Working Motherhood
Lesson 4: Surviving Daycare
How to choose the type of daycare for your children and when is it time to allow your child to stay alone after school.
Introduction
When you find the perfect daycare situation for your child, this has to be one of the biggest weights off your shoulders. Sometimes we go through several caregivers before we find the right one. You may be faced with finding a new daycare if the caregiver decides to retire or if you are moving to a new location.
A caregiver has a tremendous influence on your child and we have to ensure our children are in a safe, clean and caring environment. I'm sure we have all heard horror stories about daycare situations so we have to be selective. Sometimes it is hard to rely totally on the feedback of your child regarding the caregiver. Of course, infants and toddlers cannot say very much but an older child may complain. I know my oldest 2 children started to moan and groan about daycare but it all stemmed back to not being able to get their own way. The caregiver was a very loving and dependable person but she didn't put up with shenanigans. Yes, please listen to your child but be sure to get all the facts. For children who cannot express themselves, take a good look at their bodies for bruises and cleanliness. A reliable caregiver will tell you if your child hurt himself and not hide it.
I found that an ongoing dialogue with the caregiver is very important. If your child has been down in the dumps for a reason, then communicate it. You must let your caregiver know about new medications or changes to existing ones. If you have been experiencing a behavior problem with your child, then please tell your caregiver. Maybe she has some ideas or at least will reinforce your method of disciplining your child. The more you can exchange ideas and information, the more you get to know what makes your caregiver tick and your caregiver will understand your child a lot better.
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