I know Ive posted about daycare drama in the past, and as is typical the drama is related to us and not the actual daycare. Go figure :)
Just to remind you all, Izzy was at a Center (yes, capital C since it was the centery-iest of centers) for about two months last summer until the spot opened at the home daycare near our house. We liked the Center - it was bright, the director was awesome, and it was VERY diverse. Because it was T accessible and cheaper then most other daycares in the area, it seemed almost too perfect.
BUT there was a lot of teacher turnover and we werent in love with the head teacher in Izzy's room. So when our spot opened up in the family/home daycare less than a mile from our house, we moved her and have generally been really happy with the small "homey" feel. Depending on the day, there are 4 - 7 kids ranging in age from 4 months to 3 years old. When she started, Izzy was the youngest and loved chasing (on all 4s) after the bigger kids as they played games around her. Now there is a little baby and its adorable to watch Izzy hug and cuddle with the little blob of cuteness. There is one other girl who is a few months older and they are so attached to each other, its great to see how their relationship has evolved. I love the mulit-age interaction and the not-even-a-bit of institutional feel...
BUT we are starting to think that Izzy would benefit from a program with more structure, more kids and a greater diversity of activities. Currently, her days are spent playing in the large playroom with toys and books and then 1 or 2 (weather depending) outings to the local park. They dont really do art projects or have music time or any unifying "themes" of the day. I realize she is only 13 months so Im not picturing anything like a curriculum or ridged schedule but when I hear abut what other kids are doing, I wonder if she is missing out. Since her birthday is in Feb she wont be eligible for preschool until she is almost 3 so I'd like to find a toddler program that's got a bit more structure, diversity of activities and "learning". Particularly since she is with W's parents 2 days/week so gets a lot of one-on-one attention then.
Id love to hear others thoughts about centers versus home/family - are our expectations too high/unrealistic in terms of structure/curriculum. If we move her, it wont be until the fall, when she will be 19 months. Does that sound like a good/bad age? We love her provider - she is GREAT with babies and the older kids seem very attached to her so I dont want to give up a great thing, if we are just overlooking the value of quality, small-group interaction.
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We are currently experiencing another unexpected time off from our nanny - she hurt her back and can't even stand up on her own - and I am more and more interested in day care these days. I wish I had some advice, but it looks like I'm just going to mooch off the advice you get!
ReplyDeleteWe need a playdate!!
First, I think 19 months sounds like a great age to do the move (I mean, it's going to be a bit hard on her to move at any time, but I really think 18+ month olds benefit from more structure).
ReplyDeleteWe started off at a home daycare when ours was 8 months old. It was completely unstructured, which at that age was fine because we just wanted him taken care of/looked out for. As time went on, we became unhappy about other aspects of the daycare and pulled him out, so he started at a center at 14 months of age. I think it's important for them to have structure and "learning activities"...and it's always been good for him to be around older role models. Kids learn a lot by mimicking, so to have him with kids who were 6 months older, they could still interact well, but he would watch them drink from lidless cups back then or at this point, use the potty, and he wants to, too. But he also doesn't have to deal with babies or 5 year olds, so he has a lot of fun with kids around his own age.
Overall, I think home daycare is fine for kids up to 18 months, but then they're learning so much, I really feel a good center is the way to go at that point.
Thanks, this is SUPER helpful -- and just the push I needed. Izzy is currently on the waitlist at 3 local centers, so we will see...
DeletePersonally, I know that I-- and the Boy-- love our center (which is closing!!! But that's drama for my blog not yours...) I agree with Strawberry that structure is really important. I am constantly amazed at what the daycare teachers tell us about Jonas-- he anticipates activities by going to circle/table/door ten minutes before they begin; he is starting to sing along with the songs, etc. He has learned so much from these things-- he even sings "ABC" now-- and I think the predictable rhythms of the day give his toddler mind the structure he needs.
ReplyDelete19 months sounds like a great time...
huh. my bean gets very little structure at home with me, and he seems fine. we go to a sing-a-long once a week if his naps work out, but otherwise it's books/toys/piano/whatever, plus maybe a trip to the playground. i suppose i may change things as he gets older, though i'm sure there will never be tons of structure, since i need to get my own work done at the same time. anyway, my point was supposed to be that my montessori-teaching friend seems to think this is basically good for him.
ReplyDeletethat said, if you feel you want to move her, of course you should. i just don't think you should feel bad about the lack of structure, if that makes sense. (or maybe i mean that i don't think *i* should feel bad about it, which i realize isn't your problem.)