Need some advice on Childcare.

[STmummy]

I have a 2 yr old son. Just got pregnant recently and we are planning to send my son to CC next year as we do not intend to have any helper when our number 2 is here next year.

These are the options we have:

1) Should I send my son to the childcare where his cousin is at (whom he is very close to) and my sister is also working in the childcare, so that he can adapt to the new environment easier. But will require travelling. Which means my hubby will have to wake up earlier to send our son there. ==> Tough on hubby, easy for son

2) Should I just send him to a CC near to our home, which is walking distance? ==> Easy for hubby, tought for son to adjust

3) Go for 2-hour PlayGroup, as I am a WFHM. But we do not have any helper thus I will have to send son to PG, tend to NB as well. ==> Easy for hubby & son, but tought on mummy.

sigh... dilemma...

Thanks!

 

[stonston]

If I'm you, I would choose CC that is walking distance from home since you are a WAHM.
Kids are highly adaptable if the teachers are loving.

Advantages of choosing a CC near you:
1. If hubs is busy or need to work OT, you can easily pick up your child
2. Since you are a WAHM, you have the flexibility to pick your kid up earlier. This helps during the initial transition when starting CC.
3. If there's any last minute changes (e.g. fall sick), you can easily walk over to pick up your boy.

I don't like putting my boy in classes/schools that he has 'familiar' faces because he has to learn to adapt and have his own 'space'. Imagine 'following' the cousins and always will be 'following' behind the cousins.

 

[huiyin87]

maybe compare the curriculum, environment, teachers, fees etc between the 2 cc?

i am also looking for a suitable childcare for my 18mth old boy, and due to 1st time mummy, i actually paid the deposit for the childcare, the 1st one i knew of.(kiasu)

and then now, i very regret i dun like the teachers there-old aunties, small place, hygiene no good, seems cant handle children well, some kids were like sitting at one corner in their own world and the teachers dont even bother, and they speak chinese in e cc. they mention teaches english but they dont have english speaking teachers there when i visited them thrice.


i then went to visit quite afew childcare and i realise there is really a big difference in terms of how their operations works even though all cc looks about the same outside.

i believe the well being of our child in the cc is very impt, thus advisable to do some research or even make a visit to some cc before deciding on one.

 

[STmummy]

Thanks! Yes, I agree!
Had shortlisted a few based on feedbacks and proximity. But still need to go down to take a look.
I am afraid I will have separation anxiety when my boy goes to CC. :embarrassed:

 

[littlehelper]

Yeah most importantly which center is better?
After shortlisting(which you have already done) then consider between the options and choose again.
I think you should start your son on CC/playgroup soon so that he will be able to adapt better. If you send him only when the NB arrives it would be quite a challenge.

 

[Ting]

i think u can check which CC is "better" or rather, u n ur hubs n son prefer?
but if u r jst asking base on which of the 3 i would choose (irregardless of curriculum, etc) i would go for #2, the one nearer.
since u r working frm home, it would be easier to fetch him home if he is sick, or your hubs cant make it on time.
i just find it more convenient and placing him in the cc where his close cousin n aunt is, it is like placing him in a comfort zone where he might not learn to be independent by himself.

 

[huiyin87]

Thanks! Yes, I agree!
Had shortlisted a few based on feedbacks and proximity. But still need to go down to take a look.
I am afraid I will have separation anxiety when my boy goes to CC. :embarrassed:

yea, me too! i m afraid my boy would just cry and cry for me for long periods.
really hope our toddlers can adapt faster!

and in my heart got a little of worries whether the teacher will take care of my son well anot.. i really cant stand teachers who neglect certain children lol..haiz~

 

[CocoaBear]

yea, me too! i m afraid my boy would just cry and cry for me for long periods.
really hope our toddlers can adapt faster!

and in my heart got a little of worries whether the teacher will take care of my son well anot.. i really cant stand teachers who neglect certain children lol..haiz~

Yes! Recently I have just put my child in childcare. Due to lack of teachers and my child likes to run about in the childcare, the teachers there keep asking me to bring back my child home despite being there already for a week. Makes me more busy then ever, bringing my DS to and fro childcare. Should I just remain home to take care my DS myself? sigh...

 

[littlehelper]

Yes! Recently I have just put my child in childcare. Due to lack of teachers and my child likes to run about in the childcare, the teachers there keep asking me to bring back my child home despite being there already for a week. Makes me more busy then ever, bringing my DS to and fro childcare. Should I just remain home to take care my DS myself? sigh...

The teachers ask you to bring your child back?! What kinda center is that? Isn't it their job to care for your kid while you are at work?
If you can and want to, it would be good to stay at home to look after your kid. If not, another center?

 

[CocoaBear]

The teachers ask you to bring your child back?! What kinda center is that? Isn't it their job to care for your kid while you are at work?
If you can and want to, it would be good to stay at home to look after your kid. If not, another center?

The principal said that there is no 1:1 attention and my child (2years old) likes running around so it is best to come to class after 8.30am. She wants me to stay there until 9am when they are having assembly with the older children, so that I can look after my child when they sing their songs...

Then she said to bring my child back at 4pm so that he will feel treated fairly as do not want to have a super long hours there when the rest of the children only have shorter hours of stay, which I do not think so as some are already working parents. So my next question to her is: if I were to go back to work force, how? She said by then my child will adapt... Another center is a bit inconvenient as if I were to work, have to have a longer route. Either that will be the expensive ones like at least $900+ school fees.

 

[diymummy]

Your center is really bad to make you stay with your son and pick him up earlier. They shouldn't be doing that.

 

[CocoaBear]

I am still having a discussion with my husband on the matter: to withdraw my child out and put in another childcare which is further and more expensive. My husband felt that this current childcare's teachers seem not very well train in handling toddlers. Before enrollment, I did check with principal on the experience of teachers, her response is "mostly have experience". Maybe the experience is in areas where children are older? My son is the youngest there.

 

[diymummy]

My son's cc had this new girl in the group who is very violent. She will scratch and hit people and some of the kids went home with sratch marks on their arms. But still the center was able to discipline her and now she's more under control and able to interact with other kids.

I feel that if a child is unable to adapt initially, the center should try ways to help the child adapt instead of asking for parental participation.

If the other center is not that much further off, then I think it might be a better choice. The fact that the teachers are unable to control a crowd, also goes to show they might be incompetent in delivering some of the curriculum that has been promised to parents like you. So even if your child is able to adapt eventually, maybe after a mth, will he be absorbing well there? What if there's another child who's also just as active as your child joining the class?

There're other ripple effects from what they're doing now. So having your son observe group dynamics and join in is only the first hurdle.

 

[littlehelper]

Agree with diymummy.If you can afford it and it's not too far off, and better why not?
It's like paying for better quality and you can put your mind at ease knowing your child is in good hands in the center.
Now you are like paying to sit in together with your son. I think the center abit too much and ridiculous. They should discuss how to discipline your son or let him get into the routine instead of making you sit in and handle him yourself...
No CC can give any child 1:1 attention but it's possible to ensure all of them are cared for.

 

[CocoaBear]

Have just dropped my son in childcare after his lunch at home. The teacher emphasis that "it is inconvenient to drop in early morning for such young age."

Now I am going to call other childcare centers to see any vacancy.

 

[diymummy]

All the best cocoabear!

 

[CocoaBear]

All the best cocoabear!

Thank Q.
Have went to a new childcare for a look. My boy went crying when we went upstairs (bungalow). Not sure to put him there? Maybe he is scare of the dark as when we went, the lights are off and is already evening time. We (parents) are scared to make a wrong decision for our boy, although everything is great (better menu than current, more things to play with see-saw, patient principal who takes time explaining details of programs), except boy has cried and the location is far so boy has to wake up half an hour everyday.

I am thinking if we placed him in this new childcare, what if he does not get use to environment, we cant go back to the current one.

 

[diymummy]

Is there a trial period? Or are they open on weekends? You could drop in for a few weekends and see how. Meanwhile you can monitor if the current one has any improvements. It's always a 50-50 chance and it also comes down to what you can live with. There's no perfect child care. Accidents will happen here and there, eg, my son had quite a few falls at the cc he's in.

There's another cc slightly further from my office and I did consider putting him there. But I couldn't live with the travelling time wasted to get there. So I decided to put him in the current one tho the other had better menu and somewhat the same curriculum.

Most importantly, you must like the "feel" of the place and then decide what you are able to compromise and what you cannot.

 

[Ting]

cocoabear, sry to say but if pin's CC is like the current one your son is in, i would hv withdrawn her n start looking for another one. but one thing i agree with diymummy is ultimately, there is no perfect CC and it is how much u can give n take.
i think quite nonsensical for the teachers to tell u to come late, stay there awhile n then pick your child up early. more ridiculous to say "it is inconvenient to drop in early morning for such young age."
i know of parents who dropped their kids off as early as 730 am!
anyway, if the other CC is OK, though slightly pricier (but within your means) n further, no harm putting him there on a trial 2 weeks to see how he adapts. if not, do abit more research and see what other options u hv like perhaps near your parents/in laws place?

 

[apollo]

cocoabear, i didnt place ds in CC cos i'm a SAHM but if a CC teacher says tt to me, i will definitely change a CC and also lodge a complain on them!!

Childcare means the teachers there are suppose to tc of the kids!! and you PAID them to do so. And it is really a bullshit that the principal told you things lik : there is no 1 to 1 attention, etc... pls, of cos CC dont have 1 to 1 attention for the kids. 1 teacher is supposed to handle a few kids, if they cant, means the pro lies on them and i dont see why you have/need to compromise with them. Like you said, you're more busy than b4. i rather u change a CC or leave ur son with a reliable nanny. =)