Well I couldn’t avoid the topic any longer, Pyper officially starts day care next Tuesday 1st of April 2008, I think I will remember that day for the rest of my life, it’s like she is almost leaving home. I sound like I’ve just brought a new car here – but it seems like we only just got her home from the damn hospital and already she is off to bloody “little school” – yep pathetic as I am I kept saying to Renee “that I didn’t want her going to day care as she doesn’t need to go there” I mean what more could she want in life a damn over protective father, who home schools her for the rest of her life to stop her from leaving home?? Anyway off the topic but every time I thought of her going to this day care place my must have been around onions or something but my eyes would full up with water, and I would feel this sense of abandoning her. I look after her pretty much full time and packing her off doesn’t sound like my idea of fun to be honest.

So back to the original story which is that I had to take her to “familiarisation day” which was yesterday, and it was not too bad I kind of felt like we were just visiting some friends that we didn’t actually know and that we weren’t going back the realities of it came to something else, and I would say that will be next week, when we actually drop her off and then have to leave her from 9am till 3pm on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s.

Renee knew that because I am getting increasingly busy with DIYFather that it should only be the natural progression that Pyper will need some more mental stimulation – I’m mental isn’t that stimulating?? Hmm obviously not but any who – she is needing to go to day car and interact with other children, what the...... she has a pet dog and cat and lots of toys what other interaction do you need??

So needless to say – I lost boo hoo what can you do?

So therefore Pyper is off to day care, and this is only because the waiting list decreased rapidly as they were a few months late with opening their complex so a lot of people found somewhere else, yay!!! There is another “familiarisation day” on Friday which Renee is doing and they have to leave them for a few hours and then go back, and then again on Monday, so I will let you know how I go.

Here are a few things we thought about when looking to take your little darling to a day care then:

• How many teachers are there going to be per baby – its 1:3 for babies and 1:4 for toddlers
• Is it in a house or purpose built complex? Does it allow for noise to be kept to a level.
• Do they have at least 3 days familiarisation days for the child to get use to the new surroundings?
• What does the price include? Food etc?
• What development programs do they have for your child.
• Do you get a good gut feeling about the manager and or owner?
• What happens if your child is bullied or bullies what is their procedure?
• Do you know anyone else who is going there that can tell you what the place is like?
• What is the waiting list like?
• How often do they increase their fees?
• Reasons for sending your child their – going back to work, sanity break, because you can?
• How old is the complex?
• Do the teachers change often there??

These are just a few things I have pick up when looking to putting your little person into a day care.

Good luck
Scott

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