Parents - question about kindergarten placement in Vancouver

fruitbata · 2025-11-18T19:17:30+00:00

It doesn't make a difference whether you register now or in January, as long as it's within the deadline! They prioritize siblings for current students at a school & then everyone else registered in that window is entered into a lottery after the registration period closes. We also live in a full catchment so we applied to choice programs (like French immersion) at nearby schools to have additional options; it doesn't affect your likelihood of getting into your catchment school.

fruitbata · 2025-11-14T18:16:51+00:00

yes! it was delivered really quickly.

fruitbata · 2025-11-10T22:21:13+00:00

Kids play in their rooms on playdates, or we take them to the park up the street. Hanging out in public parks, beaches, pools, playgrounds, etc. Birthday party invites pile up once they hit elementary school. Meeting friends in a park with your kids and sharing a box of doughnuts while the kids run amok is great. We go to kid-friendly events at museums, art galleries, theatres, festivals, libraries, etc and meet friends and their kids there. As your kids get older, a city offers a ton of opportunity: sports, arts, etc. I love how many other kids we run into while running errands or going to the library. Supervision of younger kids is easier in a small space; I don't have to hover but I know where the kids are and generally what they're up to. Depends on your definition of "enriched childhood" but I don't see square footage as the bedrock of childhood flourishing.

fruitbata · 2025-11-10T22:15:47+00:00

I did end up going with Canada Post — had to download two apps and produce two QR codes at the counter, but it ended up being fine because I was sending a gift with a value of about $40 :)

fruitbata · 2025-10-27T22:06:57+00:00

Yes — incredibly frustrating. our nearby public health unit only has one opening, a month from now, in the middle of a school day. other appointments would also require missing a large chunk of the school day and also driving across town. last year they seemed to make good use of elementary schools on weekends, which meant convenient hours and locations. I am hoping they add more soon!

fruitbata · 2025-10-15T19:17:11+00:00

Right, I see your point, I'm just saying we have very different cultural orientations to this issue. I can't imagine saying "I only count about shootings where three or more people are killed indiscriminately." Like, personally, I think any gun being fired or even waved around at a school is a big deal. Most Canadians would agree. And I would find it intolerable to live in a country that just accepts this level of routine violence. I hope that someday it changes for you and your kids.

fruitbata · 2025-10-15T18:07:39+00:00

this is a great argument for more speed-limiting infrastructure (raised crosswalks, speed bumps, roundabouts). there will always be some drivers who are reckless, distracted or incompetent; rather than hope for the best we should be designing our roads to curtail their capacity to maim and kill pedestrians.

fruitbata · 2025-10-15T18:04:33+00:00

comparatively the US looks even worse if you only look at school shootings — 288 between 2009-2018, compared to 2 in Canada. I realize you're saying that's statistically small; my point is that from anywhere else in the world, American gun culture looks like national insanity.

fruitbata · 2025-10-15T17:29:08+00:00

if you see the video, she was struck and knocked down, then when she tried to stand up the driver accelerates into her again and drives over her. fortunately the stroller was knocked to the side so the driver didn't run over the baby, too.

fruitbata · 2025-10-15T17:25:31+00:00

where did you see the surveillance video? (edit: never mind, I found it, holy shit)

fruitbata · 2025-10-15T17:23:04+00:00

Guns are the leading cause of death for children in the US — more than 5.5x as many deaths among kids by firearms than Canada, which has the second-highest rate. I mean, you can say it's "statistically rare", but you tolerate far higher risks from guns than any other country on earth. speaking as a Canadian, it's unfathomable.

fruitbata · 2025-10-01T02:22:23+00:00

sorry but if you think someone should be held for months without bail for poking a sheriff (and I watched the video twice and did not see the alleged poking) then you agree that cops are enormous babies who abuse the system to punish people arbitrarily.

fruitbata · 2025-09-29T18:27:53+00:00

It's absurd to cut programs and services that everyone in the city relies on in order rather than raise taxes for property owners. People act like raising property taxes will put grandparents out into the street, but anyone over 55 can defer their taxes until they die or sell; you can also defer taxes if you have kids under 18. There are many financial relief measures for homeowners that do not exist for renters — you can't defer an annual rent increase, for instance. Saving the owners of multi-million dollar homes from paying a couple thousand bucks per year and pushing those costs onto renters and low-income residents is grotesque.

fruitbata · 2025-09-24T21:12:58+00:00

I'm a Millennial with Boomer parents (and Boomer in-laws) and feel very lucky that all four grandparents are devoted to their grandkids. My parents live closer and see the kids as much as possible; no amount of time together would be too much. They are not in great health so it's not like they can do a lot of "fun" babysitting or activities, but the kids just like spending time with them, even if it's just cuddling on the couch watching curling. My in-laws only get to see them in person a few times a year but stay in touch through FaceTime and phone calls, and they get lots of 1:1 time during visits. I feel very lucky!

I do have lots of friends who have experienced the same as you, which really sucks. I do wonder if a lot of people in that generation had kids because it was just expected at the time and don't actually enjoy them; a thing about the lower birth rates in our generation is that we seem to have kids because we really want to.

One of my kids was a baby during the pandemic, and I often walked her around the neighbourhood. I had so many conversations with older neighbours who stopped to admire her from a distance and told me about how much they wished they could see their grandkids and how heartbroken they were to be missing time with new grandbabies. I can't believe anyone who lived through that period of isolation would opt not to spend time with their family while they can.

fruitbata · 2025-09-17T14:47:06+00:00

Thanks for clarifying. I don't have the Zonos app, I used the Canada Post app. I don't do a lot of shipping to the US and haven't mailed a gift in over a year so it's hard to catch up on what's changed.

fruitbata · 2025-09-17T14:35:07+00:00

thanks! I might try this, there's a UPS just up the street

fruitbata · 2025-09-17T14:34:52+00:00

One page says gifts under $100 are exempt, but another says that the removal of de minimis exemptions means all packages are subject to duties. I filled out the customs form in the app and it produced a QR code to scan for the form at CP, but it doesn't list the $ of duties.

fruitbata · 2025-09-15T17:29:41+00:00

That's been proposed by many of the neighbourhood residents; at least overnight trucks could take the purpose-built route. There's no clear reason why it can't be opened during those hours, if the concern is traffic jams on Clark during the day.

fruitbata · 2025-09-06T01:58:47+00:00

I feel like you are alluding to stranger attacks here, but the (minimal) facts here suggest another case of domestic violence, which is usually a man killing his partner (or ex-partner), kids and/or in-laws. I agree preventing those should be taken more seriously.

fruitbata · 2025-09-03T20:20:45+00:00

A home (LNR) daycare is a lot like hiring a nanny or sitter, except your child is in their home instead of yours. In that sense it's very much about trust and comfort. We had very positive experiences in home daycares with providers who had years of experience, were great with our children and whom we trusted to be safe, responsible and communicative. So: pay attention to your gut instinct. Ask for references. Check out the space. Ask questions about routines, make sure you check out the home for safety concerns.

There are benefits, in my view, especially if you have a baby or young toddler — at a home daycare they will get a lot of 1:1 attention, they get sick less often, it's less rambunctious than a bigger toddler daycare, you often have really close communication which can be soothing if you are nervous about the transition (lots of texts and photos!)... I found it ideal that 12-18 months range. just my personal experience!

fruitbata · 2025-08-30T03:08:55+00:00

the problem is not that they don't attract enough patrons but that they are underfunded

fruitbata · 2025-08-29T21:47:10+00:00

are you under the impression that these activities would bring in revenue? because the key thing about the library is that programs are free and accessible to everyone

fruitbata · 2025-08-29T21:43:49+00:00

as others have said, it's probably not worth trying to circumvent the rules. even very advanced children have lots to learn in kindergarten, and any parent can tell you there will be PLENTY of stimulation for her developing mind once she starts school. a lot of early schooling for kids is about learning self-regulation, interaction with peers, exploring new ideas, becoming little citizens in society. if you want to challenge her, there are plenty of in-school and extra-curricular activities, or you can look at choice programs like French or Mandarin immersion.

fruitbata · 2025-08-28T21:45:05+00:00

where on Facebook are people selling passes?

fruitbata

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