Parent fears - finding the right daycare for your child

As a parent, I find it hard deciding which place I would trust to leave my child whilst I return to work.

I had spent so long looking for places to fit my child (researched and visited 20 over day care centres) and basically analysed every aspect regarding the food provided and whether it was healthy and acceptable, the facility and play areas, the curriculum and of course, the educators whom I would trust with the safety of my child. Hearing a ton of horror stories, I took this all very seriously and cautiously.

Amongst the many daycares I’ve visited, some were really horrible. When asked what they gave the kids for lunch, they referred me to a whiteboard in which a menu was drawn up. To my horror, sausage rolls (not the homemade kind but the frozen kind), party pies and jelly were amongst the list. Another daycare I went to had extremely uninterested and bored looking educators who did not pay close attention to the kids and just really couldn’t be bothered. They chatted amongst themselves instead. Whilst I understand looking after kids is a tiring job, I was rather displeased with the responses of one educator whos’ conversation i had overheard when asking where a child was. Her reply was “ohh I’m not sure, haven’t seen him all morning”. Wait, what?! What if thay were my child missing?! They eventually found him asleep under all the toys. ( note: Most daycares usually do a count of children and check where all the kids are regularly).

I’ve been to daycares which had under staffing problems. I’ve seen educators dragging kids who were literally dragging on their legs with half their body on the floor all around the centre because they couldn’t be bothered settling and I’ve seen educators who just hold iPads and let the kids watch shows like Peppa Pig. (This actually happened to my own child who later discovered the existence of shows like Peppa pig)

That being said, I’ve also been to amazing places and met some amazing educators who really enrich kids and teach them so many things. There’s some great centres out there who reinforce toilet training and assist parents to maintain and help wean from the nappy. I’ve been to amazing places with amazing clean facilities and excellent curriculums which focus on child play and development.

The centre I have found for my child is one I am very pleased with. They have helped my child become more self sufficient and independent and tailor tasks suited to their personality. Finding a daycare centre to suit your child’s personality is very important as every child is different. Some kids learn through discovery and play and some need routine structures and classroom like settings like Montessori. The most important things I have learnt when looking for the best suitable place for my child (and helping me deal with the anxiety and concerns) are:

1. Don’t just focus on the facilities provided and how much playground/state of the art play equipment there is but also engage with the educators to ensure you can feel comfortable with them caring for your child
2. Look at their curriculum and structure as some don’t bother and like to whip out iPads to entertain
3. Food provided: are they healthy decent options and is there variety? I’m very health conscious when it comes to my kids diet so I like them to always try new foods, but also love fruits and vegetables and healthy options. Yes, they’re allowed “treats” but I want to emphasise to my kids that these are not an “everyday” food and should not be eaten regularly.