Daycares are invaluable for working parents and single families. Here's how you can find the best daycare center for your child.
When my daughter was two years old, I decided to enroll her in daycare. I wanted to get back to work, and with no big family in town, I needed a support system.
As mothers, we constantly feel guilty about leaving our children to hired help. But the decision to drop my daughter off to daycare has single-handedly helped me live my life as a caregiver as well as a working professional.
I say this because after a few weeks at daycare, I noticed that my daughter had not only settled in, but she had become so attached to it that she didn't want to give up the activities that were scheduled after her scheduled hours. Had gone. Daycare, when I pick him up and bring him back home.
Daycare is a day-nursery or crèche that cares for infants and toddlers during the daytime, usually when parents go to work. There are many reasons why parents today choose daycare over nannies or traditional family support systems.
“It is difficult for our family to manage the child because if we accept their time, we have to accept their style too,” says Bengaluru-based Shruti Ji, parent of a 5-year-old daughter. “As a parent, I have to give up control, which is not easy for everyone. Paid help is always easier to manage and less stressful. Daycare also helped me regain my sense of self. When she came back I was able to give more of myself to my child,” she adds.
Therefore, there are many benefits of enrolling your child in daycare. But finding the right fit is also important. Here's what I discovered during my long and arduous search.
Safety, Sanitation and Certification
There is no doubt that child care, food safety practices, cleanliness, bathroom hygiene and cleanliness all matter a lot in a daycare. But there are some other things too which can distract your attention. Research specifies that medical knowledge and training matter immensely. “Daycares should have at least two teachers who are trained to help children in case of injuries, play, especially choking hazards. First aid and safety training is important. There is no time to go to the doctor in case of emergency.”
The number of children assigned to each adult also matters. This is called the child-caregiver ratio. A good rule of thumb would be to ensure that one trained adult does not care for more than three or four babies or toddlers.
Unlike schools, daycares in India are not regulated as there is no governing body. They don't have a license because they are overseas. Drolia insists that parents check whether the daycare has at least a basic business license or shop and establishment registration.
It is important to choose a daycare that has CCTV cameras and monitoring. Priya Goyal, a working professional and mother of an 11-year-old and a 5-year-old, was clear that she wanted live CCTV footage of the childcare location, which she could view as a parent. She adds, "When I go to the daycare, I check whether all the safety measures are in place, including safety nets, food, clean or not ventilation, and high doors."“I also check how easy it is for me to go to daycare. If it's easy for me, it's also easy for someone with malicious intentions. I also wait outside to talk to current parents for feedback and also checked the daily routine.
Seek out meaningful activities and interactions
Although these are important parts of baby's day, there's more to day care than feedings and naps. What really sets apart daycare or any other type of hired help is the exposure and learning curve the child gets.
Today, daycare involves small, simple and meaningful activities in children's daily routine. The head of my daughter's daycare center helped me through the ups and downs of parenting, giving me advice about terrible twos or milestones. Look for a daycare that has an open-door policy and values constant communication with parents rather than a closed environment.
If it's an option, choose a daycare that encourages interaction, outdoor play, and creative free play, not a place where children are glued to gadgets or educational toys.
Knowledge of child care and early years education also matters. "Recently, I've seen children who are so engrossed in gadgets or who have dozens of toys and dolls that they are unable to engage in meaningful conversations," the research says. “As adults, we constantly control them and give them instructions. We don't study with them and we even keep meal times aside for them. Children should spend time outside and engage in physical activities. They need to play creatively and use their imagination.
Go to the center and observe the conversation
"Before choosing a daycare, I went there several times to check it out and see how the staff members are with the children," says the expert, father of a 2-year-old daughter. “Even the way they talk to and handle the baby can tell you if they're loving, kind and whether they're using the right language. Daycare shouldn't be a stressful place and it's the environment you get when you go there that counts."
When my daughter first joined daycare, the first few days were difficult because she would cry when I dropped her there. But she gradually got into a routine. Every child is different and the time taken to settle into a new environment may vary from child to child.
What's the best advice I got about separation anxiety? Don't send mixed signals, express guilt, or reward your children when dropping them off at or picking up daycare.
Parenthood is a life-enhancing journey and we have the right to access meaningful childcare options. Daycare is led by childcare experts who understand a child's emotional and cognitive development, and this is invaluable to young parents.
