XP: Daycare Question (long)

willnpam · December 2010

Sorry this is long! DD will be starting daycare full time starting Jan when she'll be 6 months old. We've already visited several daycare centers (some were in home daycare) and although we know some of the obvious things to look for, we're not sure what things are truely important and matter in the long run.

For example, daycare #1 is newly renovated. The director was very professional and organized. DD will have her own crib. But the infants share the same play area as the toddlers (18+ mo), so I'm afraid she'll get stepped on.

Daycare #2 has a separate room for the infants. Once they're 18+ mo they move them to the next level. They also make sure that the walking and not walking infants have separate floor time so no one gets stepped on or tripped. Everyone takes their shoes off in the infant room. But DD will have to share a crib. They say they change the bedding to DD's every time she'll nap, but I'm not convinced that they'll have the time to do that for every baby.

In all other aspect both daycare centers are the same.

What did you find to be the most important issue in regards to your LO's care? TIA!

emberlee3 · December 2010

Well, none of the places I looked at involved DS sharing a crib. The logistics of that just seem bizarre. Also, the places we toured all had separate rooms for infants, crawlers, and toddlers. There might be one crawler in the infant room for a few weeks until a space in the next room opened up, but there were never toddlers in the infant room. But DS was only 6 weeks old when he started, so getting stepped on was a lot bigger concern. Doesn't seem like it would be such a big issue at your LO's age.

groovygrl · December 2010

Sharing a crib sounds odd to me, I don't know how they would deal with that since naps are not super predictable at that age...?

How many kids are in the room that is 6w-18mo? and how big is it? I think a lot depends on that in my view.

thatjessie · December 2010

My DD was with crawlers/walkers when she was little and if the teachers are alert enough like they should be they will know to put the non mobile ones in swings or bouncy seats while the other ones are out and about. DD never had any trouble with other kids walking on her and if your DD is 6 months (like mine was entering daycare) she is at the age where she knows how to move she's not completely helpless like a 6-8 week old. I think she'll be just fine.

ETA: The sharing crib thing is not ok with me.

Temp159135562506975 · December 2010

sharing a crib, as in every day?? that is just ODD.

sharing a crib b/c your child is part time and another child is there the days your child is not = normal... my boys do this - but the linens are changed - we bring them in on the days we are there and take home to wash on Fridays.

i don't like the idea of 18m/o with infants... those are your two choices?

j&jp · December 2010

I find the sharing a crib thing very odd. In Maryland it is required that each infant have their own crib. The daycares here won't do part time care for infants because they can't even share cribs on different days (they can't have one kid in the crib m/w/f and a different kid t/th). Each crib was labeled with their name and that was their crib the entire time they were in the room. I don't see how they would have time to change the bedding each time for unpredictable naps. And how many do they have total? What if everyone falls asleep at once? Where do the "extra" kids go? I wouldn't be okay with this.

wandafeet · December 2010

groovygrl:
Sharing a crib sounds odd to me, I don't know how they would deal with that since naps are not super predictable at that age...?
How many kids are in the room that is 6w-18mo? and how big is it? I think a lot depends on that in my view.

Maybe I misunderstood what the director was telling me about the crib sharing, but I interpreted it as they'll put her sheets on when she needs to nap. It just doesn't sound feasible to me since they have other infants to care for (their ratio is 1:4). DD will be going to daycare full time, so I don't see how she could share a crib with even a part timer.

When we went to visit, I think there were 10 toddlers and 2 infants. They were all together in a large room. There's enough room for the toddlers to run around and play, but it just seems sad that they don't have a separate area for the non-walkers to play. They'd have to stay in a swing/bouncer/pnp/exersaucer the whole time so they don't get stepped on/tripped over.

DD is just barely learning to sit on her own right now, so it's really hard for me to imagine her holding her own in that type of play room.

wandafeet · December 2010

Goldie_Locks_5:
sharing a crib, as in every day?? that is just ODD.

sharing a crib b/c your child is part time and another child is there the days your child is not = normal... my boys do this - but the linens are changed - we bring them in on the days we are there and take home to wash on Fridays.

i don't like the idea of 18m/o with infants... those are your two choices?

Unfortunately, yes. We are visiting an in home daycare Friday morning though. I hope that we'll like what we see. It's been darn near impossible to find a daycare that has an opening this Jan.

Mrs.Handy · December 2010

wandafeet:
Goldie_Locks_5:

sharing a crib, as in every day?? that is just ODD.

sharing a crib b/c your child is part time and another child is there the days your child is not = normal... my boys do this - but the linens are changed - we bring them in on the days we are there and take home to wash on Fridays.

i don't like the idea of 18m/o with infants... those are your two choices?

Unfortunately, yes. We are visiting an in home daycare Friday morning though. I hope that we'll like what we see. It's been darn near impossible to find a daycare that has an opening this Jan.

With these choices, I would seriously consider an in home DCP. I like ours because she just has 3 babies (and will be adding a fourth) so less germs, and DS is around people his own age.

SimDoh · December 2010

You know at my child care center they have an infant room that is 15 months and under. At first I was very worried with crawlers, walkers and young infants all in the same room. But I spent about 4 hours observing and it was very easily managed with the staff. But our infant room has only 7 babies and 4 teachers, so i think that ratio helps alot.

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XP: Daycare Question (long)

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