One of the most important task of parenting is to decide upon a good day care for your child. Here is a small checklist we can keep in mind before we take the plunge.
- Dedicated Staff – It’s very important to have a well trained staff to take care of toddlers. They need to be courteous in their behaviour and approach. With time children do get familiar and start confiding in them, hence a set of committed caregivers makes the journey smooth.
- Hygiene – Always ensure the place is clean and it follows basic hygiene standards. This is an important deciding factor as a clean environment promotes healthy living and upbringing of the child.
- Reference Check – This one is a must do. Friends, relatives, peer groups in most cases helps you take an informed decision. But don’t just rely on word of mouth referrals. A personal visit to ensure all of these is advised. This will raise an alarm well in time.
- Infrastructure and Safety Parameters – A must visit to assess the safety features and basic amenities are in place or not. Ofcourse the place needs to be child friendly. Make sure to check if they have all the required certificates and licences. Additionally, if they have a facility of an on call doctor for any mishaps will be a bonus. (Always provide them numbers of doctors and keep the doctor informed about the day care too for emergencies)
- Communication – Keep the communication channel open. Until the kids start talking, we have to rely on the caregiver. Make sure to take regular updates from the caregiver about each day. It’s always preferable to talk in person to establish a comfortable and open communication channel.
- Trust your gut – Every parent gets to know when something just doesn’t seem right. Do not ignore, investigate and take charge of the situation immediately.
- Structured Curriculum – Mostly all reputed daycare centres have an organised schedule for the kids that includes plenty of activities for their physical and mental growth. Look for a centre that offers a wide range of age appropriate toys and games that will encourage your child to self play and stimulate creative play. All of this is important to make their stay interactive and fun.