It's a question that most mums or dads will have to ask themselves at some point.
HOW do we choose childcare?
There's many things to take into account as far as your needs as a parent, such as:
* Location?
* What hours does my child need to be in childcare?
* What facilities does my child need?
I'll give a quick run-down of my feelings on this.
1. Location
Does the centre need to be close to work or home? Do you mind travelling 5 minutes in the wrong direction if the best childcare (in your eyes) is located there?
This is a tricky one. If you work more than ten minutes from home, this will be a decision you need to take into consideration. Bearing in mind that you'll be paying for days that your child is enrolled regardless of whether your child attends or not, you can choose a childcare that's close to home OR close to work, OR somewhere in between.
I have personally experienced both.
When my daughter was a toddler, I had to return to full-time work. I chose to put her into a childcare that was very close to work, but about 45 minutes' drive from home. It was great, in that I could leave home a bit earlier, spend time to get her settled into childcare, and then get to work on time without having to rush.
BUT... when I was too sick to go to work but still would have loved to stick her in childcare to get a break from her to get myself well again, I had to drive 45 minutes to do so. Also, if the CHILD is sick and needs someone to get them, it's a lot harder if they're far from your personal network and people who can pick her up if you can't leave work.
2. Hours
Not all centres are open for the same amount of time or the same hours.
Some centres don't start until 7:30am, but some are open from 6:30am. If you have a job that starts early, this may be something you need to take into account.
Some centres close at 5:30pm, or 6pm, or even 6:30pm. If you have a job that finishes any time after 4 and you need to travel, be wary. If you choose a centre that shuts at 5:30pm and you get stuck in traffic, it can be tricky. Picking a centre with longer opening hours can be crucial if you're working full-time.
3. Facilities
All kids have different needs, but I feel pretty confident in saying that you want staff to love your child. Or at the very least, like them a lot. No, I'll be honest. You want them to love your children. You don't want to feel like your kids don't need you, but you want a childcare that you can feel confident in leaving your children in. You want staff who your kid will get excited to see when they walk in the room,
I recently decided to put my youngest in childcare 1 day a week. Just one day a week. I'm studying at night a couple of times a week, and the workload and homework is amazingly huge. So I need a bit more time to get it done and hopefully rest as well! So off I trotted to a place that was advertising in the paper. I hadn't been there before, and when I arrived I was overwhelmed.
There were kids running amok (not unusual for childcare), but the staff didn't seem all that interested in interacting with them. Not ALL the staff, but there was only really one staff member that I felt was really spending time with the kids and enjoying it.
The staff were very harsh with the kids, they weren't happy smiling staff. I spent 2 hours there, and at the end of it was really not comfortable with leaving my child there. So I decided to go with the place I'd previously sent Miss Maddison to, where she'd done her Kindergarten through the childcare centre.
The staff at Master Cooper's new creche (Miss M's old one) are lovely. They are smiling happy people, who are stern with the kids when they need to be, but also dearly love the kids. They treat them with respect, and never get cross unless they have to. I shan't mention the creche's name, due to my child's recent enrollment and privacy reasons, but they are an amazing centre.
So I urge you all - when enrolling your child in childcare, take the time to "orientate". All childcare centres recommend that you do an "orientation day", where you take your child in for a few hours or even a whole day, you stay with them and see how they settle in. I wasn't impressed with the first centre, I just didn't feel comfortable leaving my son there. You MUST go with your gut when it comes to picking a childcare centre. After all, our children are so important to us! If you don't feel 100% comfortable with the centre, don't enrol your child there. Obviously there are times where you have to enrol wherever you can get a place, but if you're not happy with that centre, go on a waiting list for a more preferred one.
GOOD LUCK to those who have to or choose to put your kids in childcare.
And remember, sometimes childcare is the only way that mums can get a break. Not everyone has grandparents or friends who will mind the child/children at ALL, not even once every couple of months.
So don't judge those who don't work but put their child in childcare anyway.
Have a good day, everyone :)
And as always, if there's a topic you want me to write about, send me your suggestion, either on Facebook
or to jenna_cooksley@yahoo.com.au
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