On Real Housewives of New York Season 14, Jessel Taank is determined to get her twin boys enrolled in the perfect preschool. However, viewers (and Jessel’s husband, Pavit) find her quest to be more than a little misguided. Jessel Taank’s preschool plans feature schools with tuitions that cost more than many people make in a year, and it’s a bit excessive.
On RHONY, Jessel narrowed down her preschool search to two prestigious schools. One of them cost a whopping $62K per year, which even made even her husband’s jaw drop. Though Jessel argued that an iPad and laptop are included in the tuition, that didn’t exactly bolster her argument. Even Pavit thought Jessel’s expectations were a bit excessive, and the added stress of getting applications in on time made Jessel’s plans seem unnecessary.
It’s no surprise that Jessel and Pavit don’t see eye-to-eye when it comes to their sons’ early education. But Pavit’s ideas seem to be more grounded in reality and what his children would prefer. That’s not to say that Jessel doesn’t care about her kids—far from it. But she has still let her desire for a prestigious school get the better of her.
Though exorbitant preschools are nothing new, Jessel may want to consider her husband’s opinions and adjust her expectations.
Preschool Is Glorified Babysitting…There, I Said It!
I may be crucified for saying this, but there is more childcare than education that goes on in preschool, and for good reason. Children in preschool are very young, so there can’t be an overly extensive curriculum. The actual education that a child will get in preschool is probably not much different in public versus private schools. The primary difference is really the facility and environment.
But Jessel seems hung up on the curriculums and educational opportunities that her preschools of choice offer. The RHONY star touted the benefits of an “international” style of preschool, and fantasized about her twins speaking Mandarin. Pavit pointed out that their kids barely speak English, and learning other languages is jumping the gun.
There’s no denying that preschool plants the seeds of learning in a child. However, with kids who have only just mastered their motor skills, the education they’ll receive is pretty basic, and doesn’t require $60K a year.
Jessel’s Motivation Is More About Her
From the way Jessel spoke about her top two preschool choices, it seemed that she cares more about the school as a status symbol and networking opportunity. She specifically mentioned that Tom Cruise sent his kids to one of the preschools, and spoke about “rubbing shoulders” with the likes of him.
Jessel seems to care more about factors that appeal to her, rather than what will appeal to her kids. While Jessel is hung up on international educational programs, her children are probably more interested in which school has the best playground. Jessel should be paying more attention to the school environment and how her children respond to it.
More than anything else, Jessel’s kids should enjoy their time at school and not feel pressured by unreasonable expectations about their education. Though Jessel’s preschool choices may impress her friends, the academic demands could cause her sons unnecessary stress.
Jessel’s Kids Won’t Remember Much Of Preschool Anyway
Ultimately, Jessel’s boys are too young to remember most of what will happen in preschool. The best a parent can hope for with preschool is that their children are well cared for, have fun, and gain some educational building blocks.
There’s plenty of time for academic pressure when her kids are older, and whether they enjoy their time at preschool should matter more than which celebrity children are enrolled. The cost of Jessel’s preschools of choice are excessive and unnecessary, especially considering her kids probably won’t know the difference between daycare and preschool.
Jessel may believe she’s setting her children up with the peer group she thinks they deserve, with a ‘nothing is too good for my kids’ mentality. But her husband and viewers have made good points about why she should rethink her ideas about preschool.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK JESSEL TAANK’S QUEST FOR THE PERFECT PRESCHOOL HAS GONE TOO FAR? DO YOU AGREE WITH HER HUSBAND PAVIT?
