So, you have a little one but need to go back to work? There are approximately one million trillion Houston daycares, so not overwhelming at all right? Let me lessen the load for you.
Tips for Finding the Right Houston Daycare
- Location, location, location. Find one that is close to home, not close to work! The thought process behind this is that if you change jobs, they don’t have to change daycares. Also, this allows for both parents and possibly a backup to be able to easily pick up in an emergency.
- Decide if you feel like you need cameras. Lots of Houston Daycares offer camera systems, and this is a great idea. It creates a sense of responsibility in the care taker since they know they are being watched. It’s also a great way for you to get little peeks of your child while you’re away. That helps curb the anxiety somewhat of being apart from each other.
- Go on a tour so that you can really get a feel for each Houston Daycare. This gives you a chance for a first impression of the facility, the staff, and to notice how all of the kids are while at daycare. Are there a ton of them crying and sad, or do they seem generally happy overall?
Houston Daycares that are recommended
- The Joy School: The Joy School focuses on serving children with learning differences. They provide individualized instruction, social-emotional development, and small class sizes.
- The Goddard School: The Goddard School is a nationally recognized daycare and preschool that focuses on providing a nurturing learning environment for children from infancy to kindergarten age. They offer a curriculum that emphasizes play-based learning and developmental milestones.
- The Kipling School: The Kipling School offers a Reggio Emilia-inspired curriculum that promotes hands-on learning, creativity, and critical thinking. They have a low student-to-teacher ratio.
- The Rise School of Houston: The Rise School provides an inclusive early childhood education program for children with and without developmental disabilities. They focus on promoting social skills, independence, and academic readiness.
- West University Baptist Day School: West University Baptist Day School offers a Christian-based program with a focus on academics, character development, and spiritual growth. They provide a nurturing and supportive environment.
- Children’s Learning Adventure: Children’s Learning Adventure is a comprehensive early childhood education center that offers a variety of programs for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-aged children. They have a structured curriculum and offer extracurricular activities.
- The Apple Tree School: The Apple Tree School provides a child-centered, play-based curriculum with a focus on social-emotional development, creativity, and hands-on learning experiences.
- The Children’s Hour Montessori School: The Children’s Hour Montessori School follows the Montessori philosophy and offers programs for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. They emphasize independence, self-directed learning, and practical life skills.
Questions to ask possible Houston Daycares
Vacation Days-Most Houston Daycares allow 1-2 weeks of vacation days. Make sure to ask if you get any weeks that you do not have to pay daycare fees to, without losing your spot.
Pricing-Typically the pricing goes down, the older they get
Transportation-When your child begins elementary school, does the Daycare provide pick ups and drop offs?
Illness practices-what are the guidelines for sending a child home sick? Does it align with what you feel is appropriate?
Ways to make the transition to daycare easier
Don’t linger! Drop that baby off, kiss them goodbye, tell them you’ll be back at the end of the day. Then, head out to your car and get out of there! When parents linger, it creates a sense of false security in the child. Like, “wait, you’re staying with me? Cool!” Then, you leave, and they get upset. So just drop them off like you’re the boss and send them off for a great day. Another tip I have is to let your little one walk in on their own (if they can walk obviously). It fosters a sense of independence and this is such a good trait to instill straight off the bat. Make sure you pack comforts from home, such as a special stuffy or pillow, so if they get a little homesick, they have something familiar to make them feel better while away at their Houston Daycare.
Ask what their behavior policies are for each Houston Daycare
Imagine you are doing a job interview for each Houston Daycare. Ask the questions! Does their behavior plan align with what you believe and how you want your child disciplined? Look, no parent wants to think about someone else disciplining their child, but it happens. Children have to be disciplined so that they can learn and understand the correct way to behave in society. It’s a fact of life, therefore, it’s a good idea to read over this and imagine situations that arise so you can envision how you want them handled.
Trust your gut, mama
Sure, maybe little Johnny’s mom is happy with the daycare he goes to. He learns a lot, willingly walks in each morning, and adores his teachers. But listen, I’m going to set you free of something here. I give you permission to go against what Johnny’s mom if it doesn’t’ work out for you and your babe. Every kid is different, every situation is different. If you have this feeling in your gut that it’s not the right place for your child, listen to that. That feeling is your intuition, and never doubt that.
I hope you have found this information on Houston Daycares, valuable. I am a mom of 4, so I have experience with dropping my kids off for childcare. It can be so tough, but it’s going to be ok mama! I promise you, everything will adjust and you both will get through this.
While that little one/s of yours are small, don’t let time pass and not document each stage. I am a family and motherhood photographer, based in Houston and I’d love to document all of the milestones. Please reach out so we can chat!
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