Need to choose the right day care for my son. Please help me!

Hi everyone! I am a mom of almost 14 months old boy, and yes, already turned 40 yrs and this is my first baby.....love him so much...
back to the topic now :rolleyes:
So I will be back to work as of May 1st ,and its been a few months I've been looking for a daycare and I thought I have chosen one already. Today, after my 2d visit with the baby to the day care, I am a bit hesitating whether I am taking the right decison :unsure:
here is the pros for this day-care:
its veryclose to where we live.
stuff is very friendly.food gets cooked there. very good , I believe.nice playground outside.
disadvantage is that they have kids as of 15 months till 30 months.my baby will be the youngest. they will be sleeping in some beds on the floor in the same room. not sure if my baby will be able to sleep there (he needs help for his naps), or eat their food, and I am not allowed to bring any food. only milk.
i was surprised today that there were no activities, kids just run around and play by themselves. my baby was sitting on a chair the whole time.
nobody takes off shoes when enter into this room.
also i need to pay a deposit for May non refundable and if anything happnes what I am going to do? my biggest concern is the nap though..my baby loves his crib ...
i have to be honest that I like this day care. my husband he is a bit hesitating on it.

the other day-care:
15 min drive, no way to walk;
infant program; friendly stuff;
a bit more expensive;
kids have other room where to nap;
oldest child is 17 months;
I don't remember seeing any activities there neither; kids were just playing;
not sure what is their deposit policy..have to call them and find out.
at both places I was in the morning..

I know it's lots of info, but still ...if you were in my place which one you would choose??? thank you very much for any responses and advices:) hugs...

Hi Rina. So many things to consider when finding the right provider for your family. I am sure you have heard that the most important thing is to trust your instincts, do your research and make a choice you feel comfortable with. If structured activities are really important to you, you should discuss this with the 2 potential providers. Maybe they didn't have anything planned during your visit, not everyone does something everyday. As for napping, all the kids I watch sleep in the same room, in their own playpen. Most of the parents were concerned their child would not nap since they weren't alone. Honestly, not the case at all. They sleep beautifully. As for deposits, that is normal practice. There are very few providers who will sign on a new family without receiving a deposit, so be prepared to provide one no matter where you go. Once again any concerns or questions you might have, you should discuss with the providers right away. That way there are no surprises down the road. Best of luck on your search :)

Don't you have any other choices? Most people like to visit about 5 daycares to find the best match for their family. I find it strange that they don't have activities and just freeplay nonstop. Do they make any crafts at all? Even babies that age can fingerpaint and use waterproof markers and should learn all kinds of activities. They sound sub-standard to me, but I'm just going by what I read above.

Always trust your parental instincts! Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions and get proper answers, don't be timid, this is your precious baby.

It sounds like you went to two daycare centres and honestly, I had a similar feeling at the centres I went to when looking for care for my baby. Have you thought about looking at some home daycares to get a bit of comparison? Sometimes it can be easier on a younger child to settle in a home care environment where there are less kids and only one caregiver.

I agree with you sunny days .... It seems these are centres and not home daycares. I am not a fan of centres ... I put my son in a Montessori for a short time and I was not impressed ... I pulled him. Centre daycare is very different from home daycare. So I wouldn't choose either. However as a home daycare provider I wouldn't let you bring food either except milk and you would have to get him to self soothe by the time he starts because I don't rock babies. They go in their playpen (all in separate bedrooms) and I shut the door and walk away. He would also have to be on finger foods as I only feed things like yoghurt. I would think there shoujd be toys and puzzles for the kids to do ... Is this what you meant when you says there are no activities or do you mean a provider led activity? Really you have to go with your instinct ... If you are not happy with it keep looking

Thanks for your response. Sounds great all you said!:)

That's what I did first, but unfortunately the good ones are full till september. there are a few that have openings but I didnt like them at all (no sun and cold premises...)

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Originally Posted by Crayola kiddies

I agree with you sunny days .... It seems these are centres and not home daycares. I am not a fan of centres ... I put my son in a Montessori for a short time and I was not impressed ... I pulled him. Centre daycare is very different from home daycare. So I wouldn't choose either. However as a home daycare provider I wouldn't let you bring food either except milk and you would have to get him to self soothe by the time he starts because I don't rock babies. They go in their playpen (all in separate bedrooms) and I shut the door and walk away. He would also have to be on finger foods as I only feed things like yoghurt. I would think there shoujd be toys and puzzles for the kids to do ... Is this what you meant when you says there are no activities or do you mean a provider led activity? Really you have to go with your instinct ... If you are not happy with it keep looking

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I understand and thank you... There were no puzzlez, just toys, books, but there was noone leading any game. one of the teacher was holding one child for a bit, my son was sitting in a chair for the whole time he was there. may be this should be the approach with anew child, just to give him some freedom, but I was expecting something, circle day or anything else. I will think and may be revisit.:)

All I have to say is it sounds like you need to find a good home daycare cause all the things you are listing (circle time, activities, sleeping in a play pen with his blankets, food and more) you can find at a home daycare keep on looking im sure you will find someone great :) If you dont mind me asking where are you located I may be able to steer you in the right direction.

Just want to say that whenever I do play dates with clients before they start, we always do free play and no activities. That way the little one can just explore his new environment while I chat with mom. Just because they didn't do activities while you were there doesn't mean they don't do any at all...did you ask them what their daily program is? Also you mentioned that your son needs help for naps, but really it's your responsibility to make sure he is able to self soothe to sleep before starting any daycare.

There is a new emphasis on "just playing" too that many caregivers are starting to embrace. There is plenty of time down the road for scheduled learning times and very young children need time to explore and learn. Before crossing any centre off your list go and talk to the program director about their philosophy of play and what they offer. It may be that in the infant/young toddler program that there is nothing formal just spontaneous such as if a child brings an adult a book they read it together but once child turns 19 months and moves to the next room there is more group time and access to more fine motor activities such as puzzles and play doh. Remember that your child will not be in the same room their whole time at the daycare centre. In a home daycare again ask because puzzles and games for older children are often kept up out of reach and brought down as needed since they would be unsafe to leave out where infants in care can touch them.

Also you need to look at the toys that were available and the learning that is taking place in terms of appropriate for the age - a stacking toy teaches size, a sorting toy teaches shapes, blocks teaches fine motor and colours. Children are free to explore the toys but usually there are times when the adult will use one of the toys in a lesson - as in they play with the child so that a specific skill can be learned and then leave the child to repeat the task over and over as long as they want till they have mastered it.

My point is be sure that what you are expecting to see in the daycare is appropriate for your child's age and not just something that you have come to think of as meaning quality care.

Did either of the caregivers engage your baby at any point? I understand giving him time and space to get comfortable with these new surroundings, but if they just let him sit on a chair the whole visit, that seems rather indifferent. :unsure:
Mind you, I am an absolute newbie to home daycare, but I studied to be a preschool teacher, am an experienced nanny and a mom of 3, and I wouldn't be able to just let a little guy like that sit all by himself for more than a few minutes.

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Originally Posted by mommylove

All I have to say is it sounds like you need to find a good home daycare cause all the things you are listing (circle time, activities, sleeping in a play pen with his blankets, food and more) you can find at a home daycare keep on looking im sure you will find someone great :) If you dont mind me asking where are you located I may be able to steer you in the right direction.

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Absolutely agree and thanks for your comments and desire to help. We are located in Courtice, Ontario. Thx again for any directions, 4 months my son will be in a infant program, where most important, the stuff there will help him fall asleep for naps. In September when he will be a toddler already I might move him, depending on other opportunities in the area. I am glad with my decisin and feel comfortable leaving my baby in someones else's hands:) I hope I will keep this feeling for the whole 4 months!;)

Rina I am happy that you have made a decision and glad you are feeling comfortable thats really import ants sounds like you have your ducks in a row :) GOOD luck with going back to work all the best.

Thank you very much mommylove :)