Thursday, August 22, 2013

Parenting Pointers: Benefits of Day Care Programs (Guest Post)


Interestingly, parents from different regions prefer day care programs in child care. The formally structured environment in day care centers will always attract you to register your kid for the program. Basically, the inspection process on licensing, supervision of the caregivers during their work and the whole oversight role by several of the institutional directors or owners in these centers encourage you to take this step. Moreover, your kid is not alone; is in company with other children. I have tried to evaluate, making a bit of comparison between the services of a nanny and day care centers but let me assure you that day care programs are indeed far better. I always feel insecure while my kid is with a nanny. And how much can one person keep a kind with enormous energy busy and away from mischief day after day? This has prompted me to register my kid with a day care center. Why do I prefer these centers most? The following advantages will enable you understand further about these day care programs.

1.   As a parent who is working elsewhere in town, you are able to design your own schedule following the rules that have been set up by the institution. For instance, the pick-up and drop-off times for your kid are clearly set in most of these day care centers. Thus, you are able to pre plan your activities appropriately.
           
2.     Your kid is able to stay the whole day in the company of teachers, but more important,          other children. This puts him or her into a learning culture and to appreciate others in the society as well.            

3.     I never realized that a nanny’s salary was expensive until started looking at a day care. This is the time I sat down to calculate the much she has taken from me; only to find out that she had taken double the amount I would have paid to a day care center. Indeed, the day care programs are cheaper than hiring a nanny. Besides, you will be at a position to interact with several other parents who may be able to give you company during babysitting time.

4.     Most Nannies are neither trained nor properly educated. Most of the times they will   not be able to differentiate between a right or wrong. On the contrary, a day care center in managed by professionals who have been doing this year after year and know how to handle the tantrums of a child and guide the child in the right direction.

5.     Modern day care centers come equipped with professional equipment and specially constructed rooms that do not allow the child to get hurt. If you have to do this at home, it will turn out to be quite expensive. Imaging a padded room full of musical instruments, specially designed cards, posters, and other teaching aids. You may not even get some of these in the market!

I like the stability of the day care programs. You cannot compare it with a nanny or a relative care service. The center looks after your child regardless of any circumstances that may arise. Even when the teacher for your kid is sick or tired of working, the care will continue. Think of the situation when your nanny gets sick or abruptly resign! You may have to stop all other activities to make alternate arrangements and look after your child till that time.

Thankfully, training colleges have played a very good role in our society. Most day care centers now employ well-trained teachers or rather staff members whose input is professional. Their experience is awesome too since they have taught for some time in the past. These teachers have been trained on early childhood education and therefore, they are aware of developmental changes in a child. As a result, they are able to nurture the child’s growing skills in the right manner. Therefore, all you have to do is to ensure that the day care center you want to take your child to has hired professionally trained staff members.

I always take some good time to study what my child likes most and understand some of the skills the child is strong in. However, I want to assure you that, most of the skills have been understood and taught in the day care centers. This is where your child will enjoy a variety of activities like singing, storytelling, dancing, playing games, and counting of sticks or small objects and many more while in the company of other children. All these help your kid handle various projects and hone skills in a structured setting.

Socialization is a very important aspect in a child’s life. Your child in a day care program has a chance to interact with the rest thus developing better skills in the social life. Such a kid can never be compared with the one who has been taken care of by the nanny or a relative.

About the Author

Relene Mac lives in Houston. She love teaching children and has developed a number of professional programs for schools and day care centers. 

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