Omaha Nesties
melgul001
member
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
2 daycare choices....I know its my decision but want others throughts.
Everything else is the same....here are the differences...
Daycare A
4 blocks from my house- 2 providers at all times, sometimes 3. Takes 12 kids, likes to remain full. Can take up to 6-18 months or younger.
Daycare B
15 mins from my house (2 mins from my DH's parents so she can go quick if needed)- 1 provider. Can take up to 10 kids but only stays at 6 or less. Wants only 1 infant at a time (Mine would be the only one).
Like I said...most everything is essentially the same. I felt comfortable around all the providers. Good references from both.
What would you choose just based off information above and no other information.
Basically what I"m stuck on is.....2 providers at all times....or only infant. Not sure what I'd rather have??!!
Re: 2 daycare choices....I know its my decision but want others throughts.
Are these in-homes? I ask because we just came from an in-home that had 2 providers and 12 kids. Because of state laws, there's only certainly places in the house kids can go. Even though the house was a 3 car garage with plenty of space for her own family, it just wasn't big enough for 12 kids. It's one of the biggest reasons we left.
I'd opt for the place with fewer kids, but that's just based on my personal experience.
That was my first thought too. And, if you're the only person taking care of 6 or 8 or 10 kids full-time and you're at the end of your rope, you can't take a personal time-out. I'd never be comfortable w/a single caregiver.
I was at an inhome daycare and DH will never let me do it again.
I like the idea of A being run as a center with other people but it also had a homey feel. I see you concern about space. You can always go with one and if you don't like it switch. Trust your mom gut!
I agree with this. I also agree with Julie about always having 2 caregivers. There's more accountability and likely less time they close for their own illness or vacation if they always have a backup.
love is for every her, love is for every him, love is for everyone
Just a little further clarification, per State regs - of the 6 under 18 months for provider A, only 4 can be under 12 months. And any time there is more than 8 (or 10 with 2 school-agers), there MUST be 2 providers. Of the 10 for provider B, 2 of them must be school age.
I think I would go with A. I have cared for 6 at a time by myself, including one infant. But there are days that I would have lost my mind with my husband here. Plus, any time I'm watching kids by myself, I feel like I really can't do anything interactive with the kids. I make breakfast, we eat, I clean up. I change diapers, give bottles, start lunch, eat lunch, cleanup...you get the idea...
I'm going to go against what every one else here has said and say Option 2.
We were in the EXACT situation when looking for our day care. We ended up going with the smaller group with one provider and wouldn't have it any other way. I feel so much more comfortable knowing he's in a smaller setting, I feel like there's less chaos for him to be around, yes, the kids are a little older, but I think that benefits him seeing them and what they do and learning from it.
I think it really does come down to what you and your husband want to do. If you have a good feeling about both of them, then it doesn't sound like you can go wrong!!
There are positives and negatives with each one. Personally, I think the distance from your house should be a bigger factor. I know the last thing I would want to do is sit in a car for an extra 15 minutes a day in traffic with a screaming, hungry, crabby, kid if I didn't have too.
I like the idea of there being 2 caregivers, but the idea of there being that many more children is kind of crappy. However, I don't think that craziness bothers kids as much as it bothers us. I've witnessed a lot of situations at my previous daycare where I would pick up Austin and one kid is crying in the corner, another is screaming for a bottle, etc etc and my kid was just sitting there happily playing with a toy, completely oblivious to what was going on around him. I think it just becomes normal to them. I think you need to stop at that place with the two caregivers in the middle of the morning just to see how crazy it is or isn't. I know that my previous daycare lady didn't seem to be in as much control as my current one. My current lady really has these kids under control, so the amount of craziness I've witnessed is extremely minimal, I think i've seen one of the baby's crying once since we started there 3 months ago. If those two people have good control, then even if there are more kids, it won't be bad. KWIM?
Go with you gut! I originally had DD set up to go to a larger in-home with two providers. 10 days before my maternity leave ended I started having crazy doubts and began my search again. I called my current provider (I have originally talked to her, but she had no availability before DD was born.), and she amazingly had an opening for any age. My last minute move was seriously the best decision I have made as a mother. DD was the only baby by almost 2 years, and she has been completely doted on every day. There have been new babies come over the last 2 years, but DD has never been pushed aside.
My daycare provider is there alone a majority of the day with 6-8 kids (one of her own), and she handles it extremely well. All the kids listen to her and respect her, so it works. She manages to keep them entertained and teach them things while still giving the babies the extra attention they deserve. She does preschool activities with the older kids and lots of arts and crafts with all of them. She also sticks to a fairly consistent schedule every day that includes story time, crafts, music, etc.
She currently has an opening, but the child must turn age 1 this month so that I why I haven't suggested her to you before. Honestly though, I couldn't be more pleased with her. I am so glad I had my freak-out and found her at the last minute! I just fear whenever we decide to have #2 that she won't have a spot
. Stop by each place unannounced in the middle of the day to observe, and go with your gut! Good luck!
If A is the one I think it is, I called her 5-10 minutes before the day I toured and asked if it was okay if I stopped by. She told me "sure". She had no idea I was stopping by that day. There were 3 teachers that day, the place seemed organized and she was really friendly. It was around Easter and the kids were doing crafts. They were making Bunny puppets. The teachers had the supplies ready to go ahead of them and it seemed really organized. She was not annoyed or unfriendly to me just stopping in.
Definitely follow your gut and stop in to both places unexpected (call about 5 minutes before you leave your house to give them a slight heads up).
But, I would probably go with A -- I wouldn't be able to do 6 kids by myself all day long! I would go crazy - and having worked in daycare with all ages, I know how it is to be alone with a group of kids and get no personal time outs! Also, having more staff means more individualization - the 3 yr olds can do a craft, the 1 yr olds can do something age appropriate, and the baby doesn't get "left" in the corner to just watch the other kids. (I have a friend who went to a home daycare with 6 kids. Her son was the youngest, and the provider slipped and told her one day that T "played" in his carseat most of the day unless he was hungry because she didn't have time to do anything with him because of the other kids!)
Picture courtesy of Heidi Keene Photography
Without a shadow of a doubt, I'd go with the one with more than one adult. I know it's not rational, but seeing what Alexis Verzal has gone through because of what happened at a home daycare with only one adult scares me completely out of my wits. Alexis will never be the same because one woman lost her cool. There was nobody there to help the provider or Alexis.
Or wait. She was found not guilty. So...
:::eye roll:::