Mummy Littlefire says hello

[buds]

Heyya littlefire,


Like i mentioned earlier, kindergarten is suitable if
you’re a stay home parent or have a reliable caregiver.

Meaning your child gets the academics required for the
3hrs in kindergarten, but yet goes home gets nutritious
home cooked food (not with subsidised portions of meat,
chicken and everything yummy), guided-play with parent
or caregiver (not free play), rest-time in own comfy bed
(not on a PVC mattress on the childcare floor… with so
many other children), get to reinforce with home-made
or bought materials with child on a one-to-one basis (not
in a large group and shared materials) and get spare $$$
to allot child for other of his interests.

If child stays stays home and just left to play, then the stay
home parent or the caregiver has to put in effort to enforce
reinforcements on the kindy lessons. Have a prepared time
table to manage child’s time efficiently. If the said people at
home cannot afford to spend such time at home with child,
then probably the childcare is a better choice.

Pro-active parents and caregivers can save $$$ by doing a
lotta activities with children at home by providing an interesting
variety of learn-thru-play ideas. I’m a stay-home-parent so I
wud prefer to save the "care $$$" provided in childcare, by
caring for them myself. ie. shower, nap, b’fast, lunch, etc…
Plus on top of that i kiasu as well. I find, myself as a mum can
do the care job better than any childcare teacher. And i can be
assured that my children won’t be subjected to corporal punish-
ment, or unprofessional screaming teachers, or boring curriculum.

A childcare curriculum is no different from the one in kindergarten.
Its just that what needs to be taught in a kindergarten can be done
in the few hours compactly unlike in a childcare set up the lessons
are dragged till closure time for childcare. I shud say teachers are
a more important factor as, if the teacher is unreliable then your
child who is being placed in a childcare (half day or full day) is
not getting the best care during the time he/she spends in there.
Even with the best of curriculums, the teacher will not reach out
diligently to explore the best potentials in all the children under
her care.

Financial situations, family circumstances and practises vary between
families. So, as a matter of personal opinion and also based on
my experience with early childhood set-ups, I for one vote for
kindergarten. It shud not be determined as a general application
to all other families, but more for merely sharing with other parents
here…

For families with both parents working, and without alternative caregiver
they wud have no choice but to leave the caring and the teaching to a
childcare centre and all the time hoping the child is in good hands so
that they can carry on with their careers with peace of mind. Some
parents who both work and not due to personal career pursuits but
for the much needed extra income to sustain the family’s requirements.
There are a few who find they’re not good with kids themselves, hence
a childcare with teachers can do a better job. So, it really really varies
between every family.

Tamarind is one parent who is as pro-active as myself.
Visit her threads to see how she taught herself to find ways
and means to reinforce lessons with her children creatively.
It displays an unconditional mother’s love and her efforts are
exemplary.

[Littlefire]

i agreed that it really depends on the cc curriculum. ds has been to 3 different cc already, his current cc seems to have more activities, discipline and more systematic except for what buds mentioned.


i totally agreed with what buds says on this,

\"Meaning your child gets the academics required for the
3hrs in kindergarten, but yet goes home gets nutritious
home cooked food (not with subsidised portions of meat,
chicken and everything yummy), guided-play with parent
or caregiver (not free play), rest-time in own comfy bed
(not on a PVC mattress on the childcare floor.... with so
many other children), get to reinforce with home-made
or bought materials with child on a one-to-one basis (not
in a large group and shared materials) and get spare $$$
to allot child for other of his interests\"

i have read Tamarind's blog, very informative indeed.