Questions to ask when looking for the right daycare for your baby

Finding a daycare for your infant is hard. Not only is the search process a rollercoaster, but it also feels gut-wrenching to part with your baby, even for a couple of hours. Of course, you want to find the best daycare possible for your baby to start his/her development at. Here are some questions that are helpful to keep in mind during the search:

How do the teachers interact with the babies?

The experiences a baby goes through in the first two years are immensely impactful for his/her growth and development. During 0-12 months, your baby is learning the foundations of trust and safety. It is important to seek caregivers that can provide a sense of reliability, care, and affection. Lack of this will lead to mistrust, in not only caregivers, but the environment as well. An infant's first social achievement is being able to let the mother or caregiver out of sight without anxiety or rage because baby knows that the mother will return. This opportunity to build positive relationships with new caregivers will nurture a strong attachment style, which has significant effects for your baby's long-term social development.

What kind of language and communication is used at school?

Babies are constantly absorbing and reflecting the environment around them, especially the body language of caregivers and the words that are spoken to them even if they cannot fully understand language yet. It maybe be helpful to observe what kind of language the teachers use at the school and how they communicate to the children. Are they encouraging healthy communication styles by offering transparency and asking for permission? A good example of this is when the teacher asks for permission ("can I pick you up, please?") or transparency ("I'm going to pick you up now"). By doing so, they begin a dialogue of understanding and trust between your baby and the caregiver, which is mirrored by your baby's actions.

How is the environment arranged?

The physical, auditory, and social environments are all 3 crucial conditions to pay attention to. The physical environment should be safe, warm, inviting, and set up to reduce the amount of negative words used. In a Montessori classroom, the auditory environment is dominated by the childrens' voices - adult voices do not dominate and activities are child-centered and child led. One of the biggest advantages of daycare is your child's ability to build relationships with other children in a supervised environment. Qualified teachers are trained to model prosocial behavior, which plays a huge role in developing empathy and compassion for your child in the long run.

Does the daycare offer a gradual start period?

Especially after the pandemic, many babies are entering daycares for the first time. And for some, this may be their first time ever interacting with larger groups of peers. Half-day programs, usually from the early morning to noon, are a great way for your baby to gradually adapt to new faces, schedules, and spaces. Some schools, like Brighter Tomorrow Montessori, offer half-day programs (8am-12pm) for the first two months to allow your baby to comfortably transition.

Does the school set goals for their kids?

At Brighter Tomorrow Montessori, we are extremely proud about our Montessori goal-based curriculum. We like to start off with simple goals, such as building trust (socially and environmentally), the gradual budding independence, and exercising grace & courtesy. Because the Montessori curriculum is unique to each child and his/her developmental stages, we believe that setting these goals gives the children a point of focus within the multi-age classroom. Younger children will also see their older peers as leaders and mentors, and will learn to build strong relationships while working together towards their individual goals.

Are meals and snacks provided?

Attending a school that provides prepared meals and snacks is such an added benefit to the hustle and bustle of a parent's life. Be sure to inquire about meal policy at your school and what is included. Brighter Tomorrow is proud to offer 2 snacks, lunch, and daily milk for our children. This benefit is included in our tuition, as is potty training.

Do the teachers update the parents often?

For parents, one of the many advantages of enrolling your child at Brighter Tomorrow Montessori is being able to see messages, updates, and pictures of their child. Parents are able send and receive messages and photos of their child throughout the day. The school has water-play activities today? No problem, teachers can capture the children's precious joy and share photos while mommy or daddy is at work.

Help your child thrive at Brighter Tomorrow Montessori!

Choosing a daycare can be daunting and stressful, but we are here to relieve you of that stress and are dedicated to giving your child the best learning and social experience possible.

Our mission is to help children achieve their full potentials by focusing on the sequential steps of learning. We teach with the Montessori philosophy, thereby promoting self-directed learning through new experiences, in a safe and trusting environment that develops your child’s self confidence.

Read about Our Programs and the steps on How to Enroll!

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