Drop by and spy: After you have chosen a childcare provider, make sure you continue to check in. Make unannounced visits as often as you want or need to. With my own daycare center just minutes from my office, I often stop by when I am not traveling.
This is a good practice, but be forewarned: just as everything does not go perfectly when your child is at home, the same is true for your childcare provider. I used to pop in and see Emily happily playing on the floor with other children, full of smiles, but I also saw her in full meltdown while her teachers tried to get her down for a nap.
The key is that your center should be open and welcoming to your visits. Crazy things can happen during the day, but as long as your childcare provider can roll with it and maintain a good attitude, you will feel good about it, too.
Get to know your caregivers: We've all heard a fellow mother say it: "Aren't you worried your child will want to be with their teachers more than you?" Feelings of jealousy toward a child's caregiver is extremely common for a working mother. Common or not, such jealousy is silly.
Childcare should be viewed as an opportunity for our children to learn to feel safe and confident with someone other than just Mom or Dad. It's a good thing. Support your caregivers and encourage the development of great relationships with your children that are all their own.
The best way to do this is to get to know your caregiver - before you enroll. It will help you relax if you feel you really know him or her, and it will help you make your childcare decision. So have discussions with each caregiver on how they intend to handle tough situations, like separation sadness. But also remember that just as the teachers are developing their own relationships with your children, they also do things differently than you, and that is okay.
One of the most difficult issues I had with getting comfortable with daycare for Megan was getting over my fear that her teachers didn't know her secrets. They did not know that she liked having a pacifier handed to her upside down, or that she often preferred having one sock on and one sock off while napping. It's true, they did not know nor did they necessarily feel the same concern I felt for these little nuances. But children are surprisingly adaptive. Good caregivers will find their own way - and might even surprise you with new secrets they learn along the way.
Once you've made your childcare decision, it's important to continue to acknowledge your caregiver. Have brief chats when you pick your child up, send notes of appreciation, and absolutely acknowledge him or her on teacher appreciation day. Starbucks cards are my go-to gift of choice.
Samantha Knowles is the author of Working Mom Reviews. To know more about how to use trustjacker software check out Trustjacker Review Review To learn tips to burn calories and fats- quickly check out Truth About Fat Burning Foods Review
