While this site is normally dedicated to giving you reviews on different items, I feel I need to help everyone with one major thing: choosing day care for your child. Picking the right childcare can be more stressful than anything you may ever have to do.You do have quite a few options out there. Fortunately, I have had a good bit of experience with all of them.
Option #1: Traditional Preschool or Daycare Facility:
This one is a tough one. I worked in preschools for quite a while all over the place from very expensive ones to very cheap ones. While in some cases, you get what you pay for.....this is not exactly true in most circumstances. Like most schools, it is all about the good teachers. I have been in schools where their preschool classes may be wonderful, but their infant center is not and vice versa. My advice would be to go with your instinct on this. Be sure to tour. If they give you references check them out. Mainly, see how you feel about your child's potential teacher. If you like them and think they are good with kids, GREAT. If not, keep looking. Also, be aware of the facilities and your child's needs. If there are a lot of swings and your child is relatively complacent like Damon was, you will not want to choose that facility because your child will probably be stuck in that swing.
Option #2: Montessori Preschool or Daycare Facility:
Montessori seems like a wonderful idea to many parents; however, there are a few things you need to be aware of. I have relatives that work in Montessori schools as well as went to one myself; so, I am very aware of what these schools are like. These schools allow children to be independent. I was a shy child; so, this was not beneficial to me. The ratios are lower. Your child will get personalized attention.....at a price (these schools tend to be very expensive). However, if you are at all concerned about discipline problems, these are not the schools for you. Elementary educators I know have complained regularly that these children have serious problems entering public education systems. These students can't adjust to simple schedules like public schools have. This can sometimes lead to them being held back in kindergarten. If you plan on keeping your kids in Montessori their whole life though.....then this is a great choice for you. I personally am not a huge fan of this philosophy, but that is just me.
Option #3: Home Daycare:
Damon currently goes to one of these part time. There are benefits and draw backs. It offers similar facilities to that of a preschool usually, but not near as nice. They are generally in a smaller room and usually do not get time outside or at least too much (for safety purposes). They are a little cheaper than traditional daycares, and you do have a more personalized relationship with who is watching your kid. Ratios are relatively low. BE SURE they are licensed!!! Once again, go with your gut on the provider as well. You will know which one is meant for your kid.
Option #4: Babysitter:
This is one of the more expensive options, unless you are very lucky. Your child will get one on one personal attention (assuming you choose a good babysitter). The downside is that your child will not get to socialize. I am also a little weird about having people in my home. If you have pets though, this will also keep them company. However, if you have more than one child, this is a very good option. It may also involve a more involved and stressful selection process since you really have to trust this person and they have not been cleared by any institution. My suggestion would be to check references and maybe use something like sittercity.com.
*****BEST KEPT SECRET Option #5: Public School Facilities:
I only found out about these after I started working in the high schools. Many high schools have early childhood programs for their students. This means they run a daycare in the school. Ratio-wise this means one or two adults in the room and one or two high school students per child. To top it off tuition for the year is around what it usually costs for a week anywhere else (due to Federal funding). I have looked into the curriculum, and these schools go above and beyond to ensure your child is ready for kindergarten. Sounds too good to be true......well there are some catches. You usually have to get on a waiting list. They usually don't take any children under 3, and the one by me offers half day (unless there is space for full day). However, paying for half day childcare elsewhere will still be significantly cheaper. This is what I plan to do when Damon is three.
Well, I hope all of this was helpful. Childcare shopping stressed me out, and I kind of knew what I was looking for. I thought this may help people who were as lost as I was.....Good luck and if you have experiences you would like to share, please comment!
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