Childcare Conundrums, Solved
By Norine Dworkin-McDaniel; Illustrations by Kate Miller
No childcare situation is perfect. Here are some common complaints and possible solutions.
When our incredible Mary Poppins of a nanny announced she was leaving to seek greener pastures, I panicked. Once I could breathe again, I took a hard look at our childcare situation. Perhaps, I thought, it was time to put our 18-month-old son, Fletcher, in a more diverse social situation. I enrolled him at a nearby nursery school and was delighted with my decision -- until we got the welcome package. Inside was a form for signing up to be a room-parent volunteer, a time-consuming responsibility. I resented this intrusion into my already overscheduled workday. But I saw how Fletcher was blossoming, so I went back to singing the center's praises. Even after you've done your homework and feel you've chosen the best daycare, there's always going to be something that bothers you. And when safety isn't the issue, you need to decide whether those annoyances are simply irritating or outright appalling enough to withdraw your child and find a new daycare. Here, parents sound off on what they've encountered and how they've coped.
I get hassled if I'm late to pick up my child.
Although Jennifer Fas, of Downey, California, normally picked up her daughter Megan, 2, by 4 p.m., her cell phone would start buzzing if she wasn't there by 4:05. She and the caregiver reached an agreement: "We left it at 'I promise to be there at 4 p.m., and if I'm going to be past 4:05, I'll call.'" For now, her cell phone has stopped ringing.
What the experts say
Chronic lateness disrupts the facility's daily functions and interferes with caregivers' going home on time. If a parent exceeds a five-minute grace period, it's not unusual for childcare centers to charge a dollar for every minute the parent is late. Still, if your caregiver has a tendency to use a condescending tone, tell her directly that you don't like the way she speaks to you and that you'd like to find another way to interact, says Mary Zurn, PhD, vice president of education for Primrose Schools, a Georgia-based childcare franchise. You might need to find a new daycare if that doesn't work, because the caregiver's attitude could inhibit you from expressing your concerns -- a bad arrangement for you and your child, Zurn explains.
Continue at: http://www.parents.com/baby/childcare/baby-childcare/childcare-conundrums-solved/
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Childcare Conundrums, Solved
Friday, April 4, 2008
HowsMyNanny.com is a service run by a New York City prosecutor of child abuse and sex crimes who is also a mother of two. Through this site, parents can now purchase a license plate for their stroller that enables the public to anonymously report good or bad nanny observations. Registered parents instantaneously receive an email alerting them to the confidential report.Featured on Good Morning America, Fox News National and endorsed in New York's Daily News, HowsMyNanny.com has been hailed "an honest solution to a tough problem."It is a great innovative way to know what is going on when you are not there! Learn more about how it works...
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
New Mom Essentials - Choosing a Daycare
The following link offers information regarding the state regulations and guidelines for daycares operating in the state of
The next two websites offers insight on what to look for in a public daycare.
http://parenting.ivillage.com/mom/workfamily/0,,41zz-1,00.html
http://www.thenewparentsguide.com/choosing-a-daycare-center.htm
The following website offers a complete summary and comparison of the various types of daycares. This website is helpful when trying to choose what type of daycare will fit your child's and family's needs.
http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/child_care.html
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