WWYD? (re: daycare)

mcatmay · February 2012

Sorry, I know i keep posting today but i just got a call from the original daycare (let's call it daycare #2) we wanted DD to attend telling us they'll have a spot for her in June of this year. I wanted some input as to what you all think. Price is moot because they're both the same (ie. ridiculously expensive!).

DD is currently really happy at current daycare (daycare #1)- two of her DCP ADORE her and she's thriving (though not napping!) there. I love the fact that her face lights up when she sees one of her DCPs. I don't know how long they keep her with her current DCPs before they move her on the next room (when she starts walking?). They do things well there and i'm happy there but it's not as glowingly beautiful or as well-designed as daycare #2. The facilities are a little older - also the education seems to be a little better at Daycare #2 than #1 (this is just based on touring the facilities, not on actually knowing that for a fact).

We really wanted her at Daycare #2 initially but 'settled' on Daycare #1. Now, DD is doing well there - the move wouldn't be till June, when she'd be 10 months old. Would she be shifting rooms around that age? Would the transition be easy? Or would you just not mess with a good thing and just keep rocking with the original daycare.

Any and all opinions/input welcome!

WinesNotWhines · February 2012

Have you toured the other school since the first time you went there and put your name on the waiting list? If not, I'd go back and check it out again, and ask a lot of questions. I found that I looked at daycares and preschools with a much different eye when I went back after M was born. You can also ask the director of your current center more questions about their curriculum and activities for older kids. I probably wouldn't switch unless you think the other school has significant advantages. I don't think aesthetics and design of the building matter too much.

BirdGirl01 · February 2012

I am probably overly paranoid, but I wouldn't list the names of the daycares in your post. I'm sure I sound a bit crazy. Sorry!

And to answer your question, I would leave DD where she is. I think the bond with her caregivers is more important than the facilities right now. I think "education" and facilities become more important around 2-3 when they're ready for preschool.

mcatmay · February 2012

Birdgirl, I hemmed and hawed at putting in the daycare names but now you just spoke to my concern so i edited my original post ;-) You don't sound crazy - you just sound like a mom :-)

LMH1209 · February 2012

I think the suggestion to do another tour of Daycare #2 is a great one. I'd lean, however, toward staying with the current place unless something really stood out to me on the new tour of the other place. I'd personally really prioritize the bond that the child has with the current providers. DS hit monster separation anxiety at ten months, and changing providers at that age would have gone very badly. (Of course, kids experience separation anxiety at different ages and in different ways, so your child could be totally fine with the change.)

VARedhead · February 2012

We moved DD from a nanny share to a center at 13 months. She did fine. It took a little bit of adjusting, but ultimately she loved it. The center we moved to moves all the infants from the baby room to the "older infant" room at 10 months, so right around the time you would move your DD.

I would definitely look at the older kids rooms at your current place, and try to compare them to the new possible center. We took DD out of the center at 23 months because the older rooms were not impressive at all (while the 10-23 month room was great), and her new center seemed great for the older kids (which it is). Ideally, we wouldn't have moved her so much, but I was trying to find the best place for her. The center she's in now doesn't take kids until they are 2, so we couldn't have put her there any earlier.

Our DD is generally pretty adaptable to new daycare situations (though the beginning is always hard), which helps.

Good luck!

umdbride · February 2012

I agree with PPs - I'd sort of re-interview each DCP. There are a lot of things I'm thinking about now that I wasn't when we initially checked out places. A couple things come to mind for me:

naps: are they scheduled? do they stop allowing 2 naps/day at a certain age? (AAP recommends no earlier than 2) what if your child doesn't nap - is she allowed to read, etc.?

potty training: when do they start this and how? will they let LO where undies or do they require pull ups untill fully PT? is there any requirement to be PT to move into the next room?

food: what types of foods do they provide or do you bring your own? if they provide, look at the menus and see which options you think fit your LO and your family better.

transitions: how do they know when your LO will go to the next room - is it by age? developmental? a little of both?

activities: what activities do the kids do at ages 1, 2, 3, 4? how much outside time do they have? how much learning time/what do they actually teach and when (things like manners, letters, names, etc.)?

I do think though, that a transition at 10 months might be tough. DS was definitely cling-y and would cry for me around 8/9 months, but it has subsided considerably over the past few weeks. We were considering doing a backup care place on fed holidays and I decided against it because it wasn't worth freaking him out for a day here and there.

The transition would be temporary though and I'm sure she'd adjust fine after a little while - it would be worth it if you really liked the other option more for long-term. FWIW, I think the atmosphere of a place matters - if all other things are equal but one place is just brighter and cleaner and generally more pleasant, I'd rather be there.

sorry this is long! we've been thinking about these topics for a potential pre-school down the road oh, and YGPM back from the other day.

biochemgirl · February 2012

I think at 10 months it would be a relatively easy transition. I know you took the names of the centers out, but, can you post in what area they are in. My DD is at a very expensive center in MoCo that we love and have been very happy with, so if it's one of the ones you are considering I could give you any feedback. You could PM me if interested.

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WWYD? (re: daycare)

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