It really can be difficult to leave your kids at daycare while you go off to work each day. Even parents fully committed to their careers often feel guilty about leaving their kids while they work the day away, but often those feelings can be overcome when you find the right daycare setting where you know your kids are happy, loved, safe, and nurtured, too.
Of course, the thought of finding a fabulous daycare and the actuality of finding that perfect setting are two entirely different things. So just how can you find the perfect daycare for your kids? Here are some tips:
Ask Your Friends and Family. You can really narrow down your options of childcare settings to consider when you ask your friends and family for suggestions. Some will tell you right away which to avoid and others will tell you which ones to give a second look at. Keep in mind that every family has different priorities when it comes to childcare, so be sure to ask them what they like best about their school.
Make Some Calls. Once you have a list of a few great daycare choices, then call around. Take note of things like how friendly the staff is on the phone, if they invite you to visit the school at any time of day or if there are structured times for visits, and if they return calls promptly or send you information that they say they will email. Look for a customer service oriented approach to how they treat you, and keep in mind that if they aren’t friendly to you now when they should be trying to get your business, they likely will be even worse when they have you committed to the school.
During the Site Visit. The site visit is perhaps the most important aspect of choosing a school, so don’t rush through this. Take time to observe the teachers with the kids, and observe how well the kids follow teachers’ requests and respect the teachers. Consider how happy the kids are and how the teachers respond to kids who are unhappy in some way. Look at the cleanliness of the kids, the classrooms, and the bathrooms. Look at the curriculum of classrooms, and the variety of toys offered in the classroom and outdoors, too.
The fact is that it can be pretty difficult to find a great daycare, but these tips can help you to really narrow down the choices. You should be completely comfortable and happy about your choice of schools. If you love your children’s school and they are happy going to the school every day, you will be far more relaxed and content as you spend your days at work!