Working moms - can I ask you some daycare questions

These are just some things I was wondering.

What do they do with your children at daycare all day long? Are there activites they do with them? I am curious to see if there are some more things I should be doing at home with Jack?

Next - what do they do if they have a very fussy baby who needs to be rocked for every nap (like Jack does) -- I can't imagine they can rock every child -- or do they? How does it work? If your child falls asleep easily at daycare - are they that way when they are with you?

Random questions - I know - just curious about these things.

Re: Working moms - can I ask you some daycare questions

I wish they did more with him at daycare but basically they just play with the toys, eat, sleep. Sometimes they will do a craft, sometimes if it's nice out they go for a walk, and if it's not nice out, they have a gym area to go to for a little bit. I think my son gets very bored there, but, he also gets very bored at home all day so I am not sure what the solution is unless you are willing to take him out every single day to some type of classes, or museums, etc.

When my son started day care, he rarely if ever would take a nap, and if he did, I had to rock him in my arms. I was so worried about this because I knew that they would not rock him to sleep! The first week was really tough for them - because basically they just put everyone in their cribs the same time to nap and my son would scream. So they rocked his crib back and forth (it's on wheels), rubbed his head and back, and let him cry it out if necessary. Eventually he got into their routine and miraculously goes down every day now - even at home on weekends!

Re: Working moms - can I ask you some daycare questions

I too wish they did more with DD at daycare but they play, eat, sleep...that's about it. I did notice that in the next class (18 mos)...they do music time, which I know DD will LOVE. They also go on 'buggy' rides and lately, now that she's walking, they've been doing 'gym' time. I'm sure it gets a little boring for her, but there's no way I'd be able to keep her as entertained at home. She has 7 other babies there to interact with...and only mommy at home.

As for naps...well, my DD was never a great napper, but has gotten better. When she first started daycare at 3 mos old, I know they would try to rock her, but I think they also let them CIO a bit, which I was okay with. It was nice when she was younger because all the babies were on their own schedule. Now that she's over 1yr, they are trying to get all the kids on the same nap schedule...which is tough, but it seems to be working.

I wish they could devote all of their attention to my DD, but I realize they have 7 other kids to take care of, so there will be times she doesn't get all the attention she may need. That broke my heart when she was a baby...but now that she's walking and can go pick up a toy and wander around...I feel better.

Re: Working moms - can I ask you some daycare questions

Thanks for responding girls! I'm just wondering if I should be doing more at home to stimulate Jack -- I want to make sure he's not missing out on anything.

As for the naps - I was really curious about that one - although - I have noticed that he goes down much easier for family members then he does for me or DH.

Re: Working moms - can I ask you some daycare questions

I think they person who will be in charge of him at daycare is VERY important. We selected our daycare mostly because of the lady. He likes her and she likes him.

Unfortunatelly, her mom is sick and she will be out for a while... which worries me! I am actually going to see the director tomorrow to make sure DS is not left alone all day. Although he is now only going to daycare 3 days per week.

Re: Working moms - can I ask you some daycare questions

Posted by Diana1215


As for the naps - I was really curious about that one - although - I have noticed that he goes down much easier for family members then he does for me or DH.

Message edited 1/6/2008 9:55:15 PM.

Re: Working moms - can I ask you some daycare questions

For naps, DS sleeps GREAT at daycare. Forget it here at home! He fights it all the time!

Re: Working moms - can I ask you some daycare questions

I'm really not sure of the play by play each day, but I know they sing songs, do arts and crafts, take lots of pictures, nap and eat. They recently had a music teacher come in and do stuff with the kids. What exactly, I'm not sure, but I'm sure the babies enjoyed it.

I will say, when I pick her up she is usually hanging out in the swing, or on a stroller ride, so I don't think much happens after the lead teacher leaves for the day at 3:30.

Re: Working moms - can I ask you some daycare questions

At my day care, they play with the kids, sing songs, read books, play with blocks, etc. We get a form at the end of the day when we pick DD up that says what she did all day, what she enjoyed, how much she ate, when she ate, diaper changed, etc.

They are great with all the kids, and if there was a child that needed to be rocked, etc, they would do that.

DD falls asleep at daycare all the time, and falls asleep very easily at home too.

ETA: I also forgot to mention that they send pictures of DD every day- and its great because it shows how happy she is, and also shows some of the activties she does!

Message edited 1/7/2008 9:59:38 AM.

Re: Working moms - can I ask you some daycare questions

Re: Working moms - can I ask you some daycare questions

There are some very needy babies in Cailen's room, and they really are attended to a lot - some are held all day. I actually requested that Cailen NOT be held too much because its something I couldn't keep up with at home... he began when he was 2 mts old...

I have to say - Cailen LOOOVES daycare, and sometimes I feel he is bored on the weekends with me. I think being around the other babies and watching them move around, play, etc was so entertaining when he was an infant. He watched them all day in his bouncy seat. They also gave him tummy time, song time, story time, and did art with him right away.

Now that he can crawl around, he plays with the toys, moves, interacts with the other babies, and they still read him stories, play music, go into a play room... he just gets so excited as soon as we get to the parking lot of his daycare, and I pick him up every evening and he has a huge smile on his face!!!

Re: Working moms - can I ask you some daycare questions

My daycare give us a list of activities that they do each day to stimulate various senses. Each week they have a theme. They read them books. They listen to CD's like Boston Pops for auditory. For life skills, one day they'll work on enticing the baby with his bottle to see how he reacts, another day they will practice with him when they change him to encourage him to take his legs out of his pants. They do sensory stuff such has sticking their hands in cold water then warm water. They do crafts. I have a bunch of things hanging on my wall that he "made". They let them play with paint so they do the cute cutouts and my son fingerpaints on them. They also have a bunch of playmats where the kids play. They spend time in the exersaucer, swings when they are younger, and at the eating table. In warmer whether they take them outside in their little buggy which is a 4 baby stroller.

Let me say that obviously I know my son is only 5 months old and cannot possibly participate in all the activities. I also get a sheet of when he eats, sleeps and each change and it appears that he sleeps most of the day (which he does not do very well at home in terms of naps). They say that he is very low maintenance. He loves to just sit there and stare at the other babies. When he started 3 months ago he was the youngest and the rest of the kids were in the 6 to 9 month range and it was so cute when they would all be sitting in a circle playing. Now that he is almost 6 months it is so nice to see him interact with them even though some of them are now in the next room.

There is no way that they can appease every baby. I try and spend some time there in the morning before I go to work and I can definately see which babies are more fussy than others. There are times when they can't get to each one at the drop of a hat like you and I do. But they do the best they can. The trick is to just find a place that you're comfortable with. For me, I really feel that they treat my son like gold because he is so easy.

Re: Working moms - can I ask you some daycare questions

Thank you all for your replies. I think it's great that they give you a daily list of your children's activities.

Re: Working moms - can I ask you some daycare questions

Re: Working moms - can I ask you some daycare questions

Re: Working moms - can I ask you some daycare questions

Alex's day is very structured at daycare. They have sign language classes, music classes, dance classes and yoga classes interspersed throughout the week. At least once a week they bring in something special, like the reptile guy. Every holiday they have a play or show for the parents, so the kids work on that as well during the week.

Otherwise, some of the activities are painting, baking, cooking, making seasonal crafts, booktime, etc.

My daughter was an incredibly fussy baby. But, what I found, and what they told me happens often, is that she was considerably less fussy while at school as compared to at home. When she WAS having a bad day, her favorite teacher would hold her or take her on a stroll. Otherwise, usually she was on the floor playing with toys or other babies.

Re: Working moms - can I ask you some daycare questions

What do they do with your children at daycare all day long? Are there activites they do with them?

There is a calendar outside of the classroom with the activities & skills they work on each day/week. I should read it but I always forget.

Our daycare has been great with Lucas. he gets a lot of time on the mat (tummy time in the beginning and sitting up to play now) with all the kdis. It's the cutest thing to see them all together playing. They are all close in age. They have story time and lots of singing.


Next - what do they do if they have a very fussy baby who needs to be rocked for every nap (like Jack does) -- I can't imagine they can rock every child -- or do they? How does it work? If your child falls asleep easily at daycare - are they that way when they are with you?

Lucas is the opposite. He falls asleep easily at home...not so much at daycare. In the beginning he needed to be rocked and since he was so young he really needed the sleep so there were some wonderful teachers that would rock him to sleep. During the summer they didn't have many kids so one of the teachers would actually hold him to sleep since he would wake when in the crib. It was great. Now that he is older he really doesn't sleep at daycare - he wants to play all day and only gets a few cat naps throughout the day- usually when he has a bottle (they still rock him for that). But it's okay. He has adjusted well to that.