Selecting a Day Care Center Free (Almost) of Guilt and Tears
Posted by Thad Pryor in Uncategorized, tags: child care, child safety, day care, daycare, family, family concerns, parenting, parents, thad pryor, UncategorizedI wonder what the percentage might be of new mothers caring for their babies during their maternity leave seriously contemplating the options of making it financially feasible for them to stay with their baby and not go back to work. Might it be 75 percent? Ninety percent? Even more? Many mothers spend a large part of their maternity leave crunching numbers to try to find a financial means to ward off the day when they must leave their new baby in someone else’s care because they simply cannot afford to stay home from work any longer. There is unfortunately no other option for the majority of mothers. Often this realization comes with strong feelings of guilt before jumping into the analysis of available day care centers that must be undergone.
What does an outstanding day care facility look like? What can you do to discover the really good ones? First you must decide on what type of daycare you need. A state-licensed center offers security and will come with a cutting edge curriculum and modern equipment. A home daycare facility has the advantage of a local mom whom you know loves kids and will take care of your kids as if they were hers. You know this because you have known her for years and trust her. Then there is the nanny who visits your home to care for your baby in his own surroundings. There may be a loving friend or relative who offers to pitch in saying it would be no trouble, they’d love to help. There are advantages and disadvantages to every option that must be carefully weighed.
The great thing about the state-licensed day care facility is you know that the staff has passed strict background checks and have attended at least some classes in early childhood development and education. The center will provide a state-mandated ratio of teachers to children so each child will receive the care they need. The drawbacks to this group setting is that if one child has a cold, they all have a cold and if one of them cries they all start bawling in unison. As fine as the staff to child ratio may be, there will not be enough of them to hug all the kids or put them on their laps for comforting.
A home daycare provides one caregiver to cater to your child’s needs and becomes something of a surrogate mother. A strong attachment often forms between a child and a home daycare provider. But what happens if that caregiver herself gets sick? Or one of her own children? Do you want her to take your child along on her daily errands? When her family decides to go on vacation, where will your child go? And what will his reaction to another new environment?
A nanny might seem to be the best choice. This is someone that comes into your home to care for your child where he is most comfortable. An attachment also often forms with this type of care. But again, you must consider illness, vacations and days when your caregiver has personal business to attend to.
Taking Grandma or Aunt Susie up on an offer to babysit might be a good option. After all, blood should mean something. If Mom can’t care for this cherished little one, who better than Grandma? But how long is Grandma going to want to be tied to the house all day while you work? Doesn’t she want - and deserve - a life of her own at her age?
In conclusion, there is no right or wrong solution to your daycare dilemma. Parents must look at every aspect, bad and good and make the most informed decision they can for their family’s needs. There are some things to be considered that apply to all of the options, though. While cost should never be the driving factor in your choice, it cannot be overlooked. You should never, ever engage a stranger in the care of your child without having them provide airtight reassurance as to their character, whether it be strong, current references, a state-sponsored background check or a long accessible track record of excellence in the daycare field. There are many states that have child welfare agencies that will provide private parties with the results of their background checks. If a caregiver will not allow parents to drop in to the center or home without prior notice, stay away. For your older children, discuss with the center how they handle disciplinary problems and what measure they take to correct them. If your child is engaged in after-school hours at the center, find out what activities are offered to them so they can spend the hours there productively.
The key to making this difficult decision is planning. It should never be left until the last minute. Parents should accept that the guilt and the tears will likely come, but a well thought out, careful plan will lessen the stress of this decision for the whole family.
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