When you become a mom, one of the top things you worry about is who you can trust to leave your child around. Especially for working moms who sometimes have to head back to work as early as 6 weeks after having a baby, so I wanted to share a few tips to be able to pin point the perfect daycare or child care option that will work best for you and your family.
- Know what all your options are, with child care these days there are endless options from a live in nanny,to drop in care to a traditional day care, Montessori, or just a baby sitter. The selection is so vast that there is an option for anyone out there. Research what each option has to offer, how does that fit with your family core values. Look into cost, how does that fit within your budget, location just how far is the location from you that will play a factor especially if need to drop off and head to work. Also ask questions to friends, and thorough online research can really give you a lot to start with, always remember google is your friend!
- Once you narrow your options down, then Plan visits to the location. Its so important than you not only use the word of mouth referrals but also go in and get a good view of where you will potentially be leaving your child. Ask all the relevant questions such as daycare policies (ex: sick day policy, nap time, feeding etc) Use this visit to pay close attention to how the caregivers interact with the kids, as well as class sizes.
- Consistency, be sure to make sure the nanny you are picking is providing at least a year of commitment. And if you are choosing a facility, then be sure to make sure the teacher in the classroom has been working at the daycare for awhile and also what turn over rates are like in the facility. Research shows that babies need consistency because it helps them form a secure attachment with their caregiver.
- Ask Questions!!! You can never ask enough questions. It makes the most sense to make a private interview with either the nanny or the director of the facility you intend to drop your child with, and have a few sets of questions written down to ask and get clarification on. (DOWNLOAD MY CHILD CARE QUESTIONNAIRE BELOW)
- Most importantly go with your gut instinct, if something doesn’t seat well with you then always go with that and don’t hire someone just for that reason.
Its hard having to leave your child in the hands of someone else that isn’t you and it can be quite nerve wrecking. But sometimes life calls and you will have to either leave your child in the hands of daycare to get back to work, or in the hands of sitter for a night out so knowing that you are leaving them in the hands of someone you can trust and they will do the job as close to what you would do is always comforting. I would love to know your thoughts on leaving your child in the hands of a daycare facility or nanny and what has your experience been like with it?
This is such an important topic. LOVE your insight!