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Better Planning: Child Care Tips From The Frontline

Hello. I'm a mum with seven children under ten years of age. As you can imagine, all aspects of child care have become the centre of my life. Finding child-friendly products, appropriate play groups and suitable child care facilities are challenges I face on a daily basis. Of course, I'm much more relaxed now after seven children, and I know exactly what products, play groups, and facilities to look for. I figured that other parents might be able to use some of the hacks I've learnt along the way. I hope you find my entries entertaining and informative. Happy parenting!

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Better Planning: Child Care Tips From The Frontline

Considerations When Contemplating Child Care For Your Toddler

by Soledad Gomez

If you do not have the chance to be a stay at home parent, then child care becomes a crucial decision to consider. It should be noted that selecting child care for your toddler is not simply about choosing someone or a facility based on reviews. You need to ascertain that the care that will be given to your child is in accordance to your own type of parenting. This is why it is crucial to have some considerations in mind, as this would enable you to make a decision based on your and your child's individual needs. Here are some of the considerations to have in mind when contemplating child care for your toddler.

Consider where you would like the child care to be provided

When it comes to child care, you could opt to have the care giver come to your home or you could choose to enroll your child at a child care facility. Both these options have their own pros and drawbacks. For instance, choosing at-home child care ensures that your child does not have to get used to unfamiliar surroundings. This can make the transition of you not being around easier on your child. They may be getting acquainted with a new person, but they get the chance to get to know this new individual in familiar surroundings. However, at-home child care typically means that the only contact your toddler will be having will be with their caregiver.

With a child care centre, your child gets a chance to interact with other children. This can be especially positive for single-children who do not have peers to interact with at home. On the other hand, some children have a tough time getting used to this environment, as it is a strange place with strange people they have never seen. Ultimately, your choice would depend on your child's personality as well as what you would like them to gain from the experience.

Consider the policies of the caregiver

Another thing to consider when contemplating child care is the policies that the caregiver has pertaining to child rearing. For instance, one crucial aspect to discuss would be punishment for the children. Does the caregiver believe in spanking or do they believe in timeouts? Another policy to consider would be their take on child interaction. Do they believe children should find ways to occupy themselves or are they hands-on with interacting with them? Having your child rearing policies aligned will go a long way in preventing misunderstandings down the road with your chosen caregiver.

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