticeably lower than your other videos, as well as other content creators.
Yeah, I'm working through the audio levels when I have two mics. Gotta work on the settings on my end.
thought the thumbnail was STEVE AOKI!
😅
don't insult him like that! he is much better looking and would probably never pee in a beer bottle to avoid going to the bathroom! 😂
Hi,
can you give some native Hawaiian accommodations on the islands?
I like to support locals and specifically Polynysian / Hawaiian resident.
It's really hard to find anything online.
Thanks in advance.
Greetings from Germany
Oliver
Totally off the subject butttt do you realize that your wife sounds more local than you?
Farrington 74
lol :)
Hawaii so sad
How come?
How come? You have to work so hard for a lower standard of living than almost all the USA. After 30 years in Hawaii I moved to Mexico and something like a quarter or a third of Mexicans enjoy a higher standard of living. Mexico is slowly raising it's standard of living which gives hope and a positive attitude. Hawaii? Well sorry but it's going backwards, very sad. Very depressing and sad.
Perhaps you two can start a Preschool, a lucrative business! You do have that background.
Lol 😄