| Choosing a Daycare for Your Child |
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 When you are choosing childcare there are many things to consider, including your child's personality. Researching a facility's approach to different temperaments will ensure a happier experience for your child when your child is away from home.
As parents, we want the best care possible for our children. This can make selecting appropriate childcare for your son or daughter time consuming, but rest assured-if you do your homework, you're likely to find a suitable setting for your little one. Parents often look for things such as a center's fees, drop off and pick up times, location, religious or educational affiliations, CPR and First Aid certification, and discipline techniques. Yet there is another factor to ponder while doing your search: finding a facility that will mesh with your child's individual temperament. Temperament consists of traits that are genetic and determined by unique neurological characteristics. There are many different types of temperament; extroverts, for example, are expressive and energized by their environment and other people, while introverts are naturally reserved and prefer being alone with their thoughts and ideas. Children with an easy or flexible temperament are generally happy and prefer routine, but can readily adapt to new situations. Children classified as slow to warm or fearful need time to adapt to new settings and people...they need a routine for security. Other classifications of temperament include feisty, active, social, spontaneous, non-conformist, and perceptive. Once you have determined your child's temperament, the question is how to find childcare that will be appropriate for your child. If you have a daughter who is constantly on the go, should you look for a place that will keep her busy all of the time? If your son tends to be a bit laid back, do you keep him primarily involved with low-key activities? Renowned parenting expert Stacy DeBroff, author of several parenting books including The Mom Book; 4,278 of Mom Central's Tips...For Moms from Moms, says that the best idea for matching a daycare to your child is to try for something that is opposite of your child's temperament without being extreme or making your child unhappy. "For a very active child, the best childcare will offer some periods of free time, but it should also be a place where the child will have some pacing in his schedule," says DeBroff. If you happen to have a shy or reserved child, consider a place that has required social activities. This setting will help draw him out of his shell as well as push his comfort level. A good way to find out how daycare providers deal with different temperaments is to take a tour of the facility. During your visit, observe whether teachers acknowledge the children's feelings and provide them with tools to manage their emotions. Parents should look for signs that children are free to express themselves and see that teachers work with the children to guide them through their emotions in a respectful and accepting way. Tom Kaut, director of the Montessori Children's House of Shady Oaks in Redding, offers his perspective on finding the right school or daycare for your children. "The best thing parents can do is to actually observe the programs they are interested in, paying attention to the activities that the children are engaged in as well as the children's interactions with each other and the staff," he says. Kaut explains the Montessori philosophy to parents after they have had an opportunity to sit and observe the classes. "We discuss areas where a strong partnership really benefits the child, such as promoting self-discipline and fostering independence," he says. The owners of the Bidwell Academy for Young Children in Chico, Joan Schreiner and Susan Roath, have parents come in first to take a tour without their children, giving them an opportunity to observe the school and their programs."If it appears to be a fit, then we have them come back with their child, because we want to make sure it's the right place for everyone," says Schreiner. Pam Jones, owner of Learning in Motion Preschool and Enrichment Center in Anderson, is also a strong advocate of parents and their children coming in for an initial visit. "If somebody calls me and says they're interested in learning what the program is about, I always suggest that they take a tour of the facility to see what's happening in the classroom," she says. Jones has the parents fill out a questionnaire about their children, which includes questions about diet, experience of birth trauma, and the parent's philosophy about discipline. This gives her a better idea of how she can work with the children. Various local resources are available that can assist parents in finding the right childcare and schools for children. Peggy Mitchell, coordinator for the Local Child Care Planning Council in Butte County, explains that there are many avenues for finding daycare information through their office. "We provide referrals for child care, and we have an electronic library that includes thousands of documents on all kinds of categories about activities, after school programs, child care and development, and more." For information visit www.bcoe.org/ess/cd. Shasta County Early Childhood Services in Redding also provides parents with a wealth of information. "Last year SCECS worked in conjunction with the Smart Business Center and First Five to come up with information that helps parents find the appropriate child care," says early childhood education specialist Cassy Leggett. Their Resource and Referral Center can help parents determine such issues as whether they want center-based or family-based care, provide referrals to licensed providers close to home, and prepares parents to interview providers. The center's lending library offers parents materials for children with special needs, books on children and childcare, and early childhood teaching resources. For more information visit www.shastacoe.org. In Siskiyou County, the Siskiyou Child Care Council also offers childcare resource information and has a lending library for parents and childcare providers. For information call (530) 938-2748. Writer Julie Engelhardt has spent her fair share of time searching out suitable daycare for her two boys who are definitely on opposite ends of the temperament spectrum-one who is quiet and reserved and one who, well, isn't! |
September 2010
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