My daughter has been going to Mariola for almost 4 years. Started when she was just 8 months old…read more Mariola is an incredibly dedicated, caring, highly experienced and responsible early childhood educator. She goes above and beyond. Mariola provides breakfast, lunch and healthy snacks each day. All the foods are organic and cooked daily. Her place is clean, well organized and structured with educational activities, had plenty of space for the kids to roam outside and play. All the children love her. We are so thankful we found Mariola's Family Child Day Care. I would recommend Mariola's daycare highly.

My son has been going to Mariola for almost two years. She's an incredible care giver. He's grown…read moreup to be confident and kind. She goes above and beyond; teaching shapes, colors, the alphabet, and yoga. She has even assisted us when we were going through potty training. Our experience and our son's has been special. I would recommend her wholeheartedly.

Words can not even begin to express how happy we have been with BunnyBear. Our first born has been…read moregoing there since she turned 12 months old, and we have witnessed her THRIVE. The staff there is so caring and thoughtful when we drop her off in the morning we know she is loved and well taken care of there. They are so easy to communicate with and so incredibly helpful. For months we tried at home to have her wear shoes and she would absolutely refuse, after her teachers trying for a few days straight they DID IT. She now LOVES shoes and its such a relief. I would recommend BunnyBears to everyone looking for a daycare in La Mesa. They are the best.

Our youngest child just finished up his time at the Infant Toddler Center and moved on to the La…read moreMesa Preschool (where our older daughter also attended and recently graduated). To say we have loved and appreciated our time at BunnyBears is an understatement! We feel so fortunate to have found BunnyBears and had the opportunity to include them in our village. The love our kids felt each day when we dropped them off really set our hearts and minds at ease, and it was such a joy to see them playing happily with their friends and teachers each day when we picked them up. Communication with Katie and all of the teachers was prompt and very helpful - we always felt like we knew exactly what was going on during the day, and loved the picture updates. Our kids were never lacking in one-on-one or small group time with their teachers, and each teacher really took the time and put in the effort to form special individual bonds with all of the kids. Both kids felt very prepared - socially and emotionally - for their transitions to preschool, and our almost 5 year old sometimes tells me she wishes she could go back to "tiny school" to see the teachers that she loves.

My two sons went to Play Learn Grow Daycare while we were living in San Diego. Due to moving quite…read morefrequently in the past few years I've experienced a lot of different daycares and none gave me the sense of comfort that I had leaving my kids with Jeanet and Kimy. I really wish there were more people in the world like them!! They were so nice, patient, and calm and that passed down to the kids. All the children at the daycare were so pleasant with one another and played well together while developing their learning and social skills. Most of us parents would stand around waiting for our kids to be ready to leave because they were having such a good time there. Trusting your daycare provider is really the best thing you can ask for. Thank you for everything!

We came to this daycare after a real struggle to "make it work" somewhere else. For two months it…read morewas square peg, round hole and an immense amount of distress. When we found Jeanet it took us five minutes of discussion after the tour to walk right back in and reserve our spot. Jeanet and her family were warm and welcoming while professional and immensely knowledgeable. My husband and I felt, and continue to feel, completely comfortable and at ease in all of our interactions. It is also evident that our daughter is THRIVING since this transition and it is such a profound relief to feel so secure and confident in the care she is receiving so we can be present while at work. Super Special Bonus Features: *The children's space is so well arranged, clean, and visually appealing. I appreciate the attention to detail and ultimately feel Jeanet operates on my wavelength. The outdoor space is absolutely ideal and I love the varied options of activities for children to pursue. * Jeanet uses an app called LearningGenie which alleviates so many communication gaps I've run into in other settings. I can easily check diapering, meals, and nap times while also accessing candid photos of my child's day. Makes planning for smooth evenings much easier and highlights potential issues (like a lack of poop) that otherwise get lost in the shuffle. * Jeanet and her husband are very open to feedback and suggestion. We are really hoping to find community and long term child care; our ideas to cultivate this as PLG expands were met with enthusiasm * Dietary considerations have been easily accommodated . * There was a Mother's Day tea and gifts for the moms, as well as adorable and sweet art projects on Father's Day. So thoughtful. * Open door policy that is actually open. * Inclusion! After attending my daughter's birthday we were invited to Jeanet's daughter's birthday where I was able to meet much of the extended family. It was really nice, in so many ways. We feel very blessed to have found Play Learn Grow! I hope anyone who read this far also finds child care that they feel GREAT about! Modern parenthood is tough, but the right team makes it easier.

Ms. Irma is amazing! We toured a handful of providers near the college area and loved how warm and…read morecaring she was with our daughter, we immediately knew we had found our place! She has taught our daughter so much the past two years from potty training, to identifying letters, to writing her name, and being the class leader. She showers them with love to help build their confidence in themselves. While we're sad we won't be seeing her each day as we transition to TK, we definitely plan to come back and visit. One of our neighbors has two kids, one of which is in college now, and she still visits Ms. Irma on occasion to check-in!

Ms. Irma has been such a blessing for our family! We transitioned our child to Ms. Irma's care…read moreafter a poor experience with another provider. Being that it was our child's first time at daycare, we were extremely reassured by Ms. Irma's professionalism and caring nature. Her attention and consideration for the children's safety was also something that stood out to us when we first decided to enroll. It took only one week with Ms. Irma for our daughter to feel comfortable and excited about school! Ms. Irma's home is truly a happy place where kids learn, play, do crafts and even explore her garden! Ms. Irma provides age appropriate structure for learning and exploratory play and the leaps and bounds our daughter makes under her care are immeasurable. Every day the kids come home with a craft and Ms. Irma loves to share happy moments with us parents by sending photos. She is a dedicated, loving provider and it shows every day. We are so grateful to Ms. Irma for having such a positive impact on our daughter. Thank you for all that you do, Ms. Irma!

I toured eight preschools (maybe more?) and BunnyBears was far and away my first pick. There is so…read moremuch to like at this school, from the focused and kind leadership of the director, to the Reggio-inspired philosophy, to the diversity of staff and families (which our queer and mixed race family values). We feel like our kiddo has learned a lot about community and herself. There are some downsides, as there are everywhere. I don't love the location, right off a busy road, and there's been some teacher turnover, but the school feels really safe behind gates, with a lovely outdoor play area, and there's been a lot of continuity with other teachers. We're headed to TK soon and are really, really bummed to leave the BunnyBears family, but are so glad for the experience.

We've been at BunnyBears for two years, and it's been the best experience for my son. We chose this…read morepreschool because we wanted a focus on social emotional development, and a place that allows the kids to play and explore. This school is exactly that - they put so much effort into giving the kids freedom to figure out who they are and explore their interests, all while teaching them how to be good friends and kind little humans. This is not a traditionally structured preschool - you won't find worksheets or desks, but you will find a Reggio style environment that intentionally allows the kids to lead. No school is perfect, but it's clear the teachers are all trying their best to create a safe and open environment for the kids. Teacher Donna, Teacher Linnea, and all the other teachers, have had a huge impact on my son, and we can't thank them enough. We'll miss the sweet little BunnyBears community!

We absolutely love the Lulus Montessori! The staff is amazing with the kids and they get an amazing…read moreeducation. We are always surprised by how much they learn and how much fun they have. Also their meal plan is great. We are very fortunate to have our son there. We looked at around 10 different places and it gave us anxiety because we really wanted our son to be at Lulus which was much much better than all the other places we saw all over San Diego.

We've been taking our son to Lulus Montessori since he was about 18 months, and it has been the…read morebest daycare/preschool experience we could have hoped for. The teachers are incredibly loving and thoughtful. I especially love the fact that they celebrate birthdays and holidays and create opportunities for parents to get to know each other, too. My child has grown by leaps and bounds, and his interactions with the other children are fun to see. The fact that meals are provided (bfast, lunch and snacks) is a godsend. Several daycares/preschools in the region claim to be Spanish immersion but aren't actually (e.g., they speak English to the kiddos). At Lulus, I feel like we get a truly authentic Spanish immersion program for our son, knowing instruction is exclusively in Spanish. And it shows. My son 100% understands Spanish when it is spoken to him and he mixes Spanish and English in his vocabulary regularly. I credit Lulus for a large part of that bilingual ability and look forward to seeing his fluency improve in the years to come. Highly recommend Lulus!!

My daughter LOVES it here!!! She gets upset when having to drop her off at daycare but the moment…read moreshe sees her teacher she runs up to her and gives her the biggest hug. They do fun arts and crafts daily, and a music teacher every Friday. I highly recommend aunty Lynn's day care. They are all so sweet. And my daughter loves everyone there.

The best daycare ever!! I highly recommend it to anyone. Everyone was so great with my daughter as…read morewell as the other children. I always noticed how attentive and caring they were which is something that I always appreciated. I felt at ease bringing my daughter here because not once did she ever cry in the almost 3 years that she spent with them. If you are looking for a great daycare for your children this is the place to go!!! :)

I interviewed 5 daycare/preschools before making the decision to send my son to Jump preschool. I…read morehad a great feeling during our tour and I was right. This is the best decision I ever made. The teachers are amazing and so caring! My son loves it there and is so excited to go. He started going there when he was 4 months old. I love that they have structure and planned lesson plans for all ages. They also are flexible with your child's needs. They do all sorts of fun activities with the kiddos.

This small school is awesome, they provide a safe caring and loving environment for my 2yo…read moredaughter! Ms. Diana is always sweet and patient, all the staffs are very kind welcoming and informative about any and everything. They also have an app where they send updates throughout the day like naps, meals, and pictures which I love and greatly appreciate!

My child has been attending Learning Jungle La Mesa for about a year and a half, and I'm very happy…read morewith the school. Here's why: 1) Tuition is comparable to or beats some home daycares, and beats a lot of (non-home) school-like daycares. Also includes snacks and lunch. You may think you're getting a better deal at home daycares that provide diapers but I personally like being in control of what brands of diapers and wipes are being used on my baby's bottom! And for that matter, (compared to what I've witnessed at home daycare visits and have heard from others' experiences), there is a lot more oversight when your child is at a school-like daycare. I feel like there's less accountability at home daycares in general and it just gives me a greater peace knowing that the place my child spends 9 hours a day is more official and follows guidelines more strictly. 2) The teachers really care a lot for the children. I have great relationships with them, they're very communicative, experienced, and you can really tell that they love the kids! It's more than just a job for them. They use really nice language with the kids, for example, "No thank you," "Come this way, friends," or "Nice hand, please!" (You will not hear them "yelling" at children the way sometimes frustrated grown-ups or parents do). 3) You hear a lot of buzz these days about Montessori schools.. but honestly LJ teaches kiddos the same kind of independence and life skills (for example, the kids are expected to throw away their trash, return their water bottles to the fridge, and return their nap time bedding to their cubbies). What I think LJ does that's actually a greater service than the Montessori schools is that it provides structured activities and instruction that are similar to the format of traditional public schools. (I mean yeah, in theory, it's great that your kid can explore and learn with activities that vibe with his/her preference or unique learning style, but in real life, your student will be expected to participate in class activities during group time, and will be expected to work independently during individual work time, when he or she is in elementary school and beyond.) So, in that regard, I think LJ does better to prepare young children to meet the demands of kindergarten and school (and life, for that matter) than the Montessori schools. (I mean, there aren't learning centers for all grade levels and in all walks of life, right?) And lastly, 4) there are monthly activities and/or seasonal events that involve parents and guardians that are festive and fun, which make (along with everything else) LJ La Mesa altogether a fun, safe, educational and happy place!

I rarely leave reviews, but I feel it's important to share our family's experience with Learning…read moreJungle La Mesa so other parents can make an informed decision. Our daughter attended this center for approximately four months, and during that time the center went through two different directors. While leadership changes can happen at any childcare center, we experienced inconsistent communication and a lack of continuity throughout our time there. From the beginning, we wanted to partner with the daycare to help our daughter succeed. Whenever behavioral concerns were brought to our attention, we worked with her at home and asked staff how we could support them. Unfortunately, despite repeated concerns about her behavior, no one ever scheduled a meeting with us to create a behavior plan, discuss strategies, or ask what techniques were working at home. Instead, it often felt like incidents were documented without a collaborative effort to address the underlying issues. One of our biggest concerns was communication. We specifically requested that staff notify us if our daughter was having a difficult day or refusing to nap. Despite those requests, there were multiple occasions when she was in the office during nap time and we were not notified. On one occasion, my husband went to the daycare and found her in the office with markers in her mouth, which raised concerns for us about supervision. On another occasion, he found her cot placed by itself in a corner of the room, separate from the other children during nap time. We do not know whether this was a one-time occurrence or a regular practice, but seeing her separated from her classmates was upsetting and raised concerns about how she was being managed. Regardless of the reason, we worried that repeatedly separating a young child in this way could leave them feeling excluded rather than supported. As parents, it was difficult to understand why she was repeatedly removed from the classroom or separated during nap time without timely communication or a discussion about what was happening. We also repeatedly requested copies of incident reports involving our daughter but did not receive the documentation we requested. Without those reports, it was difficult to fully understand the incidents and reinforce expectations consistently at home. Another concern was hygiene. Our daughter was potty training, and there were multiple days when she had several accidents. On several occasions, I picked her up still soiled and needing to be changed. We understand accidents happen with toddlers, but we expected that she would be cleaned promptly and cared for appropriately. Communication with our family was inconsistent. Staff would tell us that "it's better when parents are involved," but when I attempted to become more involved, I was told, "We've got it." At the same time, concerns were often shared with me informally at pickup but were not consistently communicated to my husband when he picked her up. We wanted to be active partners in supporting our daughter, but we never felt included in developing a plan to help her succeed. Another thing that stood out to us was the classroom environment. Throughout our daughter's enrollment, we consistently saw artwork from many of the other children displayed in the classroom. We never observed any of our daughter's artwork displayed. While there may be an explanation for this, it added to our concerns about whether she felt fully included in classroom activities. The biggest reason I'm writing this review is because of what happened after we transferred our daughter to another licensed daycare. The difference has been remarkable. She has not been reported for hitting or kicking other children. She plays well with her classmates, comes home clean every day, and her teachers communicate with us in a positive, balanced, and collaborative way. They celebrate her accomplishments while working with us on any concerns, and we've experienced the kind of partnership we were hoping for all along. Every child deserves patience, respect, and a team of adults who work together with parents in their best interest. Unfortunately, that was not our experience at Learning Jungle La Mesa. My hope in sharing our experience is that the center reflects on its communication, collaboration with families, and overall quality of care so that other children and parents have a better experience.