How Children and Parents Can Benefit from Childcare
As a stay at home mom making the transition to work at home mom; figuring out my work hours has been tedious at best. That’s not a bad thing at all and I will always remember the reason why I chose to stay at home in the first place. However, I recognize that having set hours is beneficial and more conducive for work. Because of that, we are considering daycare options in the fall. But how can children and parents benefit from childcare? And who really benefits more?
How Children Can Benefit from Childcare
Maybe you’re at the end of your scheduled maternity leave or you’re wanting to return to the workforce. Or, maybe you’re like me and looking to work at home full time. While you’re making this decision, you’ve probably thought about the following:
- Full or part time work hours
- Telecommuting or returning to the job site (if applicable)
- Returning to your previous job or looking for a new job (depending on your situation)
- How many hours to devote to your new business endeavor (if working from home)
- Childcare
And with the childcare decision, there’s a whole new slew of things to consider:
- How many days a week
- How many hours per day
- Family member, home daycare, childcare center, workplace daycare
- Cost
Maye you’ve heard horror stores or you’ve read articles about the dangers of childcare- but I can assure you, that’s not universal.
So what are the benefits of sending a child to childcare?
- Learning to interact with other children prepares a child for his first encounter with school.
- Children benefit from childcare by learning self-control, how to get along with others, and how to share.
- If a child has been in daycare there will be less chance of separation anxiety when he enters school.
- Aside from learning socialization skills, he may also have the opportunity to learn some of the basics such as the alphabet and numbers.
I’m sure you’re thinking that they can experience this at home as well, and yes- that is entirely true. However, if your goal is to work more hours at home or to return to work outside of the home; childcare is really an option that you should consider.
How Parents Can Benefit from Childcare
Children benefit from childcare but it is really the parents that make the most difference in your child’s life. When he gets home from daycare after spending a long day away from you, he will want to tell you about his day. Ask him questions about his friends, his teachers, his subjects.
He is capable of interacting with you no matter what his age is, and getting him to vividly describe his day is exciting to a child especially if the parent shows interest. Of course you are interested, aren’t you This child, a smaller version of yourself, is taking on the world a day at a time, and the choices and desires he has will be a direct reflection of you.
Make the most of that opportunity while you can, children are only children once.
What to Look for In a Potential Childcare Center
Choosing a childcare provider for your little ones is one of the most important tasks you will ever accomplish. There are many childcare options, and a few options involve either having the provider live in your home or commute on a daily basis.
There’s also more traditional settings, such as KidsPark.
What’s special about KidsPark?
- Hourly childcare, including late hours (until midnight!) on Fridays and Saturdays
- Licensed and staffed by Early Childhood Education teachers
- No reservations needed so parents can run errands, keep appointments, or even enjoy an evening out without having to plan weeks in advance.
- Starting at age 2 and going to age 11, KidsPark also provides full day back-up care for children when their regular provider is unavailable or school is closed.
- Want to see if KidsPark is for you? Click here to see if there’s a location near you!
Since turning 3, my sweet Squeaker has become more independent in terms of play. Of course she still wants to have plenty of time with me and I’m more than happy to indulge that. She’s my youngest and my last, so I want to make the most of the time we have together.
However, I also have deadlines to meet, products to create, eBooks to write, a blog and social media to manage… you get the picture.
It’s taken me a few months, but I’ve finally managed to create some semblance of a schedule. Not always set in stone, but flexible enough to meet our needs. Mornings are reserved for work so that afternoons can usually be reserved for play depending on the weather.
Some days, we’ll take a mid-day trip to the park and spend a few hours there. Other days, we might venture out further to the nearby museum or the mall. And, of course, we have plenty of days where we stay at home and make the most of what we have at the house.
While I have considered further structure and doing preschool at home, I’ve also thought about sending her to preschool.
If you’re considering a preschool, don’t rule out KidsPark!
- Traditional preschool with a modern twist! The hands on learning curriculum includes The Arts (music, drama, art, dance), Math Concepts and Science.
- Pick your schedule and you only pay for the hours that your child is attending
- You can start with 1 day and build up to 5 days
Founded in 1988 by Debbie Miller, KidsPark was created with a personal need. Safety was the primary concern and the end result was a win-win plan. Fun for kids and convenient for the parents, and a place that children could have playmates and learn to be independent.
As a work at home mom, a childcare like KidsPark could meet our needs perfectly.
Have you looked into childcare options recently? How is your search going?
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Kori
