Shanghai Mommies Club

Salt

Hi LittleWing:

Thanks.  My office is in Hongqiao area and I am still looking for an apartment around (my HK colleague recommends a few complex near the Zhong Shan Garden Metro station).  I also agree that spending too much time travelling is not good - so I am looking for a kindergarten within 15-30 mins drive from where I live, however quality of the kindergarten is also important - that's why I am starting to plan ahead.  I will check out a few kindergartens next week.

Where do you live?  Are you going to send your girl to the kindergarten/nursery soon?

angelachan

hi Salt,
I also want to send my son to Soong Ching Ling kindergarten, but some of my friend tell me that the school fee is too expensive and may not worth it especially for nursery. You know, kids at that age get sick quite easily.

Salt

Hi angela,

I called SCL Kindergarten yesterday and the lady told me the local section is US$600, international section is US$1100.  If I want to secure a seat in Sep 05, I need to pay RMB1500 as deposit to reserve the place.

I will have a look on this Friday, and I think I will pick the local section - although it's expensive, it's comparatively less expensive than the international section.

As my girl is turning to be 4 this summer and she is actually studying K1 in HK since last Sep. I expect she will not be that easy to get sick than in the nursery (age 2-3).

do you have any recommendation on any local kindergartens?

critic

Salt & other mommies,

What's your expectation on a good nursery?

My expectation is : go to school happily, behave well, eat well, stay healthy, speak Chinese and improve his physical development.  

Most bilingual school will assign a gweloi teacher to offer 1/2 day class in English.  However, if you don't speak English at home, most of the kids are not able to learn good english.  If some mommies are very focus in English,  better consider international school than local school.

Again, don't trust the comment you've searched from internet, you have to go to visit each school and observe how the kids react with the teachers. I've visited some very good-looking schools and the teachers' attitude are horrible.

My son is studying in Wunan, it is so-called the best local nursery in Shanghai. Still, I'm not 100% happy with it, e.g. not as clean as it should be. I won't complain as long as he goes there happily.

11月媽媽

I totally agreed with Critic's opinion.  Please remember Shanghai is in China.  Don't hold high expectation on the environment and people s attitude.  You will definitely find the differences with HK in a short period while living here.  No matter Int'l schools or int'l section of local schools, most teachers are local, HK standard is not applicable.  Otherwise you will be disappointed.  

Good luck!

Salt

Critic & 11月媽媽:

Thanks for your advice.  I also agree we cannot compare the standard we have in HK with Shanghai - people, culture, mentality are different.  My main concern is to give my girl a happy and healthy childhood and school life.  Actually I do not expect for her to learn and speak fluent english (as we don't use it at home) but I would really like my girl to learn mandarin - especially during their ages I think they will pick it up easily.

joannek

Site visit is a must.

please note that age range in China is from 1 Sep X1 to 30 Aug X2 while HK is 1 Sep X1 to 31 Dec X2.

LittleWing

Hi, Salt,

Firstly, to answer your two questions:-
I live in Hungqiao Area.  I do send my daughter to nursery school since last November.  The school is formed by Taiwanese Investors and Warner Brother, USA.  It is located near my apartment.  

Learning Mandarin is not difficult for kids.  For my daughter who is now 3 years old, she has just been living here for a few months.  Now she can understand what her teacher and my Ayi say.  She can also speak simple Mandarin.

See what else you can find out during your next trip.  Wish you very good luck.

Little Wing

Salt 寫道:
Critic & 11月媽媽:

Thanks for your advice.  I also agree we cannot compare the standard we have in HK with Shanghai - people, culture, mentality are different.  My main concern is to give my girl a happy and healthy childhood and school life.  Actually I do not expect for her to learn and speak fluent english (as we don't use it at home) but I would really like my girl to learn mandarin - especially during their ages I think they will pick it up easily.

Dianakay

Dear all Shanghai Mommies:

I will be moving to SH in Aug and my son is going to nursery in Sep for half day ? Any recommendation for hiring good ayi ? Should i hire a full time or part time ayi ?

bdgs

critic

Dianakay,

I use the agent recommend by Nov mama. Tel: 63746628 or 63746627.  Ask for Miss Guo (or whoever answer the phone) their service is not professional, they don't follow-up, they won't follow-up and ask you how you feel of that ayi. You have to call them if you're not happy with the ayi, they can find you a replacement in a few days.  I only paid one time fee of RMB200.

Local Shanghai ayi rate is RMB 12/hour.   My ayi works 4 hours a day, from 3:30pm- 7:30pm.

joannek

critic,

RMB12/hr should be Puxi rate....my area is around RMB 6-8 per hour....    ...of course..not well trained....

I went to my son's kindergarten this morning. They were celebrating Easter and I found that there were many sweets and chocolate his school bag....God....I have to hide at least 1/2 of his candy when he is back to home...

Any Easter functions for the kid?

Happy Easter!

critic

I don't understand why school always offer candies & chocolate to kids?  My son never eats candies/chocolate before moving to Shanghai. I don't even tell him what are they in the supermarket and he never asks.  The first new word he learns from Shanghai is "candy".  I attend the parents meeting the other day and the teachers asked us to fill in a form about our child's diet, what WE want him to eat in the school, I saw a few moms wrote, "Chocolate, sweet,candies."

The school gives us monthly progress report, my comment is always  "STOP offering candies/chocolate in the school."  I've asked them to offer nuts, raisins, fresh fruit (or cookies / biscuits).  Seems, no one care about my comment.

The schoolbus ayi is terrible, she is eating all kind of rubbish snack in the schoolbus and always 'stuff' some in my son's mouth. I was mad and not let him take the schoolbus.

11月媽媽

Critic,

Yes that agency is not pro.  I contact 陳先生.  He is better than Ms. Guo.  About follow up work, they called me twice so far(16months).  You know the ahyi s salary is negotiable.  For your case, she works for you 4 hours per day (mon-fri/sat).  It may not count by hourly rate.  

My daytime ahyi (not SHese) works for me Mon-Sat, 3 hrs/day 9:30-12:30 RMB600.  Average RMB7.7 per hour.  The agent told me that should count by hourly rate (RMB10 for not SHese).  I refused and asked them to look for someone who willing to work.  They sent me this ahyi 1 day later.  

My personal opinion for ahyi, I prefer to hire not SHese.  It would be a long topic if we start to discuss  

Good luck, you new comers  

critic 寫道:
Dianakay,

I use the agent recommend by Nov mama. Tel: 63746628 or 63746627.  Ask for Miss Guo (or whoever answer the phone) their service is not professional, they don't follow-up, they won't follow-up and ask you how you feel of that ayi. You have to call them if you're not happy with the ayi, they can find you a replacement in a few days.  I only paid one time fee of RMB200.

Local Shanghai ayi rate is RMB 12/hour.   My ayi works 4 hours a day, from 3:30pm- 7:30pm.

Dianakay

Thanks for your information !

Can I have the address of agency ?

bdgs

Amybeauty

Hi, all mommies in Shanghai

URGENT URGENT URGENT URGENT URGENT URGENT

I'm in Hong Kong.  I'll go to Shanghai on this coming Sunday to visit my friend there.  What are the shopping malls you always go.  Any suggestion.  Thanks a lot!  And I'm planning to open a shop there (maybe fashion or accessories such as necklaces/ear rings/bracelets etc).

Amybeauty

Dianakay

Dear Critic :

Did u know any estate agent in Shanghai ?

bdgs

critic

Dianakay,

You can call the ayi agency to ask for their address, actually you don't have to go there, they will come to see you with the ayi.

Re estate agent, my assistant's sister is shop manager of a local estate agent. You have to tell her which part of Shanghai you're looking for & your budget.

critic

Amybeauty,

I don't shop in Shanghai. I only buy books.

I don't wear fashion accessories but I've seen many little stalls & shops sell cheap fashion accessories.   They get them from SING WONG Temple. You can take a look in Sing Wong Temple because they do wholesalers and retail.

Amybeauty 寫道:
Hi, all mommies in Shanghai

URGENT URGENT URGENT URGENT URGENT URGENT

I'm in Hong Kong.  I'll go to Shanghai on this coming Sunday to visit my friend there.  What are the shopping malls you always go.  Any suggestion.  Thanks a lot!  And I'm planning to open a shop there (maybe fashion or accessories such as necklaces/ear rings/bracelets etc).

Amybeauty

11月媽媽

Amybeauty,

Basically I am a typical c9 and not running to the trend long long ago.  FYI, a lot of shops at 長樂路,新樂路&陝西南路一帶 are selling export stuff incl. fashion and accessiories.  

PS. I've not been there, hence you should be a white mouse soon.  

critic 寫道:
Amybeauty,

I don't shop in Shanghai. I only buy books.

I don't wear fashion accessories but I've seen many little stalls & shops sell cheap fashion accessories.   They get them from SING WONG Temple. You can take a look in Sing Wong Temple because they do wholesalers and retail.[quote]
Amybeauty 寫道:
Hi, all mommies in Shanghai

URGENT URGENT URGENT URGENT URGENT URGENT

I'm in Hong Kong.  I'll go to Shanghai on this coming Sunday to visit my friend there.  What are the shopping malls you always go.  Any suggestion.  Thanks a lot!  And I'm planning to open a shop there (maybe fashion or accessories such as necklaces/ear rings/bracelets etc).

Amybeauty

[/quote]

Amybeauty

11月媽媽 and Critic

Thank you very much.  I'll go to Shanghai on this coming Sunday.

Amybeauty