Advice on daycare situation - long

[Anonymous]

I have friends who have been happy there, but one friend still talks about how the staff complained that she must hold the baby "too much" at home. I've seem caregivers wear babies at some centers, at FB they keep them in seats a lot. They also have the babies nap on the floor, which seemd kind of dangerous to me. We ended up passing on our spot and joining a nanny share. I'd post on the main list and see if anyone near you is looking for a family. Or maybe a family in Dupont/Adams Morgan/Logan, so it would be close to your office. My kid has food allergies so the bottle switch is a huge deal for me, can see it would be less for others though. Is the "playground" still in the middle of a parking lot?

[Anonymous]

Keep the space at O Street! Our baby is currently at a Bright Horizons downtown and we are very disappointed. We recently visited O St and wished we had gotten on their list before our child was born. Definitely keep a STRONG back up plan so you are not in our situation. Also, one of our child's classmates has since left BH after getting in at O St. So, given you are easing back into work, you can and should visit the Center frequently. The location and ability to continue breastfeeding is ideal. And, you'll be hard pressed to find a location that has the outdoor and indoor play facilities that they have. Trust me, as your baby gets older (and it will happen fast), you'll realize the importance of this and the interaction with other children.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

The infant ratio in D.C. is 3-1, but, at least at my center, it is pretty rare for a teacher to be dealing with three babies. First, the drop off and pick up times are staggered. Second, some babies just tend sleep a lot and don't need much attention. Third, many days there is at least one infant out because of illness, a grandparent visiting, a parent is a government worker with alternative Fridays off, etc. Finally, the teachers stagger the nap and feeding schedules so that each child get individual attention being fed and put down to sleep. When things do get busy, the director, a floater, or other support staff come in to help. It is not perfect, but the vast majority of time the scheduling works and the kids get the attention they need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our baby is currently at a Bright Horizons downtown and we are very disappointed.

If you don't mind my asking, which BH are you at? I'm not trying to hijack the thread, but I am looking at several BH centers downtown for my 4 mo.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Question for OP - When did you apply to get on the waiting list? Just wondering how long the wait was.