DO ask the name of your class teachers. They are the ones that will be loving on your little one during the day so it's nice to know who they are.
DON'T be afraid to ask their name again at the end of day one! My head was somewhere else when we dropped Griffin off on that first day... as we tried to remember what they said their names were, we were thinking Sarah, Amy.. what did they say? Actually it's Shekima, Stephanie and Tristan. Yeah, we were way off! They'll forgive you on the first day, but you seem kinda snotty when you don't know their names by week 3! {obviously this could be different if you have a place that has rotating teachers. Ours has the same every day though.}
DO buy plain white socks for your child to wear to daycare everyday. Label everything with a Sharpie. Know that you're child looks funny with GN proudly displayed on his toes, but be thankful that if he loses one, it's very easy to replace.
DON'T send anything without their initials on it. I would also say DON'T send something you would be upset with if you didn't get back. At our daycare babies are only allowed to have their pacifier while they are in their crib {to keep kids from sharing while they are on the floor} Life would not be fun at nighttime without G's Wubbanub, so we don't send it. We also mark all bottles and parts with stickers. You can use Sharpie if you want, but sadly, it won't stay on. My SIL gave us these for Christmas and they work really well.
DO ask before hand if there are any rules about what you can and cannot bring for your baby. I'm not sure if this rule really applies to all daycares, but at our place, we're not allowed to leave blankets with them. They are only allowed to have sleep sack type things. It is apparently a state rule to cut down on the risk of choking I think. It really upset me when I first found out, but I got over it and Griffin wasn't phased by it at all. DON'T freak out when you walk in to daycare and see your child chewing on a random blanket. DO pretend like you didn't see if and surely no other child has spread their gross germs on it too, right? {not sure where the blanket came from. I just pray he stays away from them!!}
DON'T make more work for yourself. When we first took G, we were thawing milk every morning, pouring the exact amount into 3 bottles to take for the day, taking all of it to daycare, making sure we had all of the correct parts to bring home, washing them again {they wash them after they use them} and starting the process over every day. We eventually learned to leave one bottle there and just take a container with enough milk in it for the amount of bottles he would need. They were already doing the work to clean everything and this is much easier and quicker on us!
DO listen to your daycare when they tell you you need to send more milk and DON'T cry at the end of the day when you bring home a good 10 extra ounces. I'm still nursing Griff and have a really good freezer stash, but it is certainly disheartening when you bring home liquid gold that has a 24 hour expiration date on it.
DON'T get too sad about leaving them everyday and DO smile that they love where they go! I am certainly looking forward to the day that Griff no longer has to go to daycare, but I know he's having a good time and is loved by the workers. I have to be honest, I think Cody and I both feel some pains of jealousy when we see his face LIGHT UP with happiness in the morning when he sees his teachers, but I am thankful that he has teachers that make him happy. DO be nice to them and throw in a treat every once in a while {sweet Griff will be delivering presents to his teachers tomorrow for Valentine's Day!}
That's my daycare suggestions! Are you a pro who's been doing this a while? What else would you add to the list?
Do bring bottles home to wash once in a while/change nipples at different stages. Although the daycare has standards, some things get passed over occassionally. We found mold on Lila's bottles at a previous daycare. Her current care facility doesn't wash bottles at all so we do it at home.
ReplyDeleteDon't be afraid to be "that mom", you know the one. The one we never thought we'd be, the one that we rolled our eyes at when we were kids, yeah, I'm THAT mom. If there is something you do/don't want your child to have, stand firm on that topic. We don't let Lila eat anything with sugar added, and we restrict her wheat intake, so we request a menu each week and circle what she is allowed to have. We also bring food/snacks from home to supplement so she has enough to eat and doesn't get left out when everyone else has oreos(which she can't have).
I second the mold thing - that happened to us too.
ReplyDeleteLook for differen certifications and consantly check the facility on Texas Dep. of Child care licensing - see how they are doing and don't be afraid to ask questions about their inspections.
Check in on your child during the day at different times, catch them at an awkard times and see if the care they are recieving is what you desire.
Don't be afraid to comment if you see something ou of place - like chemicals on the counter or a dirty toy within reach of the children.
Show them your love and appreciation, especially the director.