Even though you are the greatest parent, guardian, or grandparent on this planet, you will need others to help you care for your child(ren). There will be many times that you will have to allow someone to care for your child temporarily. This may mean that someone takes care of the child on occasions while you run errands or go to work several hours a day. Giving that responsibility of taking care of your child to another individual brings about many questions: How do you choose the right caregiver? Should I allow someone into my home to care for my child, or should I seek an outside agency to provide care for my child? How long would be acceptable to stay away from my child? These are some of the questions that parents often ask themselves. O how we wish that there was some sure fire remedy to elevate all of the parenting issues. Unfortunately, there is not any definite workable formula that we can use that will help in making the correct choices. However every choice must be made with discretion.
In trusting someone to take care of your child(ren) while you are away is very serious and really shouldn't be taken lightly. You have to know that your child(ren) are being taken care of proficiently. Most people have family members that care for their child(ren) while they are working or doing other daily activities. Most people feel comfortable with the thought that their child is with family and therefore they feel safe about leaving the child there. Most of the time this is true but, still needs to be investigated thoroughly. Making sure that your family member is trustworthy is also important. When my children were young, my mother would help me care for my children, and I knew that she was the right person to trust. It was only later that I trusted a friend to care for my child and that I had allowed to come into my home, while I was at work. It was then that I ran into some problems. I didn't know it at the time, but years later my child had told me that my friends son, who was about maybe 13 years old at the time, was touching her and locking her up in the closet. She was only around 3 years old then. I said to her "so that's why you cried so much when I was leaving"? That was the warning sign, but I just thought that she wanted me to stay home. Besides, I trusted these people. They were supposed to be my friends. What was I thinking right? My lesson learned was trust no one when it comes to your children. Be safe and never let your guards down when it comes to your children. Often times we don't recognize the warning signs. It hurt my heart and I almost lost my mind when she told me this after all of these years. She is a grown woman now and doing well, thank God. However she still has trusting issues when it comes to childcare for her own children, and I can't blame her one bit. So, this is why I am stressing this issue about childcare and making sure that you understand the importance of knowing who you are leaving your child(ren) with.
We as parents, grandparents and guardians most of the time have busy schedules, however we have to stay focus on what is important. Our children should be the most important persons in our lives and it is our duty to make sure that they are handled with care. Sometimes we automatically think because we trust our kids with certain family members and friends that our kids are safe. I am not saying that you can't trust your loved ones, but I am expressing that you need to be sure that your kids are in excellent hands.
There are steps to follow when considering a childcare provider for your angel(s):
Step I
Do your homework first! If you are considering an outside childcare agency, examine the facility. Take the time to go and observe first before enrolling your kid(s). Checkout the classroom settings and its environment. Checkout its conditions. Is it clean, bright, and has a happy feeling. What about the children are they enjoying themselves, playing, laughing and learning. What about the teachers? What kind of vibe are you getting from them? You might have to go back a couple of times before you make a final decision. But, do whatever it takes to ensure that your child(ren) will be cared for correctly.
Step II
Do some investigating! Check their credentials and make sure that they are legal. Call the Better Business Bureau to inquire whether or not their business is registered. Check some of their references, and get some feedback from other parents who have children attending the Childcare Center. Even take your child their and see how they interact with the other children and teachers there. Taking the time to do this is vital and necessary. Later you will be thankful that you took the time to inspect.
Step II
Inquire about the schedule! You want to know their mealtimes, nap time, outdoor play time, bathroom time/diaper change time, story time, learning time, and fun time. Of course, you want to know when your child(ren) will be fed and what is on the menu. Maybe you have to provide the meals for your child(ren). So, you really want to know this information. Most children take naps during the day. What is their nap times during the day? Outdoor play is so much fun for the children(ren). The fresh air and just the fact that the children go outside everyday is always a plus. Who wants to be cooped up in a building all day, right! Besides, children have so much energy. You have to allow them to release, explore and venture. When my children were young, I would take them to the park everyday to play. They would run, jump, swing, go on the seesaw and just have a good time. Children need to have fun, laugh and be happy! Okay, next is the bathroom time/diaper change time. You don't want your child to have an accident on himself, however sometimes this does happen. Children play and hold it until they can't hold it anymore and then they run to go potty. So, do they have schedule times for change diapers/go potty? Do they have story time for the kids? This is a great time for the children to get into a circle on the floor while the teacher reads them a story. Learning time should be a must, so you want to make sure that they teach the children according to their age level. Fun time is anytime of the day! Children like to have fun. Even when they are learning, so you want to observe this and make sure that the children are learning in a fun and exciting way.
Step III
Of course, the cost of childcare is an issue for most parents! It's expensive to say the least, so you want to consider whether or not you can afford it. Sometimes if you have more than one child, you can get a discount on the fee. And, according to your income you can qualify for vouchers from the Department of Social Service for Childcare Services. It always helps if you have parents that are working together to pay for childcare and then its not such a strain on one parent, grandparent, or guardian. However, their are many single parents who are working and carrying the full load. For this reason, it can be very difficult.
Step IV
Most of the time, family members are welling to care for other family members for free or for a small fee! Having reliable and trustworthy family can be a blessing. Like grandparents who are always home. Most of the time they volunteer to help take care of the grands. Knowing that you can depend on them really relieves a lot of stress. I am home most of the time, and when my grands need a sitter, I am always available. Being a mother, I know how hard it can be to find a good sitter for your kids. I have had to depend on others to take care of my children, and most of the time they were with family. Other times, I trusted a friend and suffered the consequences of not knowing that my child was being abused. I can not stress enough how important it is to make sure that you know your child is safe. You may think that this person is a good individual and would never harm your child(ren) well think again. Most of the abuse cases happen by people that we thought we knew like family and friends. So, don't underestimate the possibility of this happening but be cautious and do your homework.
Step V
Also making a decision whether you should welcome a caregiver into your home is another subject that must be addressed. You must really do some research on this individual and make sure that they are dependable. I mean a credit check, criminal background check, check references and even meet with the person to get a feel of them first. It may take a little time to do all of this, but you want to be secured in knowing that this person is indeed honest and credible. It may be a bit easier on you if the caregiver comes to your home. You wouldn't have to be concerned about taking your kid(s) to the sitter/center and picking them up afterwards. At the end of the day, you want to just go home unwind and relax. So, this would be a benefit for you if you could find someone who you can trust to take care of the kid(s) at home. However, please don't make assumptions whether or not this individual is reliable, honest and dependable. Do your homework first!
Choosing a Childcare Provider takes a little bit of effort. Because you want whats best for your family, you need to evaluate all of your possibilities before making a choice. Your children are very important and need to be provided for in the most caring and loving way. Just think for a moment! Most of us need a Childcare Provider to help us take care of our child(ren). Most of us work, go to school or both. So, your child(ren) will be spending a lot of time with the person that you select. Making sure that this individual will take care of your loved ones just like you is imperative! I have learned the greatest importance of finding that special person who will take good care of your child(ren). That is always, always stop, look and listen to your child(ren). You can do everything in your power to make sure that your child(ren) are in good hands. But, sometimes things just still happens to our children. This is why it is major that we be alert and observe our children. If they can talk, ask them questions about their day with the sitter. Ask them if anyone ever touched them in an uncomfortable way or talked to them in a way that made them feel bad.
Checkout for signs! If you noticed that your child is acting different, INVESTIGATE. If you notice that he or she might not want to go back to the caregiver, INVESTIGATE. Baby's might cry more when something is wrong with them. So, if you realize that your child keeps crying more than usual, INVESTIGATE. We as parents, grandparents, and guardians must protect our children. That is also the responsibility of a childcare provider. Always listen to your children, stop what your are doing no matter what, and look at your child. Examine them and make sure that they have no marks and bruises on them. Childcare providers who are licensed must always make a report if a child is hurt. This is the law! Remember that finding the right care for your child(ren) may seem difficult, but it is worth going through for your loved ones safety and protection.
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