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Choosing The Right Daycare

It’s the norm for working mothers who do not have maids to find daycare i.e. babysitters or nurseries to take care of their babies through out the working hours. It’s not an easy thing leaving your baby with another person, what more with the current hot issues : child abuse by the caregivers, infant death at caregiver’s places and so on.

Here are some sharing from my experience; hopefully it might help those new parents who are still searching for the best daycare for their children.

Babysitters or Nurseries?

It’s all about trust. If you trust the babysitter, then go on. Trust means you believe she can help you take care of your babies your way. It is good if you can find a baby sitter who practices the same things you do, e.g. if you breastfeed your baby, get a babysitter who is pro-breastfeeding.

It is recommended to get to know the baby sitter and her family before you send your baby to her. Make sure you have no doubts upon them.

But I reckon the baby sitter does not take care of your baby all the time, so be a bit flexible. She has chores to do, family to attend to, errands to run, etc. With a babysitter you must be very flexible. Sometimes the babysitter needs to go to the hospital, or meetings, or even go away for holidays, without prior notice.

For nursery it’s a bit systematic. They would inform you upfront on any holidays, any events, etc. Some nurseries even provide weekend service, 24-hour service and what nots. You can expect the caregiver to attend to your baby at all times. Usually chores are done by other workers at the nursery.

How to Choose the Right One?

I have 3 different experiences on handing over my babies to others. I used to send my firstborn to babysitters, hire a maid and send all of them to a nursery. Here’s how I made my selection:

1. From others’ experience – ask around for testimonials about the centre (babysitters/ nurseries, etc.). It’s good if you get that from close friends, usually they will tell more than that.
2. Go and see for yourself – meet the caregiver. Go to the babysitter’s house and nursery before sending your baby to them. Not only talk to them but ask to look around the house/centre. It’s good if you can be there during busy hours when other kids are still there so that you can see the ‘real situation’ at the centre.
3. Do your own research – nowadays people like to share their experience, feelings, etc. online. Use Google and you might find something interesting!
4. Check with other parents – use online forums to get others’ opinion, feedback and experience.
5. Get your baby to know the caregiver – before you send your baby, bring him/her to the caregiver and see for yourself how the caregiver handles your child.

Look Before You Leap – How to Prepare

1. Start early – before your child is born, get the information about babysitters and nurseries as early as possible. Don’t get trapped by your own procrastination. When you start early, you have ample time to consider, make judgement and make the right decision.
2. Set Your Standards - Before sending your baby off, jot down the standards you expect from the caregiver, e.g:
   a.  Pro-breastfeeding
   b.  Use modern parenting method
   c.  Provides baby stimulation
   d.  Etc, etc.
3. Make sure the nursery is registered – at least talk to the caregiver YOURSELF. Get all the information. For nurseries, make sure they are registered with Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat. Ask for the relevant documents.

Daycare is our babies’ second home. They spend most of their time at their caregivers. Please take this very seriously. Don’t just send your baby only for the sake of “Someone has to take care of my baby when I work”.  It’s where our babies’ development takes place, so please find the best.

If down the road you find something wrong with the caregiver, dont wait, change!

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