Daycare has been the elephant in the room all summer. With only two weeks remaining before Jesse and I go back to work full time, we could no longer postpone the issue. We had researched the topic and had a guaranteed spot at a daycare we visited in May, but we weren't especially happy. We decided to visit another location yesterday and fell in love. Here is why:
- The daycare is about 5 minutes from our house.
- They offer web cameras of constant surveillance that parents may login (with a password) to view their child's classroom at any time.
- There is a 6:1 child-teacher ratio with a maximum of 12 students per class.
- A morning snack, hot lunch, and afternoon snack are provided daily. Seriously, Jackson is going to eat better than we are!
- The toddler room was full of artwork created by the children.
- Children have pictures of their family on their cubby.
- The toddlers have their own playground as well as access to a full-size gym when the weather doesn't permit outdoor play.
- The tuition was just lowered, making it the least expensive daycare we could find (about $800 a month).
- There was a warm, nurturing environment. The hallways were painted with playful characters. The classroom was stimulating without being overwhelming.
- The teacher was very professional. Her little class was so well-behaved and clean!
Here are our concerns:
- The toddlers only take one nap a day after lunch. Jackson currently takes two naps a day and is quite grumpy with vigorous eye-rubbing without a morning nap.
- It is going to be quite difficult for Jesse or I to take off work in the middle of the day if we get a call that Jackson is sick.
- They don't allow cloth diapers.
- Jackson communicates frustration by biting and pulling hair. That's not going to go over well with the other children or teacher.
- Jackson already has shown signs of separation anxiety when we drop him off at the church nursery crying. I don't want him to feel betrayed or abandoned by his Mommy and Daddy.
- We don't want to leave him!
Did you list his loving aunts as back up for sick days?
ReplyDeleteSeparation anxiety sucks, but is healthy. Jack is a very loved little guy!