Ok moms & dads out there, I need your help!

[jicassochica]

Hello everyone. I am trying to find the best options for childcare and would love your input. I have a one yr old daughter and have met a wonderful woman who could care for her at home, however I think it may be healthier for her to be with other children right now or perhaps a mixture of both. I am have been looking into daycares on the internet (Puerto Crianza is one) and curious to know what your experiences have been. It is not crucial that the environment be english speaking but that it is safe and full of love. Also open to mommy groups, for I could use some socializing myself. Thanks in advance.

 

[pedroC]

We send our 2 yr old daughter to a kindergarten that caters for children between 45 days to 4 years old. They are separated according to age, for example our daughter is in a group of 8 children between 2 yrs and 2 1/2 yrs. She attend in the morning between 9am and midday, and they also have an afternoon group between 1.30 pm and 4.30 pm. They also take children on all day if need be. We found the kindergarten just by looking around our area and asking to show us around when there were children in class, playing to see how they work.

 

[auntieapple]

hi girls
well you did ask for input.
I honestly think a child of one does not need massive interaction with children of it own age. A child of one needs lots of attention from a caring adult. Interaction with toys, showing pictures in books, playing games, walks in the park etc. Contact with other children can be done through visits to other homes for a couple of hours when you have a coffee with a girlfriend who also has toddlers, but honestly I think thats about it, I am a mother of six *not all biological, my eldest has just graduated from law school, my youngest is still breastfeeding. (am weaning this week) he is almost two.
Only yesterday I started checking out local kindergartens with a view to sending my little one for three hours in the afternoon, because yes, NOW he is ready to "socialise" and spread his wings a little. But that will not be for a couple of months yet and only after he has been dropped off for half an hour at a time to slowly break him in to the separation.
Our children grow up so very quickly and they really do become stronger when they have lots of one to one attention in the first couple of years, which is the opposite of what you may think, A child having close contact with a familiar loved one in the first two years becomes much more confident in spreading its wings rather than the baby left in the care of an institution for hours on end at too young an age.
A nanny in the home is always the best option with mummy (preferably) or daddy close by.
Of course its easy if you live in a property with a large garden or in a farm as I do, so baby gets to play with the dogs and bum around the property with a stick and bucket. OK we don't all have that possibility and if you are in an aparment you may feel the problem is socialising when it is in fact a problem of a monotonous environment. But I am only giving you my imput on what I as a mother have seen work the best for the children. I learnt everything from my mother who had 8 children and she from my grandmother who had 14. So good luck