Today I went and visited a local Childtime learning center because I am trying to be proactive. Since day one my children have never set foot in a day care or really been babysat by someone other than a family member. My husband has been the sole provider for our family and myself or my mother in law have watched my children.
Relying on one income has been pretty hard the last couple of years because my husband’s job is commission based, so I am currently working on getting a job that will mainly have me working from home, but will require some traveling. I don’t want to have to rely on my mother in law always having to watch my children, so I finally decided to go check out the option of day care for my children.
I felt my child would be safe at Childtime.
I was greeted by the director of the Childtime facility and had to be buzzed in through the door. She was warm and welcoming greeting me and my daughter by name as we entered. Prior to coming to the facility, I had to make an appointment, so she was expecting me.
I found out there is a security code that is given to parents that is frequently changed as a safety precaution. There is also a computer that parents check their children in and out of. The entire building seemed safely secured from outside intruders, which is my biggest concern with putting my children into a daycare system.
Childtime felt cozy.
The facility felt very cozy and warm, the classrooms were very clean and organized and the teachers were very polite and inviting. I found out they also have special events for the family. For Father’s Day they are doing Donuts for Dad and for Mother’s Day they did Muffins for Mom. These events make it special for the children/parent bonding experience.
Childtime teaches.
Another thing that has held me back from exploring daycare for my children is that most of the daycare facilities I’ve heard about, the kids play all day. This could just be a misconception on my part, but that has been my understanding. At Childtime they have a structured day planned for the kids with an actual lesson plan every day. They aren’t just put into a room with a bunch of toys. They do art, listen to story time, learn about math and language, play on the playground and of course have time to play as well.
Now, I’m going to have to take my husband over to the Childtime facility so he can see it with his own eyes.
If you are interested in finding a location near you, go (here).
I was asked to go to a Childtime center and give my personal perspective. All opinions are my own and are not influenced by anyone or anything.
