How important is

Starbear06

Stimulation/interaction in an infant room for you? DS currently goes to a daycare where the caretakers do a good job in basic needs and demands for the babies. DS is 4 months so it's fine. But I'm more concerned for when he's more mobile and awake for longer periods during the day. The room doesn't have much big toys such as play mat or excersaucer type stuff just a bunch of little toys.
We have a opportunity to accept our waitlist spot at another daycare that has all kinds of toys you can think of as well as more teacher interaction with each baby. I hate to move DS since he's adjusting to his current one and is eating so well there.
So my question is how important is the toys, interaction, and stimulation in the infant room? Don't get me wrong it's not like they don't interact with the babies at all. It's just that they are better in meeting their basic needs. DS is a fussy eater but they know his personality now and are able to get him to finish his bottles. I'm just worried about down the line when he's more interactive and mobile.

CrawltheWarriorKing

Before switching him, I think you should have a sit down with the teacher or director to go over what their curriculum is for the LO's once they start being more active and crawling.  Maybe they have another room you aren't aware of? Or once they are more mobile they switch rooms.

In the DC we plan on sending DS and DD to, they have a separate area blocked off with a gate, the floor has the foam mat laid out and then toys spread out including a play mat.  Maybe they have something similar?

katieh1017

I don't have a lot of experience with DC's but L is in the infant room with 7 others. Once they are mobile (crawling) they move to the older infant room. In her current room there are toys, a mat, exersaucer, 2 bouncy seats and then they do activites like painting, story time, music, puppets, sign language and work on things like tummy time and motor skills. It seems like a pretty full day and I like that there is a lot for her to do. We get weekly newsletters that tell us about the things they will be doing for each day. The school is all about "balanced learning" even at an earlier age.

I think each center is going to be different and you just have to figure out what you want and what you think is best for your child. I personally like the type of curriculum they have at her DC.

Go take a tour of the other one and check out the vibe and room, if you haven't already. Compare the two and see what you like better. You LO is still young and I think it may be easier to adjust now than later.

MrsWindyCity

I don't think things like exersaucers are important at all - actually, in a daycare setting they can easily be overused. At that age, I think interaction, allowing baby to explore (tummy time, etc.) is what is most vital. When he starts getting more mobile, he'll probably be more interested in that than playing with any toys, anyway. Our DCP had toys, but not a ton - and we never had a lot of toys in our house because we live in a condo and just don't want a bunch of stuff. DS thrived at daycare, and met all of his milestones "early." His teachers just interacted with him (talking, singing songs, reading, whatever arts and crafts type of stuff is age appropriate) and also gave him his own time to just roll around (when he was little), crawl as he got older, etc.

Netty_3

LO goes to a Montessori school and things like exersaucers are not used at all.  So that they have a chance to be more mobile and independent.

KathrynMD

equipment is not important at all - what is important is lots of one on one interaction between your LO and a small group of teachers - lots of singing, hugging, cuddling, talking, holding hands, etc., etc. 

Sonadora

I think interaction is very important for infants but not in terms of exersaucers and the like.

Our daycare has a "curriculm" that they follow with each age group. Of course in the infant room more time is spent feeding, soothing, changing, getting the LOs to nap, but they still do the activities for that week, just modified for babies. So they have tummy time for gross motor skills, story time, sign language for the older infants, art projects (they paint the childrens' hands and stamp them on paper, etc.), the slightly older ones get sensory items of appropriate sizes to touchand feel and work on fine motor skills, etc.

If your daycare is only working on the meeting of basic needs and otherwise just lets the infants hang out on their backs or stomachs, then I'd be concerned. But the lack of toys for that age group wouldn't raise red flags for me.

shellybird101

In the DC that I work at we will bring out larger toys/activites when we feel the children are ready. My boss feels we should store it out of the way till it is needed. I would find out if they do have other larger toys for more mobile babies.

skibbyaction

For me, it's important.  I want to see that my infant has tummy time every day.  I want to be sure that someone is reading to my infant and singing to them.  Teachers should provide that at day care.  Children learn through interaction; the figure out what a conversation is because people talk to them and they pick up vocabulary and begin to recognize inflection.  Babies also need physical stimulation - bright colors, a variety of textures, etc...

 Don't get me wrong.  Your son will be fine if you don't move him.  If he seems happy and well cared for, then don't stress.  But for me - daycare should be stimulating and should further my child's development, not just provide for their basic needs.

Maybride2

Stimulation/interaction = very important to me.

Equipment = not at all important.

In fact, I would shy away from a daycare that had tons of swings and exersaucers.  I don't want my infant spending a lot of time in those things.

laurakaz13

DD daycare does not allow any equipment that traps the babies (exersaucers, swings, bouncy chairs, or anything of that sort. 

DD was interested in toys, but mainly in interacting with the other babies and teachers.  I don't think the amount of toys makes a difference.  It's the curriculum.  Singing, reading stories, independent play, etc. are most important. 

cecilyandgautam

I actually am a big fan of stimulating toys and activities for the kids - toy instruments, building blocks, walkers, etc so I too would want a stocked daycare. I've seen the way my daughter entertains herself with those and practices her new milestones with them. Without engaging toys, she's drawn to more dangerous entertainment - eating any spec she can find on the floor, trying activities she's not ready for, etc. What kind of daycare are you using? If it's a formal center, I'd talk to the director about it. If you're using a small in-home provider, like we are, I might offer to bring in a few items I pick up at a consignment sale. We got our activity mat for tummy time for $8, the push-cart walker for $10, our music table for $10, etc. If I really wanted that equipment in there, I'd just bring it in myself. When your little one outgrows those items, you can take swap them out for other ones so you don't clutter up the provider's home. Our provider charges very little so I wouldn't want to ask her to buy toys just for us, but if your paying full price, then it's reasonable to expect your daycare center to be fully stocked.