Ember Halo
when to start looking?
what to look for?
what to ask?
reasonable price range?
any other tips?
(it will be for my infant after i go back to work, which i HAVE to do, btw, or we'll be homeless. i'm hoping to be able to take off a full 12 weeks after the baby is born, but i might not be able to afford it)
if i don't work i can't afford anything, moron.
i don't know anybody that can watch my kid full time. everyone i know has to work, or they're too old to care for a child.
come on people, can you answer my actual question, instead of telling me i need to do this or that instead??
seriously, my only option is to put the baby in day care. i would love to have the luxury of being a sahm, or even having a relative provide care for my child. thing is, i CAN'T. i have to go back to work asap after the baby is born. everyone i know has to work full time + as well, and they all live 20min+ away anyhow. i just moved to a new town to reduce my commute to work and i don't know anybody yet.
i just need some tips on getting a quality day care provider!!! it's my only option but i'm TRYING to make the best choice i CAN within the possibilities.
thank you, Ann!!
very helpful!
don't tell me i'm not looking out for the welfare of my own child! you know nothing about me or my situation.
don't judge me for doing the only thing i can to take care of my child. i live in low income housing. i have very little family, besides my HUSBAND (yes, the father). so we didn't get pregnant at the best time, what are we supposed to do? abort?!? get real!
oh, some VERY helpful answers!
thank you so much!
i have to use day care & so i want to find the best one possible, of course! thanks for helping me!
it's very presumptuous of you to assume you know our situation.
Answer
Definitely start looking before your child is born. As well as maybe not having much time after the birth, some places have waiting lists so you don't want your child to miss out on a good setting because you didn't put your name down early enough. Are you in America? I'm in England, and most places don't take babies before they are 3 or 4 months old, although some do take them from 6 weeks. You will probably have to phone or go there and ask to make an appointment to look around. I know the nursery I used to work for didn't just let people turn up to have a look the same day for safety reasons, not letting strangers in, etc. Once you've made your appointment and gone there make sure they let you have a proper look around, and don't let them hurry you out of rooms. Ask which room your child would be in. In England most places have separate rooms for children of separate ages. Generally small babies are kept away from the more boisterous toddlers most of the time, although they may meet up during some parts of the day. When you enter the room your child will be in observe what the adults are doing. At the nursery I worked at, where I was with the 3-4 yr olds, it bothered me how much time the 'baby' staff seemed to spend sitting on the floor chatting to one another, and not paying the babies much attention. Look out for signs of them doing that when you first enter the room, as they may not know exactly when you are coming to look around and you may be able to catch them off guard. Look at what the babies are given to play with. Are there plenty of toys? Are the babies all occupied when they are awake or are they just left sitting around? Ask about sleep times. Babies left on mats on the floor can easily be hurt by older babies falling on them etc. I have known this happen. Are there cribs that the babies can sleep in safely? Ask about a kitchen area where the bottles are prepared. Are there signs of sterilising equipment to ensure bugs are not spread? Look at the walls. Are there bright displays that staff have thought about? Is there evidence of art work by children? Even very young babies can participate in creative play if the practitioners plan for it. Look at the other rooms too, as your baby might spend a few years in the setting. How are the staff interacting with the children? Are they actively playing and spending time with them as they should be? Are the children playing with suitable toys? Do they generally seem happy? Ask to see any outdoor play area that the setting has. I think in England all settings have to have an outdoor area, I'm not sure about anywhere else. Ask how the children are contained - are there any ways they could crawl out, or someone could come in and snatch a child? Look at the ground. If your young baby is taken outside they may be laid or sat on the ground. Are there any small stones they could put in their mouth? Ask about timings of the centre to check they fit in with what you need. Ask what equipment you would need to bring with your child. Do they supply bottles/ milk/ food/ nappies/ wipes etc or would you need to provide all those things? When you look around a setting listen to your instincts. If you think you feel a happy atmosphere then there probably is one, but if you feel a bit tense there then your baby probably will too. Chat to the staff as much as you can, to gain impressions of them. Are you happy to leave your most valuable posession with these people? Remember that you can't buy love. I did love and care for the children I worked with but not everybody does. Some people just view it as a job. If I had to ask somebody else to care for my child then I think I would agree with another poster and try to find a good childminder, who may only have your child to think about and care for. However, if daycare is your only option then think about the points I have mentioned and hopefully you and your baby will be very happy with the care given.
Definitely start looking before your child is born. As well as maybe not having much time after the birth, some places have waiting lists so you don't want your child to miss out on a good setting because you didn't put your name down early enough. Are you in America? I'm in England, and most places don't take babies before they are 3 or 4 months old, although some do take them from 6 weeks. You will probably have to phone or go there and ask to make an appointment to look around. I know the nursery I used to work for didn't just let people turn up to have a look the same day for safety reasons, not letting strangers in, etc. Once you've made your appointment and gone there make sure they let you have a proper look around, and don't let them hurry you out of rooms. Ask which room your child would be in. In England most places have separate rooms for children of separate ages. Generally small babies are kept away from the more boisterous toddlers most of the time, although they may meet up during some parts of the day. When you enter the room your child will be in observe what the adults are doing. At the nursery I worked at, where I was with the 3-4 yr olds, it bothered me how much time the 'baby' staff seemed to spend sitting on the floor chatting to one another, and not paying the babies much attention. Look out for signs of them doing that when you first enter the room, as they may not know exactly when you are coming to look around and you may be able to catch them off guard. Look at what the babies are given to play with. Are there plenty of toys? Are the babies all occupied when they are awake or are they just left sitting around? Ask about sleep times. Babies left on mats on the floor can easily be hurt by older babies falling on them etc. I have known this happen. Are there cribs that the babies can sleep in safely? Ask about a kitchen area where the bottles are prepared. Are there signs of sterilising equipment to ensure bugs are not spread? Look at the walls. Are there bright displays that staff have thought about? Is there evidence of art work by children? Even very young babies can participate in creative play if the practitioners plan for it. Look at the other rooms too, as your baby might spend a few years in the setting. How are the staff interacting with the children? Are they actively playing and spending time with them as they should be? Are the children playing with suitable toys? Do they generally seem happy? Ask to see any outdoor play area that the setting has. I think in England all settings have to have an outdoor area, I'm not sure about anywhere else. Ask how the children are contained - are there any ways they could crawl out, or someone could come in and snatch a child? Look at the ground. If your young baby is taken outside they may be laid or sat on the ground. Are there any small stones they could put in their mouth? Ask about timings of the centre to check they fit in with what you need. Ask what equipment you would need to bring with your child. Do they supply bottles/ milk/ food/ nappies/ wipes etc or would you need to provide all those things? When you look around a setting listen to your instincts. If you think you feel a happy atmosphere then there probably is one, but if you feel a bit tense there then your baby probably will too. Chat to the staff as much as you can, to gain impressions of them. Are you happy to leave your most valuable posession with these people? Remember that you can't buy love. I did love and care for the children I worked with but not everybody does. Some people just view it as a job. If I had to ask somebody else to care for my child then I think I would agree with another poster and try to find a good childminder, who may only have your child to think about and care for. However, if daycare is your only option then think about the points I have mentioned and hopefully you and your baby will be very happy with the care given.
best toy ideas to get an active 1 year old?
....
i have no idea and my mom keeps on asking me what he wants.....he wants diapers and sippy cups...lol but that's not a present
so ideas please
Answer
One years old is so easy because they have alot of baby toys and now that they are turning 1, you can get age approiate toys! If you go to walmart.com,, under toys- you can shop by age and they will have a list of toys for that age!
Learning toys are good! They have alot of ideas and NOT expensive!
Riding toys are fun! Those little cars that you can push to learn to walk and then you can sit on it!
Big legos are fun cause you can add to them!
Outdoor toys! A slide or infant swing! My kids always loved those!
If grandma is buying- PICK something good!
HAVE FUN!!!!
One years old is so easy because they have alot of baby toys and now that they are turning 1, you can get age approiate toys! If you go to walmart.com,, under toys- you can shop by age and they will have a list of toys for that age!
Learning toys are good! They have alot of ideas and NOT expensive!
Riding toys are fun! Those little cars that you can push to learn to walk and then you can sit on it!
Big legos are fun cause you can add to them!
Outdoor toys! A slide or infant swing! My kids always loved those!
If grandma is buying- PICK something good!
HAVE FUN!!!!
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