The Early Years

It’s been almost eight years since my family and I made the move from Southern California to the Midwest. In those early months of our move, along with finding a house, one of my priorities was to find a great preschool for my then 4-year-old son. We were lucky that we had so many different options to choose from: everything from parent-led one-day-a-week programs to full-time kindergarten prep. Ultimately, what made the most sense for our family — and our 4 year old — was a cooperative (co-op) preschool.

My child thrived in this preschool setting. He gained confidence, independence and school readiness, and I was able to help out in his class frequently and get to know the other parents in the school, who were also working alongside their children. We loved co-op preschool so much that I enrolled my youngest child in it, too. Altogether, we were a part of our co-op school community for five wonderful years. I’m still friends with many of the parents and teachers, and I still think of the school as one of my best parenting decisions I’ve ever made.

A high-quality preschool program is essential — it sets a child up for academic, emotional and social success. We think that preschool is so important that we’ve dedicated a good portion of this issue to it! Starting on page 26, you’ll find lots of info about preschool topics to help you make an informed decision. The preschool years are short, but this fundamental time is just the start down a path of lifelong learning.

FOUNDING PUBLISHER

Barbara Wynne barbara@indyschild.com

PUBLISHER + SALES

Mary Wynne Cox mary@indyschild.com

EDITOR Nicole Sipe nicolesipe@indyschild.com

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Becca Reynolds becca@indyschild.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Katie Clark katie@indyschild.com

DIGITAL PUBLISHER + EVENTS

Wendy Hasser wendy@indyschild.com

ADMINISTRATION

Emily Kirchmann emily@indyschild.com

BILLING billing@indyschild.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Trisha Brand, Steffy McCourt, Jennifer Thompson

CALENDAR OF EVENTS calendar@ indyschild.com

Indy's Child is published monthly. Copyright 2023 by Midwest Parenting Publications, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. Distribution of this magazine does not constitute an endorsement of products, commentary or services herein.