More middle class blues: child care edition

[fawnapril]

... and also, one place hasn't called me back or returned my email, two places have long wait lists and most of the referals that are anywhere near home or work have some TV in the center or home during the care day. I am not completely anti-TV, but our infant doesn't need TV during the day

Comments

[shanamadele]

Well, you know where I am on the craziness of needing to look so far in advance for childcare on account of our RL conversations.

About TV -- I tend to think that TV brings other baggage. It's not just that there's TV in the daycare, but that there's more likely then to be branded toys and books and a different outlook about how children should pass their time than I want for my child. This is based on my limited experience looking for daycare. And, to be fair, I had a hard-and-fast rule about no-TV for the first two years. Now, we would let him watch, but he doesn't seem especially interested in it.

[shanamadele]

Just following American Academy of Pediatrician guidelines. I thought they had updated them more recently, but the latest version of them I could find on their website dates from 2001. http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;107/2/423

[anonymous]

1) I agree - no childcare where you would want to send your child would use tv, ever. 2) my experience is that there's more movement than the length of the waitlists would indicate - just get on the lists and keep checking back with the ones you really want. I think your timing is probably just fine.
- Marjorie

[shanamadele]

Oh, Marjorie is right on both counts. Despite my horror story about the daycare that we signed Butternut up for almost 20 months ago, we have been on at least one waitlist for a quality daycare center that was not such a terribly long wait.