School for Little B!

Yes, although I'm not even showing yet, I've been advised by other thoughtful moms-to-be of the need to get a spot reserved in a solid daycare pronto....like now. In addition to costing a small (or not so small) fortune, the best centers fill up very quickly. These friends of mine have told me how hard it can be to get in a program and how they wished they started researching sooner than they did. Thank you for the advice-- I took it and now, thankfully, will not have to find contingency daycare plans. Thanks Sharon, Jenn, Tiff, and Kim for saving me.

We made a decision and thankfully, got the last spot available in Feb at the school of our choice.
I call it a school, rather than a standard daycare because of their "learning through play" philosophy that begins on Day 1. Le Chaperon Rouge is the name of the early learning school (which includes a fully accredited nursery school and private kindergarten), and its located 3 minutes from my work.

This isn't some "lets stress out your child and get them learning how to be an overacheiver by age 2" type of center. Instead, its a well-thought center that encourages children to enjoy exposure to educationally-stimulating activities. They use some Montessori principles and allow a child's development to determine when they are ready to move to a new class as opposed to making their age the primary indicator of advancement. They also show a nice balance of structured activies and free-flowing learning through playtime, which I like. Music is played at all times in the center as the arts are very fundamental to Le Chaperon Rougue's educational philosophy.

I'm also happy to know that this center will grow with our child-- its not just infant or toddler care, but will also be an excellent nursery school. They have a 100% open door policy, where they actually encourage parents to drop in whenever they want to...that's comforting as well. Clearly, they have nothing to hide and want to interact with parents. The director also mentioned that they will call often thoughout the day should they have a question or want permission to give an extra feeding or participate in a new activity. I like the fact that they want me to be as invloved as possible, even when I'm at work. When Little B gets older, he'll/she'll also be able to participate in supplemental activites during the day, including dance, gymnastics, karate and foriegn language programs.

After they move on from the Infant room, children participate in a more formalized educational plan. Very early on, they start a weekly learning regimen where they focus a specific letter, number, state, & country. The focus changes each week and as they mature, the learning in these areas is more extensive. Arts, crafts, music, and physical activity are a part of each day. They have both indoor and outdoor play yards, both of which have special "bouncy" bases/flooring to minimize accidental injuries. Oh, and there's nurse onsite every day and nutritionist who prepares breakfast and lunch for the children as well as closed-circuit video recording of every classroom at all times (and parents are invited to watch at any time).

I think Little B will be in pretty good hands, even when they aren't mine or Mike's. This was a big concern of mine as I work to balance my career and my family. I believe that I can have it all, as long as I'm willing to work hard for both. I know it won't be easy, but I feel like finding a learning center that makes us feel so comfortable is a huge piece of the puzzle that we've now put in place.

p.s. I love the comments-- keep em coming. Although, Mom, I can't imagine that I ever tested your patience. I was (and still am) a complete angel. Kidding :) Thanks for the interaction. I'm so glad that this site allows us all to share and stay updated.