Today I went to two different daycares to get tours and try to pick somewhere to send the munchkin. My first beef... both of these centers have waiting lists of one year. How am I supposed to call and sign up one year in advance? That would mean I would have to sign up before I ever become pregnant. Does this seem strange to anyone but me?
Okay, now on to my conundrum. I liked both of these centers. The prices are similar ($5 difference per week) and they are both approximately the same distance from my house. There are only a few small differences, but things I think could make or break the decision.
Center #1: Large and only about 10 years old. The door is locked when you come in and the parents get a punch code to enter in and open the door to go back to drop off or pick up their child. The class size is not too large (8 infants age 6 weeks to 6 months, 8 infants age 6 months to walking, etc.) but the teachers did not really seem all that engaged in the children. Now, I went at 1:00 so it was nap time in a lot of the rooms and that could have something to do with it.
My biggest turn off, was I made an appointment with the director's assistant to meet with the director today and when I got there she was not there. So, one of the college students showed me around but I didn't get to ask some of my specific questions nor was I given a handbook of rules and regulations, etc.
The biggest thing I like about this center is the quality of the activities. They go on field trips a lot, some of the older school age classes are up to 4 days per week. They also have large play yards and the four year old room had in it what I can only describe as a two story wooden fort. So, if I take the munchkin there, they would have opportunities to do many things as they grow.
Center #2: Smaller center, housed in an old church. The door is not locked but all of the teachers seem to be aware if someone new enters as the front door goes by the office and the back door goes into the school age room. When you come in there is a sign in sheet that they check every day to make sure each child is signed in and out so everyone is accounted for. The class size is not too large (8 infants age 6 weeks to 6 months, 8 infants age 6 months to 18 months, etc.). I went to this center at 2:00 so most of the children were still napping or just waking up from nap.
My biggest turn off, was that the equipment is older and there is not as much diversity. The playground was just remodeled but it is still not large. Some of the rooms did not appear to have many toys in them and I would worry that as the child gets older (school age) they would be bored at this center.
The biggest thing I like about this center is the teachers. They seem to be older and more established and they all seemed much more interactive with the children. Also, the assistant director that showed me around really did a great job of explaining how things work and making me feel at ease. They go on field trips at this center but I think that they are limited to 2 or 3 days a week.
So, here's where I'm confused. On the way home from the second center the director called from Center #1 and apologized for her absence and also told me that they do have an opening in the beginning of March and for a $25 registration fee they can guarantee me a spot. I also paid a $30 registration fee to Center #2 but they could not guarantee me a spot until June. They said something MAY open up sooner, but that was their guarantee for now.
I think until we decide which one we want to go with I will pay the other registration fee and then we will have a guaranteed spot. So, here's where you come in. What is more important the wonderful vibe I got about the teachers at Center #2 or the "stuff" at Center #1? Personally I am leaning towards #2, but they can't guarantee me a spot.
It's not that I got a bad vibe at Center #1. I think that the munchkin will be adequately cared for and not in any danger if I take them there, I just feel like Center #2 is more "homey." As I write this I am kind of convincing myself except for the they can't take me until June problem.
So, I'm just going to stop now and open up the floor. Even if you don't have children or have never had to make this choice because you stayed home I'm still interested in everyone's opinion. What do you think is the most important thing to look for in a center? What is the least important?
Thursday, July 13, 2006
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11 comments:
Quality and quantity of toys will never be as important as human interaction.
My granddaughter Lilly has hundreds of dollars worth of toys just at our house alone.
Her current favorites are: my old jewelry, a purse her great-grandma was going to throw away, a funnel, an empty yougurt cup, and any old baskets of various sizes.
Stuff is cheap - knowing your important to someone - is priceless.
I agree with the first two comments Heather. One - stick with your gut. You are the mommy and you will learn very quickly to depend on your "mommy voice". Two- Definetly go with the human interaction part. You will find that if your child does not feel comfortable or happy at a center it is because of the people not a lack of toys. The same can be said for a child being happy to go somewhere... they will look more forward to seeing those people than the toys. I know that it is a very tough choice... this is the center and people that you have to entrust your child to for 8 or more hours a day.. they essentially will be raising your child... and you need to be able to be comfortable with them. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help...
When my children were in daycare - my least favorite things about the places (and believe me we tried 5 before we found one we were pleased with for all 3 kids)were during pick up and drop off.
Ask both places if you can come by and observe from 6:30 or 7 until 8 or 8:30 maybe see if you can shadow in the babies room - see how they receive the children during the seperation of parents.
I agree with everyone else - Stuff doesn't compensate for lack of attention but lack of stuff with lots of attention makes for HAPPY children!
I'd suggest visiting the centers again but don't let them know you're coming. Take note how they respond to you showing up unannounced. A good center will welcome you - they have nothing to hide. This is also good to do after your baby starts attending the center.
Worn toys means they are well played with. Many toys are made to look fun to an adults but are ignored by a child. More importantly, do they toys look clean? Dirt isn’t necessarily bad but spit-up, etc (I know…eeewww) could mean poor hygiene and infection risk. If the toys aren’t clean, what might that say about food preparation and diaper changing?
On the topic of infection: obviously you can’t keep your baby in a bubble. There are documented benefits to exposure to the usual daycare bugs when a child is very young. However, larger centers usually mean more infections. A smaller center might be better for this reason.
Younger caregivers may mean inexperience but they also may be more accepting of the latest trends in child care. They also may have more energy to chase after an active tot. On the other hand, older caregivers have more patience and understanding of behaviors. An infant who needs lots of cuddle time might do better with an older caregiver. What was the caregiver ratio at the second center? I love how centers brag about having a “low” 1:4 ratio but then don’t mention that Iowa law mandates this.
I agree with the other comments. Trust your instincts. It sounds like you are putting lots of thought into this decision so whatever your choice it will be right for you. If its not, it never is a done deal. Keep your name on the list with both centers. Give your second choice a second a start date of two-three weeks later. Try out the first for a while and see how it feels. If you’re decision still isn’t clear, take a “vacation” from the first (ask the center about vacation time - if you pay by the month, they may let you skip a month without penalty) and see how the second center feels to you.
Finally, waiting lists can be deceiving – most new parents put their name on a list at more than one place so the list for infants is very long. If it turns out that one center no longer meets your child’s needs as s/he grows, you can always switch to a different one later on. Usually the waiting lists aren’t as long for toddlers on up.
How’s that for a short bit of ASSvice? :)
HEy, if you are coming to the blogger bash, we can have a long discussion regarding day care. My son has been in three now, and he'll start his fourth a week from Monday. The first day care seemed great at first, but after three months of consistantly missing feeding times (they'll give you little sheets), and never having actually witnessed someone interacting with my child (he was very quiet, so no fuss = no attention), I decided to find an in-home caregiver. She watched him for over a year and a half, before my ex creeped her out so much she decided to quit. She was the best day care provider he ever had. Enter the most recent day care, issues galore surfacing after a year (which were compounded by the ex), and now onto the the fourth.
Seriously, we'll sit down and talk.
We didn't get our son into a good daycare center until he was 15 months old, and we signed up for the waiting list when I was 3 months pregnant. There's just such a lack of good infant care. I know that a lot of people move their children at certain ages when their center is no longer meeting their child's needs. So I would pick a center based on what you like for an infant. Preschool comes later and it is a lot easier to get into since the teacher/child ratio is so much larger. My biggest things about daycare were 1) is ratio (1:4 for 24 months and under in Iowa) always met. 2) Do I always know how the babies day was? 3) Are his basic needs met. 4) I will always go with an NAEYC accredited facility when given a choice. 5) Even if they love my kid are they good to me too.
Good luck
The quality of the staff has been hugely important in our daycare. I love that they love P as much as I do. When I went last week to get him re-signed up, two of his past teachers came out and asked me when he was coming back because they've all missed him--and he's not even in their classroom anymore! They play games with the kids, read them stories, sing them songs, and cuddle them whenever they can. I would much rather have P in a place like that than one with the newest and prettiest toys.
I do agree with going back unannounced to each one to make sure that they weren't just keeping things all nice and lovely to make a good impression. You'll be able to tell a lot from that visit.
Couple of questions for you:
1. Does either place do full background checks on their staff? (fingerprints, the full meal deal)
2. What kind of early childhood training does the staff have at each place? You mentioned college students at place #1; is this place affiliated with a college (as in, the college students working there are also training in early childhood instruction?)
The naptime thing you observed at place no.1 is definitely a philosophical choice that some centers make; wherein no activity or interaction is taking place as a strategy to get all the children on board with the napping/quiet time.
Don't know if this helps, this is just my $0.02.
My advice is get on the list for both. Pay both registration fees, it is cheap compared to the stress of not having a place!
We had a spot at the perfect center and then got bumped because a parent who already had a child there got pregnant and needed our spot (they give you preference if you have more than one child there.) We were pretty desperate, because the waiting lists at our alternates had grown to 17 months and 9 months. So I ended up signing up for a center that is at least 30 minutes each way out of my way!
We found out last week that someone moved so we are back on the list for our top choice, but I am not cancelling the registration at choice #2 until we are in the door at choice #1. I learned my lesson!
I never knew there was so much involved!! Phew.
I would definitely choose the place that you liked the staff better. More toys & field trips does not necessarily mean better care for your child. Seriously, did any of us ever go on 4 field trips a week in day care.
But what do I know? I only have a dog & he can be locked in the bathroom all day.
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