The Perfect Day Care
Posted by Tiziana on July 21, 2010THE PERFECT DAY CARE: is there such a thing?
Not quite two yet and she has already been in 3 different day care environments. We moved her for different reasons such as the teaching philosophy of the school, or the location and hours of operation.
When I first got pregnant, I just did not know what my life was going to look like as a mother, yet I knew that I wanted to keep my child mostly at home for the first few years of life. My past had been driven by career and travel and I knew that – that this lifestyle would not fit my new role of mother. We were fortunate at that time because my husband had a flexible working schedule, so even if I found work, we could have kept our child home till 2/3 years of age.
Well, the grandiose plan was soon changed. The economy shook us to our core and financial well being was rattled. After 9 months it was clear that our baby needed more stimulation that any playgroup and/or us could provide. With that our search began.
I first turned to the Internet and found that most established day care providers rely on word of mouth, so they do not advertise and yet have long waiting lists. Via my neighbors, we learned about a small wonderful daycare within walking distance.
We loved the small environment and so did our baby. She had built a strong bond with one of the little boys and the teachers there. In the morning, she would run to hug the teachers and pat them in the back J Yeap – she is an old soul. I knew she was well cared for, and just a few steps away from home and my work in case of emergency. Yet, I questioned the overall health/condition of the old building.
Once she turned 18 months, we knew that she would change teachers and classroom, so we took advantage of the timing and moved her into a Montessori school (Most Montessori programs start after 18 months of age and do not take infants). We really like the Montessori philosophy of growing an independent and self-reliant child, who is able to follow her own perfect self-directed development.
Our last, and most recent move was dictated by primarily the location and hours of operation…factors that I had very little control over. Needless to say, I was nervous about changing day care yet again. Wondering about how traumatic it would be for her. Given that I could not prevent the change I switched my focus on the things I could control, and that could help make the transition easier/smoother.
- Multiple visits: we visited the school multiple times prior to her starting so it didn’t feel such a strange place.
- Short week: she started on Thursday – so that her first week there was a short one.
- Communication: we spoke about the change, and the reason for it. I let her know when I am about to leave and when she can expect me back.
- Extra together time: Once we got home, she had my undivided attention until bedtime. (Dinners are usually made over the weekend or over night in the Crockpot.)
On the first day, I was anxious. I made sure I had extra time and wouldn’t be rushed… yet to my surprise, once she found something to work on (in Montessori philosophy a child play is referred to as work) I kissed her and informed her that I would be leaving and would pick her at the end of day. She smiled, waved and got busy with her work. My mind racing…. quickly aimed for the door – without realizing that I was still holding tight to her fuzzy companion – which the director reached for.
Sigh…. found myself sitting in the car with a sense of liberation and a heavy weight lifted off my chest…
Now, two weeks into it, she seems to be a happy child, even more so than in the other locations, and doesn’t want to leave. The caregivers are energetic, caring, young and playful – and they do all of her favorite things: sing, read and share outdoor time.
I am grateful that my daughter has an outgoing personality, and that she has been able to easily adapt to so many changes. Life can be pretty unpredictable… although I cannot prevent or control most things; I have learned that I can provide a fluffy pillow to soften the impact of many situations.
Is this the perfect day care? Getting closer, this is a step in the right direction
Does the perfect day care really exist? If it does I have not yet found it, and will share with you on my next blog my evaluation criteria’s and lesson learned…
Till then Ta-ta
