Daycare question?

Question

My baby is 4 1/2 months old and i am sending her to the daycare. How do I know if they are taking good care of my baby. When I go and pick her up in the evening, sometimes I see her playing , smiling and laughing. But soemtimes I see her very tired.
I think they are really good people and taking care of her but just want to know how to make sure if its a good day care and the people are taking care of my baby.

One of my friends suggested this day care. They have like 2 kids under 1 year, 3 kids 12-15 months and 10-15 kids of 2-7 years of age.

Please help me...

they are like 1 teacher : 4 kids...
but older kids like from 18 months and olders are in a seperate class.
below 18 months I thinks there are only 5 kids in my daughters class who are younger than 18 months...with 2 two teacher all the time and 2 rotating teachers....
Older kids teachers sometimes help these babies during busy hours...

Answer 1

you can sit in if you want.
Show up at lunchtime and just sit in for an hour...watch what they do

Do they give you a daily report? most daycares do..
When they napped, when they were wet, had a BM, when they ate, etc

Answer 2

Well, I used to be an infant teacher at a very good daycare, and I have to say that its really hard to be a parent of an infant and leave them in someone else's care all day. First, if you were willing to bring your baby there, you must have had some positive feelings about it and the fact that your friend recommended it helps too. I think that you have to have faith in these people that they are going to take very good care of your baby. And you have to remember that babies can have really good days and bad days too... even when they are with you. If you pick her up and she's smiling and happy, that's great... of course you wanna see that all the time. But, she is a baby and babies do cry and get tired and it probably has nothing to do with the care that she is recieving. I am sure they are taking great care of her... the other reality of an infant daycare setting is that there are only so many teachers and more babies than they can always handle, so you just have to keep in mind that they are always doing their best! As a parent, I would just be really proactive about asking about her day when you pick her up, "How was her day?" "What did she do today?" "What was her mood like?" That way you know that you are getting the most information that you can everyday. I am assuming that they send home some kind of daily report with what she ate, her diapers, her naps, and her mood... if they don't, I would request one. Try not to worry and follow your instincts... get to know her teachers so that you can be more comfortable with her being there. Don't worry too much....

Answer 3

Sounds to me as if she is getting great care if you pick her up and she's playing, smiling and full of joy. If they were mistreating her you would know. Although she's only 4 1/2 months, kids know when they are in good care. Have you ever seen a baby cry when certain people hold them, it's because they know the difference. They can sense the vibes of the good and bad. Now for the tired part, her day in the AM has probably been so great until she's tired and ready to go in the PM. Kids are just like adults, they get tired also. But to get the answer that you really may be looking for, just do a drop in one day or simply communicate with the worker to see what her daily activities are like.

Answer 4

Well your right as a mother is to ask questions, you might think that your questions are silly or stupid but trust me no question is silly or stupid when it comes to the care of your child. Talk to some of the other parents that have had there kids there for awhile they have obviously kept there kids in that daycare for awhile for some reason or another. Go in one day and just observe what goes on at the daycare, they should not have a problem with that. I think that daycare is wonderful because it teaches them to interact with other children and I just feel like they learn so much more at a daycare. Yeah they might bring home some colds but that will help them to build up their immune systems!

Answer 5

Our son is in daycare also and he gets so tired because he won't sleep during the day. Maybe this is true of most children- they are so afraid they will miss something and fight to stay awake. My 6 mo is ready to take a nap when I pick him up. Our daycare has an open schedule time so you can drop off and pick up whenever you like. I suggest showing up at different times to see what is going on at those times. We have done that in the past until we felt more comfortable. I know it seems a little paranoid, but we are talking about the safety of our children, after all. :)

Answer 6

Try dropping in unannounced! I had many many nightmares with "good" daycares with my babies! The one that I thought was the very best....later I found out my daughter was being mistreated! I dropped in unannounced several times and observed different things....listened....asked questions and put everything together.

Ask questions on what your child does? If they are completely different than your child acts at home...something may be wrong....How many dipers are used in a day? How much food & formula is used in a day? Any wet clothes coming home? Be careful! There are GREAT daycares & folks, but also some that just want the paycheck.

Good luck....My babies are my ENTIRE life!!!

Answer 7

How can anyone be 100% sure? Drop in on them when you can. Ask questions. Be involved. My daughter is always tired from Daycare. She just doesn't get the sleep she does at home. In fact by friday she's so exhausted she falls asleep in the car, refuses dinner and just wants to go back to sleep.
I give them instructions, at first she wanted to take her naps on the floor..they said they couldn't do that, I told them they could until she got fully asleep then they could move her to the crib. Babies need their naps and she hadn't been taking them. She was so exhausted she'd refuse her dinner and was losing weight...that is a problem! You do whatever you have to, to ensure she takes at least one nap if not two! Yes, I'm one of those mommies daycare centers hate. I keep her close by so I can visit during my lunch breaks. Grandma drops by for visits when she can or comes and picks her up early. They don't think for one minute that any of us won't just show up.
One of her teachers likes to just have all the babies in little vibrating chairs...drove me nuts! How much time was my little 4 month old supposed to spend in one of those things!!!! She should be on her belly working on her motor skills. Finally I just flat out told them, DO NOT PUT MY CHILD IN ONE OF THOSE SEATS!. Its your child, your responsibility, and you are the customer, they are still service providers and if you aren't happy with them there is another daycare a couple of miles down the road.
I can be a very quiet person, and just let people do whatever...but not when it comes to my daughter. I make sure they know that I am a part of my daughter's life. I'm not one of those parents who can't wait to dump their kids off on someone else.

Answer 8

I would truly be concerned. That's almost 20 kids. How many daycare providers do they have? I need to ask you.....do you absolutely have to work? Are you working to pay the bills? If the honest answer is yes you really should look into having a family member watch her until she's at least a year old. If that's not an option you could advertise in the paper. Of course they would have to have excellent references.
The reason you are asking this question is because leaving your daughter at the daycare center is making you feel uneasy. See if you can work out a better arrangement.

Answer 9

Drop in unannounced one day and see what's going on. That's a really good way to find out how your child's day goes.

Do they provide a written record of your child's day each day that lets you know how well she ate, how many diapers were changed and if there were any issues at all? Do you always find your daughter clean and dry when you pick her up? Talk to the other parents as you come and go and get a feel for how they like the place. But definitely, drop in.

Answer 10

I know it's tough worrying about your child while your at work, we've all been there. If she's tired, thats a good sign, she's been playing and having fun and worn out. You say your child is laughing and smiling sometimes when you pick her up. Sounds like your child is happy and you have a good daycare center. Stop by and see how she does during the day if possible to put your mind at ease. Sounds like you dont have anything to feel bad about, just try to live with the worry, that is what all we mothers do!!!!

Answer 11

Why don't you pop in unannounced? it's the only way to really see how they take care of your daughter. I do that w/ my daycare...just pop in every now & then or pick her up early if I can to catch them at diff. times. :)

You also have to remember that kids are stubborn sometimes *lol* even infants...sometimes they just won't nap & that could be why she's tired....I notice that w/ my daughter...if she's having fun...napping just DOESN'T happen.