Choosing A Day Care For Baby

Our lifestyles have definitely changed since the child rearing days of our grandparents.  Back then, Mother stayed at home with her brood of children while Father worked.

Today, most families are sharing the responsibility of money earning and raising baby, which means that most people have to return to work sometime within the first couple of years of the birth of their baby.

This is a tremendously hard time for most parents, especially first timers… who do you hand your baby over to?

Family? Friends? Or daycare?

If you are choosing daycare, there may be some issues you might want to consider before settling on one particular centre.

1. Child safety – check that there is fencing to keep your child within the boundaries of the centre.  Are the toys and facility in good repair?  Are the play areas safe?
2. Hygiene – Are the food areas clean?  Are they separate to diaper changing areas?  Are hand washing facilities readily available?
3. Staff – Are the staff suitably qualified?  Do they have current first aid certificates?  What is the ratio of staff to children?
4. Meals – Do you provide your own?  Do they cater to special dietary needs?  If meals are provided, are they nutritionally balanced?
5. Routine – Does the centre have a planned daily routine?  Is there a sleep period for your child?  What activities do they do?
6. Discipline – What methods of discipline do they use?
7. The General Feel – Do you feel comfortable there?  Do the children look happy?  Are the staff friendly and happy?

You have to feel completely comfortable about leaving your child in a day care centre otherwise, you will end up spending most of your work time worrying!  There is no use leaving your child in a day care that doesn’t make you feel 100% comfortable.  Give yourself plenty of time before you go back to work to look around and choose the perfect place for you and your child.  Leaving day care until the last minute will only cut short options and you may find that you don’t get your child into your preferred option.

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