To my kids: why we chose daycare

Dear Princess Peach and Little Dude,

You dad grew-up with a nanny. I grew-up with a nanny. In fact, my nanny that I grew-up with still lives with my parents and you consider her to be a very important person in your lives. You don’t know yet that she has known me since I was 8 and that she helped raise me. Before I had kids I had always just assumed that like me and your dad,  my future kids would also have a nanny. But then Princess Peach came along and it was time to decide what we were going to do. Your dad and I spent many hours discussing what choice we felt was right for you and our family at that time. We chose to go against what we grew up with. We chose daycare.

Please note that this is at no point to bash having a nanny yet highlight all the fabulous reasons why we chose daycare for the two of you. We did shortly consider getting a nanny before Little Dude was an infant but we felt strongly that the experiences we gave to one kid had to be given to the other.

First day of daycare for Little Dude!

First day of daycare for Little Dude!

These are the reasons why daycare was the right choice for us:

  1. You are with a whole bunch of kids your age the entire day. We loved the idea that you would be with your friends all day long from drop off to pick up. You would never long to play with anyone. You would learn how to share, negotiate, play, laugh, have fun and challenge others. Now that you are in nursery school it’s been so nice to watch you grow and gravitate to certain kids and watch your relationships grow over the years. How nice that some of your friends have been with you now for three daycare years.

    My So-Called Mommy Life

    Princess Peach and her boyfriend at a daycare fun fair

  2. There is a curriculum. Being teachers, your father and I love that there is a curriculum to challenge and stimulate you all day long. Sure, we work on lots of different skills at home and I love watching you learn but at daycare it’s different. The curriculum is intertwined in everything you do, all day long.  We chose a Jewish daycare so you are learning both English and Hebrew. We both couldn’t be more thrilled. You come home singing songs in English and Hebrew, saying prayers in Hebrew and learning the English and Hebrew alphabet. Over the years you have been blessed with teachers who have ignited your love of learning.
  3. You are so well-prepared for Kindergarten. I often feel that if I were to plop you into a Kindergarten class for the day that you would do so well. Daycare has laid the foundation for your formative learning years. It has provided you with a chance to learn valuable routines, behaviours and expectations for the rest of your school career. You understand the routine of doing “table work”, lining up, how cubbies work and so forth.  Coming into your class to bring a treat for your birthday you, and all of your 12 3-year-old friends were sitting and waiting in your chairs. No one was moving, or screaming or crying. You were all just waiting patiently. I’m lucky if I can get you to sit for 5 minutes. But at school you are different. You are both kids who love learning and we know that daycare played a huge role in that love.
  4. You eat well there.  This wasn’t originally a reason why we chose daycare, but now it’s a reason why we LOVE daycare. You eat there. You eat what is offered and don’t make a fuss. No whining for crackers and cheese or blueberries. You eat things like tofu stir-fry and couscous that if and I when I give it to you, you would never eat! As a mom with allergies it also exposes you to foods that I cannot give you at home. You love fish sticks, and hummus. I’m forever grateful for that!
  5. You spend lots of time outdoors. I love that you both spend 2 hours outside per day (weather permitting). You go to parks, and for walks. Parks aren’t off-limits when it’s cold at daycare, you just get bundled more. You love wearing your coloured pinny each day and you are active. You play on the swings, and the in sandbox and on the see-saw. There are no excuses from adults like me that we are too tired, cold or busy. It’s in your daily schedule and routine!
  6. You are happy.  You are more than happy. You can’t wait to go in the morning and get sad when it’s time to go. Day after day, this makes us know that we made the best choice for the two of you.

    Happy to go to school in your Evenflo SecureKid DLX Harnessed Booster

    Happy to go to school in your Evenflo SecureKid DLX Harnessed Booster

And although you most likely won’t remember much of your daycare years when you are older, come and ask me about it. I will tell you all about it and then share every single weekly newsletter I have ever received from daycare with you. Because one day you will want to see where you spent your early years and I’ll have the proof and the stories to show the learning you did, the fun you had and most of all the love that you received.

Comments

  1. loriag says:

    Those are all good reasons and as parents we do what is right for our own children.

  2. Judy Cowan says:

    All great reasons for choosing daycare! Very cute pictures!

  3. loucheryl says:

    Awesome photos. I’m my boys daycare! I’m a SAHM. 🙂

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