Whoops, sorry I should have said "baby mill".Last week I received a call from a highly revered child care center in Arlington. I have been on their wait list since May and our name finally came up. I was very excited to learn more and was ready, if needed, to pull Greta from her current in-home care to this center that boasts hourly activities and early learning opportunities for our little one. We took a tour later that week.
To my surprise, the facility was underwhelming. The small converted house accommodated a whopping 65 children ages 8 weeks to 5 years old. I don't even want to guess decibel level we encountered. The infant area was the most disturbing revelation in that of the 8 babies there, not one of them was being held or coddled by a caregiver. It made my heart drop. After the shocking tour, the administrator said that if we were interested we needed make a decision that day and start her immediately because a HUNDRED other babies were on the list behind us. If we gave up our spot, we went to the back of the list. Whaaaaat?? I left a little numb. Is this something we should be doing for Greta? It's so competitive to get a spot - were we fools to pass it up?
I do not want to offend anyone who has used or is using organized day care because in a year or so when she is rounding into the interactive toddler stage, we would definitely reconsider the facility. We just feel that the most important thing for a baby, love and attention, is something she may not be getting enough of there.
In the end, Derek and I both agreed that we are lucky to have Ana and though it's not a organized program - Greta is getting the special attention she needs as a baby.
In the end, Derek and I both agreed that we are lucky to have Ana and though it's not a organized program - Greta is getting the special attention she needs as a baby.
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2 comments:
I have never trusted busy day care centers either. We always used either family or stay-at-home-moms for daycare (he still goes to a SAHM on his days off kindergarten). I tended to rely on gut instinct to make those choices. Sounds like you're doing the same thing. I think it sounds like you made a wise choice.
Jenn, good for you and Derek. ALWAYS trust your gut when it comes to being a mother. God gave us something very special when it comes to doing right by our children. Listen to it, sometimes it even defies logic, but trust me, it's important to listen to your instincts regarding Greta.
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