in search of day care (#2; non-cliff note version)
Written by beeber on August 12, 2007 – 12:37 pm -Many people are curious about our childcare situation. Most are surprised that anZel is still at home and that Grandma Helen is still taking care of him. Frankly, I am surprised that Grandma lasted this long provided that she only took care of me and my brother full time 67 days each. That was the legal maternity leave then.
Lately, we have drummed up our effort in our childcare search because Grandma really needs a break; anZel can benefit in a more structured environment and learn how to share with others (his days of being #1 in the house is numbered, more on that later); and Grandma really deserves a break.
We have gone with recommendations from friends, newspaper and web ads. I did my homework by searching the net for appropriate questions for daycare before we visited our first daycare. dAd and I were only permitted to visit this place because she was afraid we would disturb her routine. The lady gave us a tour of the place while four or five kids sat and strapped to a row of boasters. They all ate their food diligently. A few even took time to address us. This reminds me of what prison would be like one day if I don’t send anZel to a daycare soon. This was a home daycare. The younger children are luckier as they get to play in the living room with a bay window. There was plenty of light. The older kids gets to stay at the family faces the backyard. There is hardly any light coming thru even at 11 am. Compared to our house where anZel has free reign of cabinets, space and attention, this wasn’t the place I wanted to send him even it came with a recommendation from a friend. The first one I visited. I was shocked and confused about my emotion when I walked out of the daycare crying. There was nothing wrong with that daycare. My expectations were terribly skewed. I was hoping we could find the same exact environment as home for anZel. This isn’t realistic.
So off we go again to look for more. In the meantime, I ask parents whenever I can for daycare references. Most parents are generous about sharing the information. There was one who recommended a place to us. We then find out that they pulled their kids out because they didn’t like the place. There was also a mum who refused to provide the name of her childcare lady even though she and her son love the place. She would “ask” her if she would take anZel in. Before she asked, she told me that anZel is too young to go to her lady. They are all a bunch of two year old. He would be too young to join in. I wasn’t surprised when she called a couple weeks later saying her lady wouldn’t take anZel.
I have heard that some parents visit close to a hundred daycares before selecting one. We haven’t gone that far and hope that we don’t have to do that in order to find one we like. So far, we have what we find a wide variety of daycare experience. Here are some of my observations: a center that smells like the hospital (it was VERY clean); nervous daycare provider asking us if we have visited other places (duh!), if it would be convenience for us to drop off our son to their daycare (DUH!), claims to speak Cantonese and Mandarin but couldn’t really speak neither of them correctly (DOH!), childcare provider discourages us to visit or give surprise visit…we should trust her, children provider who won’t let us meet other parents and would only let us visit before the kids get there, childcare provider has a hard time remembering how many kids she takes care of.
The most comical one was last Friday when we visited a daycare near our house. The teacher told us we should visit at 11 SHARP so we can see how the kids learn. Fantastic! The teacher opened the door with a vacuum tube in his hand (check) and told us where we should sit. The three of us sat in miniture chairs and watched him give his lessons. “Children, we are going to learn (in Chinese) the alfabet (in what seems to be English). What is (in Chinese) alFAbet (in Chinglish)?” “ABCs” the children shouted. He brought out a three-ring white 2” binder and flipped to plastic covered printout of A (no colour, just a white outlined capital “A” and lower case “a”) and an apple. “Children, what is this? (in Chinese)” Children shouted in “A”. As he closed the three ring binder, other materials fell out and one of the children started to burst into a laugh. The other children followed. The class of twelve children was in uproar. At his point, the teacher drummed the vacuum tube on the floor and said “Quite” (in Chinglish). The class was back in order except Marcus. “MARCUS, sit properly (in Chinese), pAi attention (in Chinglish).”
I think dAd summed it well. We would like anZel to learn his languages from native speakers in a stimulaing bright environment and will be able to play outside daily. As I sit on this idea of finding the right place for anZel, I am looking for similar home environment with opportunities to learn and grow for him. There is no place like home. He will always come home to us.
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