Too Shy, Shy - #10

There are many reasons why a child is shy. It could be because their parents were shy. Or maybe something happened to the child and now they are scared to talk to people. These are reasons for being shy that can be very difficult to over come. But if you are looking for a nice and easy way to break your child from their shell and make them, shall we say, anti anti-social. (Get it, double negative) The answer is: daycare. Growing up I was terribly shy. I didn’t really come out of my shell until I was in high school and college. Actually, I’m still shy. Angie was a little shy, but from what I hear not too much. I’ve known her for about 12 years now and I’ve never known her to hold back. I had a feeling though Lenka would be just like me and to avoid this we made sure to send her to daycare as soon as possible, 3 to 4 months old. This gave her the opportunity to be around other kids and interact with them on a daily basis. Her communication skills are so much better then I think they would have if we decided to not send her. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying keeping your kids home and being a stay at home mom or dad is wrong. It is your choice and this is America . I am just a huge believer that daycare provides so much more then just a babysitting service. My 2 year old has best friends, and she’s had them for over a year. Because of her rapid development and her very outgoing personality we are hoping the same from Janika, our 9 month old.

Now a big “ouch” factor that goes along with daycare is cost. Luckily we found a daycare that offers very good rates. Plus it is run by Angie’s sister so that makes the girls comfortable because they are around family all day. Then again, all of the employees at Aunt April’s Learning Center are like family to my girls. We did start with a brick and mortar daycare and we didn’t really like it. We only went with it because it was close to our house. I definitely suggest doing your research before selecting a daycare. Below are a few things to consider when doing this. (Courtesy of www.familydoctor.org) You never know, you may get lucky like Angie and I did.

- How many children are there for each staff member? (One staff person for 3 to 5 small children and one staff member for 7 to 10 older children)
- Are the younger and older children separated?
- What are the center's policies on discipline and other important issues?
- How does the center take care of sick children?
- What are the training requirements for staff members?

Finally, here are some signs that the daycare you’ve chosen may have some problems:
- The staff fails to answer your questions and address your concerns.
- There is no way for parents to be involved in the day-care practices.
- Your child tells you about problems or is not happy with his or her day care experience.
- Unexplained accidents happen more than once.
- The staff changes often.
- The management can't offer you a written copy of the day-care policies.
- Other parents tell you about problems or concerns with the day-care center.

It's hard to say 'No' - #9

Angie and I recently decided that our oldest daughter is snacking way too much; especially when the snacks that she is having are very unhealthy. So we are going to start cutting down on the snacks that she has and when she does we are going to try to make sure they are as healthy as possible, or at least portion controlled. Tuesday was one of our first days of this nice little venture and being 2 years old, she proceeded into a huge fit. Not only was there screaming and stomping, but there were tears pouring down her face. On the ride home from day care she started naming every one of her teachers asking for help. The fit ended when she uttered the words “You’re not my friend anymore”. Now this did break my heart, but not thirty minutes later we were playing and laughing.

Being a parent of children at this age can be very difficult, but you have to stick it out. Being the parent it is your job to mold them and make sure they grow up not only healthy, but well mannered. We have to act they way we want them to act. Their attitude and the way the treat others when they are in their teens and even in adult hood will fall on you, not Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Teachers, etc. So stick it out parents and remember in the end it will be all worth it. Oh yeah…they do love you.