tips to finding and staying with a daycare center.

As an old daycare center employee I know the importance of finding the right daycare and knowing you can trust the people and the center with your child/children. I left the daycare center I was at due to the number of violations I was finding and when I left I also reported them. So here are some tips to try to help you find a daycare that is safe and you can trust.

1. Don't be afraid to ask to see background checks or even for information to run your own.
2. Always ask questions not only to the staff but to parents and even older children as well.
3. Always check for reviews on the daycare and remember no reviews can be bad reviews.
4. Don't be afraid to look around on your tour, how are they storing food, what is the child staff ratio, are the activities safe, and is the play area outside safe.
5. Don't be afraid to call the state and check on the centers license and any background on the center when it comes to complaints.
6. Ask neighbors weather it's people who live or work around the center what they witness at the center and if they ever see anything unusual.
7. Always  be aware of everything going on.
8. If you don't feel comfortable or things don't seem right chances are it's for a good reason never doubt your instinct.
9. Check the safety of cribs, highchairs, bottle making area, sinks, changing area, and make sure any doors are secure and your child can't get out of the room without being detected.
10. Always make sure the center is secure and has safety proceedures in place and ask them what they do to make sure nobody else can leave with your child.

Once you find a daycare remember you can change your mind if your not happy with the center. Things you need to watch for once in the center are:

1. Is your child always in a clean diaper when you show up
2. The center is suppossed to log feedings, diaper changes, any bumps or bruises so never be afraid to ask for copies of these and for safety measure always do a head to toe check with the teachers upon drop off and pick up and document any marks on your child for safety reasons
3. If new staff is comming in don't hesitate to ask questions
4. If there is a high turn over rate I would be asking why. There has to be a reason if staff and children don't stick around long.
5. Is your child acting strange when coming home or does your child fight going to daycare? There has to be a reason why DO NOT JUST ASSUME IT'S SEPERATION ANXIETY.
6. You have a right as a parent to call or stop in and check on your child take advantage of this.
7. Always listen to what your child is trying to tell you because a daycare will cover up for staff, children, and parents but your child will not.

So there are my tips for daycares. You have to make sure you can trust who your child is with and that your child is safe. 

4 and 5 weeks.

The 4th week went great we took our little girl on her first family vacation to Kinney Minnesota and Chisom Minnesota to see her Grandpa and Grandma and it was a blast she just loved being outside. That week the off clip on's and bug netting became our best friend to keep the bugs away and then on days we were out all day and didn't know if shade would be much of an option we used Aveeno baby sunblock. Don't worry every one her Dr approved it said it was better then a sun burn. It seems to me like she might love the outdoors as much as her mommy and daddy do. And yes her grandparents loved her and enjoyed being with her and we are hoping to make the trip again soon.

I will admit I was a little worried about taking her on her first trip so before we could even go I made the hubby check were the nearest hospital's and everything were just in case. I also made him check on how many stops were along the route and the longest times in between places to stop just so I could prepare. But with the right preparation and having everything we needed the trip was all in all pretty easy and we had a wonderful time.

And now this 5th week hasn't been to bad she is staying awake more and really expressing herself and her and daddy seem to have a lot of fun while mommy is at work. It was hard for me to go back to work and leave my little girl home but I have to work to make sure my baby girl has everything her little heart wants and everything she needs. Having my little girl has really changed me for the better and I couldn't imagine life without her. She has completed me and made me the luckiest women in the world. I just can't wait to see what the next big milestone will be. As she has been holding her head up for short periods on her own and has started to hold her own bottle at times.

I must admit though it is kinda funny when your not moving fast enough and she gets mad because then she will start to scream and head butt you and sometimes it can be funny. I just love knowing that no matter how bad of a day I have had I can see her smile and it makes it all worth while and makes me feel ten times better. It just makes me wonder how some people can forget about the love there children offer.