Toddlers Child care

The issue of child care is becoming a bigger one, as fewer women want to stay at home and take care of the children, and women are more interested in pursuing careers. If you are just looking into daycare now, chances are you spent the first year of your child's life taking care of him or her, or relatives did it for you. Going back to work and being apart from your little one will not be easy, but it is a personal choice and your career may suffer if you stay at home any longer. You may also find it difficult to make ends meet without your income.

Now that you've decided to send your toddler to daycare, you need to find out which ones fit in your budget, and decide which is the best one for your toddler. Preferably, it should also be somewhere not too far from your home or work so that you can drop off and pick up within your schedule. Unless you are don't like any of the ones nearby, or have a particular one in mind and don't mind spending the extra travel time.

If you aren't sure which daycare to send your toddler to, try talking to people you know with toddlers in daycare, or people who may know someone. Different daycares offer different levels of care. Some emphasize education and intellectual stimulation to try and give your toddler a head start on preschool. Alternatively, you can call up ones you have seen or heard about and schedule a time to meet someone at the daycare. You should go to the meeting with a list of questions.

Your questions should include how they handle emergencies, what games and stimulation they provide for the children, how they handle bad behavior and disagreements between the toddlers, what they feed the toddlers and how often, if and how they will provide toilet training, etc. Basically, you want to cover all of the bases, and get a feel for the place. You should be able to observe the workers at their job and tour all of the facilities. Once you feel comfortable with a place that is in your price range and accessible to you, then you can feel good about leaving your toddler in their care, and giving him or her the opportunity to socialize with other toddlers.

If you prefer that your toddler have your a caregiver's undivided attention, you can always hire a nanny. However, nannies can be more expensive than day cares, and often they don't have the same education in caring for children. For example, their English language skills may not be great, and they may not be able to provide the kind of intellectual stimulation that some daycares provide. Another drawback is that your toddler likely won't get as much opportunity to socialize with other toddlers as he or she would in a daycare. However, a good nanny should give your toddler lots of tender loving care, and can provide more attention than someone taking care of several toddlers at once.  

To find a good nanny, ask around, and interview several of them before making your decision. Also ask for references. Do not settle for a nanny unless you feel completely comfortable with them and trust them wholeheartedly.

If you can't afford a nanny, it is possible that a parent, other relative or even a friend may be willing to care for your toddler for a while. If you trust this person, then by all means, take advantage of his or her generosity. Just be sure that they understand what you expect from a care provider.

If you just need a baby sitter for when you go out in the evening, then you'll want to make sure this babysitter has experience with toddlers, plenty of good references, and that you are comfortable leaving your toddler in their care.  

Make sure that all care providers have your complete contact information, and that of your partner. This includes all phone numbers and email address. This is in case they have any questions about your toddler or if there is an emergency, or less serious issue.