I'm a PP whose children were at Bright Horizons at East End under the former director. Teachers had been there for 3 to 8 years, director and AD would go in and help if things were hectic, teachers really, really knew our children (had 2 go through there) and we loved it. Know the director has changed, our kids are gone, so don't know what's going on there. But at that time, we loved it.

Anonymous wrote:Funny how these posters with such amazing daycares, refuse to name their fantasy daycare center.

Perhaps they're still looking...

I'm not one of the PPs, but our childcare center works pretty much how they were describing. In each infant room, there are two caregivers for six infants. Other floaters and sometimes the center director rotate in and out to give breaks and provide extra hands when things get crazy. I've just never seen an occasion when the teachers couldn't handle all the kids' needs. (I'm often there at drop off and pick up time, when they're dealing with transitions, separation anxiety, etc. But I also have a very flexible schedule, so I've picked up and dropped off at just about every moment of the day, and it's always the same in the infant room.) The babies are all on different schedules, so at any given time, a couple are napping, one is laying on a playmat batting at toys, somebody is eating, somebody is getting a diaper change, and someone else is snuggling with a teacher. Yes, they have a 1:3 ratio, but it's pretty manageable given that they don't have to prep food (parents send from home), and another staff member comes in to relieve them for all breaks, plus time to clean, prep for the next day, etc.

Anyway, my kids are at Sunny Days Early Learning Center in Riverdale, Md, which is part of the Georgetown Hill group of centers. We also visited the Greenwood School and Easter Seals at Archives II, which had the same basic set up. (And, yes, gasp--horror of horrors--these "amazing daycares" are all in PG County. I know it's world shattering that they both exist AND exist in a place that DCUM posters thought was a post-apocalyptic wasteland.)

Funny how these posters with such amazing daycares, refuse to name their fantasy daycare center.

Perhaps they're still looking...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with daycare is that there may be only one adult per four infants so it is tougher to dole out individual attention if all the babies are crying at the same time.

I don't know your finances, but is there any way you can hire a provider to come into your home and care for your baby vs. him staying in a daycare? A good nanny will be able to work with you on establishing good sleeping habits.

OP, don't let people like this make you nervous. I am sure your baby's teachers will be extremely attentive during the initial adjustment period and will work through any and all sleep issues your baby might have. Really.

Apparently you've never been responsible for three babies at once. Lots of crying while each one awaits to get the needed care most of them are used to at home.

Just a little reality check.

I got in the car after day care drop off with my two little girls today (2.5 and 20 weeks) and thought - Geez, I am so lucky to have that happy place to leave my kids. They care about them and both are happy to be dropped off...

You know, every mom has these concerns. I found that our teachers were super attentive to what we had been doing leading up to her start at day care (same age) and generally very kind. Sure, your baby will sometimes cry for a few minutes longer than if you were one on one with them but my daughter lights up when she sees her primary teacher and they are in tune with her needs. Most people don't choose to work with infants unless they actually like infants. Most of them have a ton of experience and will be helpful in your parenting journey. It is normal to worry about these things and very normal to ask about them. Be open to what they have to say...it usually works out pretty well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with daycare is that there may be only one adult per four infants so it is tougher to dole out individual attention if all the babies are crying at the same time.

I don't know your finances, but is there any way you can hire a provider to come into your home and care for your baby vs. him staying in a daycare? A good nanny will be able to work with you on establishing good sleeping habits.

OP, don't let people like this make you nervous. I am sure your baby's teachers will be extremely attentive during the initial adjustment period and will work through any and all sleep issues your baby might have. Really.

Apparently you've never been responsible for three babies at once. Lots of crying while each one awaits to get the needed care most of them are used to at home.

Just a little reality check.

I really disagree with this comment - at good daycare facilities - they do not let this happen. Does it happen at some? I imagine so. Do nannies text and talk to their boyfriends and ignore a crying baby - I'm sure that happens to. Most of the larger facilities are set-up where there are multiple extra teachers that rotate through the infant rooms to help out where needed. Our facility is like that. We have a 3:1 ratio with four rotaters over 3 rooms/sections of newborn to one-year-olds. There may be multiple babies crying at once, but they are all being attending. It's not like it is one woman stuck in isolation with 3 or 4 babies.

Sounds like a nightmare to me. Sorry. Stability of caregiver is an essential ingredient of good care, especially during the very delicate first year of a baby's life.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with daycare is that there may be only one adult per four infants so it is tougher to dole out individual attention if all the babies are crying at the same time.

I don't know your finances, but is there any way you can hire a provider to come into your home and care for your baby vs. him staying in a daycare? A good nanny will be able to work with you on establishing good sleeping habits.

OP - Don't worry about this comment. I would never trust a "good nanny" where there are no eyes on what she is doing for the baby, no breaks, etc. At a good daycare facility, they will have extra hands/arms to help out when the babies are crying. At my center, I've seen the director sitting in a rocking chair comforting a crying baby. Although the ratio in many areas is 4:1, I've always seen many extra helpers come in/out and rock babies to sleep. Our nursery is right up front in the facility, and doesn't have swings/bouncers just rocking chairs and gliders. Every parent in/out of the facility can see what is going on, and I've found the women that work in the newborn nursery LOVE those babies and are really experts on getting them to sleep.

+1. Our center is amazing.

Which one is that?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with daycare is that there may be only one adult per four infants so it is tougher to dole out individual attention if all the babies are crying at the same time.

I don't know your finances, but is there any way you can hire a provider to come into your home and care for your baby vs. him staying in a daycare? A good nanny will be able to work with you on establishing good sleeping habits.

OP - Don't worry about this comment. I would never trust a "good nanny" where there are no eyes on what she is doing for the baby, no breaks, etc. At a good daycare facility, they will have extra hands/arms to help out when the babies are crying. At my center, I've seen the director sitting in a rocking chair comforting a crying baby. Although the ratio in many areas is 4:1, I've always seen many extra helpers come in/out and rock babies to sleep. Our nursery is right up front in the facility, and doesn't have swings/bouncers just rocking chairs and gliders. Every parent in/out of the facility can see what is going on, and I've found the women that work in the newborn nursery LOVE those babies and are really experts on getting them to sleep.

+1. Our center is amazing.

PP, exactly right! Look, there are a few different kinds of childcare out there and different people want different things. Let's not start a war of which kind is better. I directed an infant/toddler room with 3 teachers, 8 babies (in DC) and yes, sometimes there are a few crying. But if you stay and observe for 5 or so minutes, you'll hear a teacher saying to one "John, I hear you. You're done with that, aren't you? I'll be right there, I'm changing Larla." Or watch one teacher holding a baby for a bottle with a 9 month old right next to her, talking to both. If the babies aren't all the same age it's much better, because 9 month olds take 2 longer naps, 3 month olds take lots of shorter naps, the 12 or 15 month olds are taking 1 nap. The 3 month olds are sleeping while the olders are being fed table foods, or are painting, or using the water table.... while the olders take their 1 long nap the newborns are having tummy time..... it all works, often there aren't all 8 awake. Not going to lie, being an infant teacher is lots of work, but so is being a preschool teacher, just in very different ways!

Honestly, while parents thing that having a "non-mobile" infant room and then a "mobile infant room" is better, what that does is make all the babies the exact same age in each room, which means they are all on more similar schedules, and need the same thing at the same time.... and that's harder. I'd rather have some youngs, middles and older infants (a few 3-5 months, a few 6-10 months, a few 10-16 months) so that what they need is better balanced out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with daycare is that there may be only one adult per four infants so it is tougher to dole out individual attention if all the babies are crying at the same time.

I don't know your finances, but is there any way you can hire a provider to come into your home and care for your baby vs. him staying in a daycare? A good nanny will be able to work with you on establishing good sleeping habits.

OP, don't let people like this make you nervous. I am sure your baby's teachers will be extremely attentive during the initial adjustment period and will work through any and all sleep issues your baby might have. Really.

Apparently you've never been responsible for three babies at once. Lots of crying while each one awaits to get the needed care most of them are used to at home.

Just a little reality check.

I really disagree with this comment - at good daycare facilities - they do not let this happen. Does it happen at some? I imagine so. Do nannies text and talk to their boyfriends and ignore a crying baby - I'm sure that happens to. Most of the larger facilities are set-up where there are multiple extra teachers that rotate through the infant rooms to help out where needed. Our facility is like that. We have a 3:1 ratio with four rotaters over 3 rooms/sections of newborn to one-year-olds. There may be multiple babies crying at once, but they are all being attending. It's not like it is one woman stuck in isolation with 3 or 4 babies.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with daycare is that there may be only one adult per four infants so it is tougher to dole out individual attention if all the babies are crying at the same time.

I don't know your finances, but is there any way you can hire a provider to come into your home and care for your baby vs. him staying in a daycare? A good nanny will be able to work with you on establishing good sleeping habits.

OP - Don't worry about this comment. I would never trust a "good nanny" where there are no eyes on what she is doing for the baby, no breaks, etc. At a good daycare facility, they will have extra hands/arms to help out when the babies are crying. At my center, I've seen the director sitting in a rocking chair comforting a crying baby. Although the ratio in many areas is 4:1, I've always seen many extra helpers come in/out and rock babies to sleep. Our nursery is right up front in the facility, and doesn't have swings/bouncers just rocking chairs and gliders. Every parent in/out of the facility can see what is going on, and I've found the women that work in the newborn nursery LOVE those babies and are really experts on getting them to sleep.

What center are you at?

Anonymous wrote:Thanks so much all! Sounds like these are all things we should talk with our daycare about. I'll set up a meeting the week before she starts.

Perhaps find out your county regulations first. What county are you in?

Anonymous wrote:The problem with daycare is that there may be only one adult per four infants so it is tougher to dole out individual attention if all the babies are crying at the same time.

I don't know your finances, but is there any way you can hire a provider to come into your home and care for your baby vs. him staying in a daycare? A good nanny will be able to work with you on establishing good sleeping habits.

OP - Don't worry about this comment. I would never trust a "good nanny" where there are no eyes on what she is doing for the baby, no breaks, etc. At a good daycare facility, they will have extra hands/arms to help out when the babies are crying. At my center, I've seen the director sitting in a rocking chair comforting a crying baby. Although the ratio in many areas is 4:1, I've always seen many extra helpers come in/out and rock babies to sleep. Our nursery is right up front in the facility, and doesn't have swings/bouncers just rocking chairs and gliders. Every parent in/out of the facility can see what is going on, and I've found the women that work in the newborn nursery LOVE those babies and are really experts on getting them to sleep.

Anonymous wrote:The problem with daycare is that there may be only one adult per four infants so it is tougher to dole out individual attention if all the babies are crying at the same time.

I don't know your finances, but is there any way you can hire a provider to come into your home and care for your baby vs. him staying in a daycare? A good nanny will be able to work with you on establishing good sleeping habits.

Agree.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with daycare is that there may be only one adult per four infants so it is tougher to dole out individual attention if all the babies are crying at the same time.

I don't know your finances, but is there any way you can hire a provider to come into your home and care for your baby vs. him staying in a daycare? A good nanny will be able to work with you on establishing good sleeping habits.

OP, don't let people like this make you nervous. I am sure your baby's teachers will be extremely attentive during the initial adjustment period and will work through any and all sleep issues your baby might have. Really.

Apparently you've never been responsible for three babies at once. Lots of crying while each one awaits to get the needed care most of them are used to at home.

Just a little reality check.