Your provider will not be surprised. She will be disappointed, but it is expected to have some children head off to preschool. Give her the notice required and continue to follow the daycare policies. All will end on a positive note.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait until he is 2.5. Lots of programs start then. Until 2, keeping him safe from sharp objects is fine. He does not need to glue squares on paper (that really the provider was doing anyway) or go on field trips (which I would never want my daycare to do anyway with kids under 3, but that is just me). If he has time to play, toys to play with, and people who care about him and his needs (food, diaper change, snuggles) then he is fine. But finding a more toddler centered enrichment environment is a good idea as he gets older.

Good advice; he'll be 2.5 next month which is why I'm considering moving him into an environment with children his age. My older child was in the same center and I notice the difference in the level of care and interaction both kids received when there were fewer infants. We live in DC, and hopefully DC will start Pre K in August, so I might just ride it out until then.

Yeah I would focus on making sure he’s potty trained (requirement for most 3 rooms) and applying for spots in older 2 and 3 programs.

Anonymous wrote:Wait until he is 2.5. Lots of programs start then. Until 2, keeping him safe from sharp objects is fine. He does not need to glue squares on paper (that really the provider was doing anyway) or go on field trips (which I would never want my daycare to do anyway with kids under 3, but that is just me). If he has time to play, toys to play with, and people who care about him and his needs (food, diaper change, snuggles) then he is fine. But finding a more toddler centered enrichment environment is a good idea as he gets older.

Good advice; he'll be 2.5 next month which is why I'm considering moving him into an environment with children his age. My older child was in the same center and I notice the difference in the level of care and interaction both kids received when there were fewer infants. We live in DC, and hopefully DC will start Pre K in August, so I might just ride it out until then.

Wait until he is 2.5. Lots of programs start then. Until 2, keeping him safe from sharp objects is fine. He does not need to glue squares on paper (that really the provider was doing anyway) or go on field trips (which I would never want my daycare to do anyway with kids under 3, but that is just me). If he has time to play, toys to play with, and people who care about him and his needs (food, diaper change, snuggles) then he is fine. But finding a more toddler centered enrichment environment is a good idea as he gets older.

Find a new place. Listen to your gut.

Did you find a good preschool?

...but I have concerns. My 2 year old has been at a family daycare center and it’s been great, but the provider added 4 infants to the mix and I think she’s overwhelmed. She has an assistant so technically there isn’t an issue with ratios, but I notice that she’s not able to do things with the toddlers like she used to - story time, arts and crafts, field trips - because the babies require a higher level of care. It’s hard to find someone you trust to care for your child and I truly like and trust the people that care for my son, but at this point I feel like they are basically keeping him away from sharp objects and not much else.

I’m leaning towards putting him in preschool, but my husband thinks everything is fine as-is, but the final decision is up to me. How do I break up with my child care provider nicely?