We use a home daycare for one day a week, and my parents on the other since I'm only working M/F.
I wanted to get LO in at the Montessori close to us but they didn't have availability. I feel like it's more structured, and I may switch DD when she's older if there's availability and I think she would benefit from it.
The plus side to the home daycare is that DD is the only other child right now other than before/after school other than the lady's own 11m daughter. The other benefit is the flexibility for hours on the day I drop her off as well as extra time during the week if I need it. So far I have only needed it once, but it was nice not scrambling for someone to look after her for a few hours when I had appointments.
.
I hear Montessori is nearly as much as college tuition. is that true or was my boss exaggerating? I guess I could Google it!
We use a home daycare for one day a week, and my parents on the other since I'm only working M/F.
I wanted to get LO in at the Montessori close to us but they didn't have availability. I feel like it's more structured, and I may switch DD when she's older if there's availability and I think she would benefit from it.
The plus side to the home daycare is that DD is the only other child right now other than before/after school other than the lady's own 11m daughter. The other benefit is the flexibility for hours on the day I drop her off as well as extra time during the week if I need it. So far I have only needed it once, but it was nice not scrambling for someone to look after her for a few hours when I had appointments.
.
I hear Montessori is nearly as much as college tuition. is that true or was my boss exaggerating? I guess I could Google it!
When I looked it wasn't any more expensive than regular childcare but probably because they don't start the "Montessori" program until 18m and they were quoting me for "daycare" for a 7m old. I actually don't know what the cost is for the school program.
I really like their approach to learning. Add to that my SIL is a teacher in the public school system here and told me she wouldn't put her own kids in the public system. Hearing that reinforces my preference. DH however is NOT on side with it but I have time to convince him yet.
Post by mands1125 on Sept 17, 2015 19:17:58 GMT -5
I mostly love it. She is doing so well there and I love the Tadpoles app. What do I hate? Well the costs and the revolving door of teachers that are in the infant room lately. Only two are consistent. Luckily we are transferring schools and the new school seems to have more stable staffing.
Daycare talkSept 17, 2015 19:41:57 GMT -5via mobile
Post by PikoPiko on Sept 17, 2015 19:41:57 GMT -5
There are a few Montessori schools we're interested in but they only take 18mos+. The price is about 2500-3000 a month in my area. The daycare LO is going to next costs only like 400 less. One of the places I wait listed for is a Bright horizon, they charge 2450 a month. Montessori really isn't that much more expensive than a regular place at least around me.
There are a few Montessori schools we're interested in but they only take 18mos+. The price is about 2500-3000 a month in my area. The daycare LO is going to next costs only like 400 less. One of the places I wait listed for is a Bright horizon, they charge 2450 a month. Montessori really isn't that much more expensive than a regular place at least around me.
.
Holy shit. And I thought $600 a month was expensive.
There are a few Montessori schools we're interested in but they only take 18mos+. The price is about 2500-3000 a month in my area. The daycare LO is going to next costs only like 400 less. One of the places I wait listed for is a Bright horizon, they charge 2450 a month. Montessori really isn't that much more expensive than a regular place at least around me.
.
Holy shit. And I thought $600 a month was expensive.
Seriously
Ours is 665 a month. N got in to a montessori center, but for a few reasons I went with the traditional daycare route. One was the fact that they have a typical school day schedule that ends at 3 so we'd have to pay 85 extra for the after school time that runs 3-6. Otherwise the price would have been exactly the same.
Post by GeekBeagle on Sept 17, 2015 20:46:34 GMT -5
Overall, we really like our daycare. We chose it because we just got a good feeling when we visited, but DH was also acquaintances with the director and it was the cheapest around. On my way to pick DS up I drive by 4 other daycares and there are at least 3 others I can think of that are closer to the house. We liked it enough to choose it despite being farther away (but it is still fairly close).
Things I like:
Low ratio. Each teacher is supposed to be assigned 3 babies, though all the teachers help out with each one. The staff is generally really nice and are always telling me how much they like my son. That makes me feel good.
They've been very accommodating. We were originally signed up to be full time, but when I decided to go back to work part time, they let us switch to part time care. Our days are usually the same, but they let me switch them around if needed for appointments, etc.
Again, with being accommodating...I've been late and not been charged the late fee. I'm sure I'll be charged in the future, but it was nice to have a "free pass".
They do cute little crafts.
They log feeding and nap times, as well as activities done.
All parents have codes to the building to get in and children will not be signed out to anyone other than the parents without consent.
You get to provide your own diapers and solid food. One place we toured had a class fee and they bought the same for everyone.
Things I don't like:
I previously mentioned the teacher assignments. I love(d) the teacher DS was assigned to. She was always the one there in the evening when I picked him up and was really nice to talk to. Well, more than a month ago she stopped being there. Several weeks passed and she wasn't there, yet nobody said anything to me. There was always someone different there when I picked him up, but nobody ever introduced who they were to me. The only other teacher I know is the lead teacher, who is nice enough, but doesn't seem to have much personality. I finally asked the director where DS's teacher was and she said that she hurt her neck and couldn't lift babies, so she had been reassigned to the toddler room, at least temporarily. I feel like I should have been told that from the beginning. And I really hope she comes back to the baby room. Everyone else is nice, but I especially liked that teacher.
There has been a teacher there several times (again, I don't know who she is) whose methods I question. One day when I picked DS up she said "He really likes watching my Facebook feed scroll." Another time, DS was sitting there playing with a bottle of juice that she had been drinking. I don't think either are appropriate activities. The lead teacher was also there both times. It makes me question what other kind of things happen.
They close earlier than some other daycares we looked into, so if I run into traffic, I could be late (as has already happened).
Sometimes they aren't good about filling out the log and I don't know what activities he did that day.
He's been sick a lot. Minor sicknesses and I realize it builds his immunity, but it's just annoying.
I know I listed several negative things, but in the grand scheme of things, they've been pretty great.
Post by lilyelayne on Sept 17, 2015 20:47:14 GMT -5
There's a Montessori here but they take kids the year they turn 3. I'm going to set up a visit and submit DS's application before he turns 1 assuming I like it. Probably overkill in being too early signing up, but they don't have a wait list fee or anything.
I started Montessori when I was 2. It was totally the best fit for me. I transitioned to a traditional school for 1st grade, but the Montessori here goes all the way through 6th.
I hear Montessori is nearly as much as college tuition. is that true or was my boss exaggerating? I guess I could Google it!
Same situation as PikoPiko; the cost of the Montessori program we have Babygirl in is $1100 a month for extended day. For the chain daycares, it was only $75 a month less, with a much higher ratio of infants to caregivers. Montessori is 2:1, Tutor Time and all the others were 5:1, which is just mayhem with kids under one, IMO. We've had a ton of financial problems lately, and got a huge break on her tuition from the director. It's not the kind of thing they would do at a franchise, I don't think. Plus, although we have to pay for the days she is there when the rest of the school is on break, it's $10 a day, which is insanely inexpensive.
The main thing to me is that while we are barely able to afford it, I never doubt the quality of care she's getting for one second. I'm starting up a part time job that's work from home to pay the day care bill. (Ironic, no?)
If you are really interested in the Montessori model, but are worried about the price, go visit a bunch of places and ask about financial aid, etc. In AZ, most Montessori places I've seen have charter status and offer seats for half tuition or free starting in preschool. And a lot of them have policies of providing assistance as possible to families of younger kids. "True" Montessori schools don't cater to the wealthy--Maria Montessori's work was with Italian street children, and the schools that adhere to her philosophy generally approach their work as a vocation as much as a business. So... ask!
I would have reported her directly to the state if there were serious signs of negligent care.
To be honest, I never thought to try the state.
I would file a complaint with the state. Leaving a baby in soiled clothes all day is neglectful. The daycare isn't going to get your name as the complainant.
I would file a complaint with the state. Leaving a baby in soiled clothes all day is neglectful. The daycare isn't going to get your name as the complainant.
Post by toadandbuggie on Sept 18, 2015 5:48:48 GMT -5
PikoPiko that is ridiculous. Thankfully it wasn't your child that time, but it could be in the future, so I would put in a complaint. Your state health depart maybe? what you are describing happened to me to a tee but LO WAS the one crying. And they had enough teachers. There were 8 kids and 2 teachers and LO was crying his head off in the kitchen by himself while they tended to other kids. I walked in on my lunch break unexpectedly and they looked at me like "oh shit." That was one of the main reasons I stopped daycare. The 4:1 ratio is just not good enough. No matter how you cut it a baby is going to have to wait to be tended to.
Daycare talkSept 18, 2015 9:21:51 GMT -5via mobile
Post by PikoPiko on Sept 18, 2015 9:21:51 GMT -5
Under 1k a month sounds like a dream! Man, I feel so ripped off.
I toured a bunch of places when I was still pregnant. The ones that were less than 1500 a month were all pretty scary looking. Some of their staff don't even speak English.
I'm going to tour the new place again today. In my memory, I thought they were really decent and clean. I was mainly sold on the fact they had cameras I could log into when I want to watch my LO. To me, that's huge - it really means they got nothing to hide.
Post by dmorgendorffer on Sept 18, 2015 9:47:33 GMT -5
Our daycare is on DH's work campus and is only open to children, grandchildren, or nieces/nephews of employees of the company he works for. It is run by Bright Horizons. So far we've been very happy with them. There was a brief period mid-summer when it seemed like they had some staffing / vacation issues and they combined the infant rooms, we weren't super impressed with that but things are back to normal now.
We get the daily experience sheet with nap and feeding times, and a little write up of what she did that day. They do a variety of activities - buggy rides, outdoor time weather permitting, finger paints, reading, even Spanish class occasionally. She gets lots of time to move and play and she really seems to enjoy the other kids. They also send home a daily sheet that has photos and a summary of the "Curriculum" they covered that day. Other than the staffing changes I mentioned above the teachers have been consistent.
They also offered infant CPR training for parents and they do something called parents night out where they are open late to give parents the opportunity to have a little date night, dinner out etc. I'm don't work in the area so I've only been able to drop in once, but since it is on campus parents are welcome to visit anytime during the day and they have a nursing room available for moms who want to visit and nurse during the day.
dmorgendorffer, how much is the bright horizon? They're super expensive in my area.
I just toured the new place again. They can take DS 3 weeks from now. They have a curriculum and provide food. But LO is still on purees, not up to chunky texture, protein or wheat yet. I took a copy of their menu and will start working on getting him ready. He might be eating a mixture of home food and daycare food for a while.
Things I like about the new place: - A curriculum. I understand that sometimes things might not happen as planned, babies and all. but at least they try. - More toys. I saw at least 3 toys we also have at home. - They take all the kids to the table when eating. Even when it's not my LO's turn to eat. Current daycare, I've seen them leave a baby on the play mat. - There's only 1 infant room with max 8 babies. - No trading babies between rooms to reduce number of staff. Routines are far more consistent. - Less germs exposure. Current daycare has 3 infant rooms, 8 babies each. They move babies across all the rooms, that's super super germy. - They already budgeted for 2 adults in each room, it's rare that they end up with 5 babies and 1 adult. - There is a schedule for buggy rides. The current place doesn't have a schedule, DS has only been on it once (and that was the only time I saw the buggy in use). - All notes are electronic. I can log in to see DS' progress of the day. - I get access to the 2 cameras they have in the infant room. They're far less likely to be sketchy. - The director is super friendly and hands-on. She knows every kids' name. She can hear the infant room from where she sits and she pops in to help when she hears babies in distress. She seems to know each baby's temperament in the infant room. - Food - all organic. - Their staff are more consistent and have been there for longer (many are >5 years). Our current daycare's staff have mostly been there for just months, max 3 years. - They provide their own wipes, they only use seventh generation.
Cons: - Near some massive power lines - Small playground. - More expensive, but it's totally worth the price. ($2200 vs $1800) - Not on my way to work, but it is closer to home than our current daycare.
DS has been in day care since 3 months old. Things I like:
Its a non-profit run by a board of parents, so I don't worry they are trying to cut corners on costs for owners to make money. We've had a minor tuition hike this year and it was to increase teacher pay.
We provide diapers, wipes, food, ect, anything he needs.
The kids all seem really happy. I've dropped in randomly early a few times, and if a kid is crying its pretty much the fake cry, not a true cry.
They are good about accommodating schedule changes, and let LO set his own schedule for the most part in the infant room.
Ratio is 4:1 but right now they don't have many kids in the infant room, so its actually lower most of the time.
Alot of the staff have been their a lonnggg time.
They are good with reporting incidents...LO fell down and bonked his head on shelves last week and they had a report for me to sign. Never would have known since he barely had a mark on his head, so it makes me glad they don't try and hide things.
They won't call for a low grade fever unless they know something is going around(outbreak of foot and mouth this summer, which LO miraculously avoided).
They take the kids on walks outside and have a really nice outdoor space, also separated by age so the kids can play outside weather permitting.
They are in our town center, so they evacuate to either the police station or firehouse, right across the street. Also safety people are super close if there is an issue.
Things I don't like:
I don't think LO sleeps enough there, but I think thats partly a factor of all the other kids and not so much daycares fault. He's down to 2 naps usually during the day there, but on weekends/when he is home with me he takes 3 during the same time.
The teachers aren't there the full day and I don't think the morning ones do a good job giving the afternoon ones information. Also sometimes at pick up (I pick up pretty late) there will be someone who was in a different room all day if other rooms needed extra staffing since the infant room has so few kids, so they don't really know what LO did. They also sometimes don't check the sheet, so there have a been a few times he's gone a pretty long time between meals if he gets off his regular schedule for some reason (really only has happened 2 times in 5 months, but I"m a food obsessed Jewish mommy through and through and those stick out)
They don't do videos or send pictures. I would LOVE to be able to log in and see LO, or get pictures of what he is doing.
Overall, I'm not over the moon about them, but I'm happy with the level of care and caring they give, and I'm not worried at all safety wise. I think the older kids get a good curriculum. In the baby room they mostly let the kids crawl around and play, which is fine, just not something for me to go raving through the woods about.
Post by dmorgendorffer on Sept 18, 2015 20:29:13 GMT -5
PikoPiko I think since it is offered as an employee perk the company subsidizes the cost because it was actually the cheapest daycare we looked at. We pay about $1600 a month, it gets automatically deducted from DH's paycheck so I never see the billing.
Daycare talkSept 18, 2015 22:16:17 GMT -5via mobile
Post by kartish on Sept 18, 2015 22:16:17 GMT -5
Following this. Right now, our schedules work out so it is either one of us. One day a week V is with his great grandma. But hopefully DH will get on full time soon, and we will probably have to start with a center. I don't even know where to start.
Daycare talkSept 19, 2015 10:16:58 GMT -5via mobile
Post by greenpony33 on Sept 19, 2015 10:16:58 GMT -5
I really like our daycare. It is an at home daycare and during the school year there is at most only 3 other kids there depending on the day since DS only goes 2 or 3 days a week. (During the summer there were 2 other school age kids there). DS is really cared for well and the provider has been super helpful to us as we're trying to figure out this whole parenting thing. (She is the one who clued us on to him teething vs just crabby from shots since teeth weren't even on my radar since he was only 4 months). Her 2 older kids (11 and 9 I believe) love DS and get excited when he is there.
She writes down when he naps and eats. She provides food, once he had tried stuff at home first and she got the brands we used. We provide diapers and wipes.
They do art and crafty stuff.
It was important to me to have somewhere close so that DS could 'make friendships and lasting bonds' with kids he could potentially end up going to school with. (A little ahead of myself I know lol). But I do feel it is important for DS to be around other kids so he can learn from them.
Thankfully DS has not gotten sick yet.
I honestly don't know how anyone can afford daycare that is $1,000 + a month (that is more than our house payment- but I also know that's regional based too). Our full time rate is $120/week for 30-50 hrs (a steal I know) and if he is there less that 30 hrs it is $4/hr. BUT that saying if I felt that DS was not receiving great care then I would not have him there just because of the price and I would figure out a way to pay more.
A big potential down side I can see is that if something happens to our provider (sick or an appointment) they she would have to close for the day and then we could be in a pickle. Also, I don't know how it will be as he gets older and needs more preschool type activities but for now I am very happy.
Post by kaydee0402 on Sept 29, 2015 15:41:11 GMT -5
SO I hate to bring an old thread back from the dead, but an update to our former horrible daycare provider: Husband got a call from the CDC today letting him know that our former daycare's license had been suspended and letting him know that if DS is still in her care, they will no longer provide the funding.
DH let them know that DS is in fact no longer in her care, so it's not an issue for us. But yeah, she got shut down. And now I'm wondering what happened. I'm sure I'll never find out.
SO I hate to bring an old thread back from the dead, but an update to our former horrible daycare provider: Husband got a call from the CDC today letting him know that our former daycare's license had been suspended and letting him know that if DS is still in her care, they will no longer provide the funding.
DH let them know that DS is in fact no longer in her care, so it's not an issue for us. But yeah, she got shut down. And now I'm wondering what happened. I'm sure I'll never find out.
WOW! Good to know they acted pretty quickly on it.
SO I hate to bring an old thread back from the dead, but an update to our former horrible daycare provider: Husband got a call from the CDC today letting him know that our former daycare's license had been suspended and letting him know that if DS is still in her care, they will no longer provide the funding.
DH let them know that DS is in fact no longer in her care, so it's not an issue for us. But yeah, she got shut down. And now I'm wondering what happened. I'm sure I'll never find out.
That's great news. Hopefully you guys can get the subsidy for the new place.
We are currently loving DS's daycare. He is there M-F, 7am-5pm. Well, 90% love, and 10% not-love:
PROS, in no particular order:
- Multiple caregivers mean accountability. Caregivers can't "get away" with things. This is (probably an unwarranted) a nanny fear of mine. Also, safety-CPR trained, emergency protocols, totally baby-proof safe environment, etc are in place.
- Structure - naps & feedings. I think it's helped us transition into structured days
- Love that they have little "lesson plans", despite being so young. Love that teachers have applicable training & education, something I don't have. Even at this age, having a pro show you how to baby has to be somewhat beneficial, right?
- Interaction with other children/babies, and non-parent adults. I am hoping it helps with stranger-danger, when that age comes. I wonder if the physical skills he's mastered is related to being in a group setting with other kids who are doing them.
CONS:
- Daycare is expensive , but hopefully we are getting what we pay for
- I miss him a lot. I don't doubt he'll take his first steps and say his first words at daycare, and I'll miss them. Working full time (separate topic/issue) doesn't allow me a lot of hours on the weekdays to really hang out with him, so sometimes I resent daycare a teeny bit. It's emotional sometimes.
Then Comes Family, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising
program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.