I am taking the plunge and going back to work – at least part-time. I didn’t think I would want to do it, but now that I have the job and have worked a few days, I find myself really enjoying it and even looking forward to the days I work. However, it does mean putting my baby (she is 3 1/2) in childcare. And I am feeling all kinds of guilty because my older two never needed childcare. But I guess that is part of being a mom – the guilt! No two ways around this one. Because this world has opened up to me, I have had quite a lot of new things to learn and put together over the past few weeks. I never knew all the decisions that go into choosing childcare for your child(ren). Here are a few of things I have tried to keep in mind when looking around.
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- Reputation – Ask around to your friends and colleagues and find out their opinions on various childcare options.
- Location, Location, Location – You not only want your child close in case of an emergency, but you don’t want all of your quality time to be spent in the car either.
- Availability – There is no sense in setting your hopes on the best childcare center in town if you know there are no spots available now. Call around to check for openings before you give it much thought.
- Cost – I wish this weren’t a factor. I would love to feel that money were no object when it comes to taking care of my Claire Bear, but in fact I have to take into consideration how much I make.
- Education – Many daycares double as preschools. You want to be sure that if you are paying for an education as part of your child’s day, you might want to look into their teaching philosophy and/or curriculum.
- Chemistry – Some childcares will be an instant connection where you know you will feel comfortable leaving your child there. Others might not gel with your family’s particular personality.
- Philosophy – How do they discipline the children? How does the school handle crying or fighting? What types of communication methods do they employ with the children?
- Schedule – Do they take part-timers? What do they do on snow days or school vacation days? Are they flexible?
What have you experienced in your childcare search?
View Comments (2)
One thing I have learned (over time) is the consistency is really important too! Is it the same teacher/care taker everyday, or is different people. I found that to be really important for my kids, kind of a security.
Have fun with that by the way. It's such a hard decision, not to mention the guilt thing, although that will pass with time! :)
You can't be too cautious when choosing childcare. Don't let your guard down just because someone comes highly recommended and everyone raves about them.
We had a very sad experience with a sitter that some others really loved, and looking back I had a feeling things were not right, but kept thinking, "she's the best, everyone loves her!" So...if you "feel" red flags, pay attention, even if it doesn't seem to make any sense.