Childcare or no Childcare?

[dokomo]

Thanks for both your advises.


Yes, the centre allows me to start with half days and proceed to full days after that. (but I am still paying full days fees) She will have an excursion on her 3rd day, i am hoping she will enjoy it and like school.

I will probably put her there half day on first day and see how it goes from second days onwards. Guess I am the one who is more anxious. She has already said she doesn't want to go to school when i prepared her mentally for full day school and how school will be fun.

[Fuzz]

All the best dokomo, hope your girl adjusts well to school!


My friend’s daughter just started attending pre-nursery this year. She cried like mad the first week, still cried during the 2nd week but not so badly, 3rd week she was ok but still a bit reluctant. She took a while to adapt but now she totally loves going to school!

[rachelam]

Fuzz:

Hi dokomo


Does the centre allow you to start off with half days then switch to full days? If you can do that, maybe that will help. Some centres don't even allow parents to hang around and accompany their kids after the first day. It's very hard to let go, I know! Totally understand your worries.

Yes childcare can be quite traumatic for the kids initially. Esp if you go directly into the full day program. But it's sort of like throwing them in the deep end of the pool. They usually learn to swim much faster.

I know it's easier said than done, but try not to worry too much. Children are usually hardier than we think. Just work closely with the teachers and centre manager, find out how your girl is adapting, ask them to let you know how you can help. All the best!

Hi Fuzz, I agree with you. My child is about 2 and I sent her to the stamford little genius full day program directly. Like you mentioned, it was really painful to drop and leave my daughter, sort of like what you mentioned - throwing her in the deep end of the pool.

Just a week into her program, my daughter started adjusting better. Quite pleased that Stamford little genius allows me to start off with a full day trial at only $40 per week before considering to switch my daughter to a half day program.

I am looking for a good chinese program. Any recommendations?

[dokomo]

rachelam:

Fuzz:

Hi dokomo


Does the centre allow you to start off with half days then switch to full days? If you can do that, maybe that will help. Some centres don't even allow parents to hang around and accompany their kids after the first day. It's very hard to let go, I know! Totally understand your worries.

Yes childcare can be quite traumatic for the kids initially. Esp if you go directly into the full day program. But it's sort of like throwing them in the deep end of the pool. They usually learn to swim much faster.

I know it's easier said than done, but try not to worry too much. Children are usually hardier than we think. Just work closely with the teachers and centre manager, find out how your girl is adapting, ask them to let you know how you can help. All the best!

Hi Fuzz, I agree with you. My child is about 2 and I sent her to the stamford little genius full day program directly. Like you mentioned, it was really painful to drop and leave my daughter, sort of like what you mentioned - throwing her in the deep end of the pool.

Just a week into her program, my daughter started adjusting better. Quite pleased that Stamford little genius allows me to start off with a full day trial at only $40 per week before considering to switch my daughter to a half day program.

I am looking for a good chinese program. Any recommendations?

Hi Fuzz,
Agree with you, putting them at full day ccc is like throwing them into the deep end of the pool. Btw, do most ccc make the kids do colouring at least 2 times a day generally?

Hi rachelam,
may I have some feedback from you about stamford little genius pls? Is it good? How is the curriculum like and teacher to kiddo ratio?

[princesskaris]

HI I am new to the forum would like to seek some advice here.


I am currently torn between putting my girl who is turning 3 years old next year to Kindergarten or a childcare centre. I have the option to put my daughter at kindergarten because I am currently working part-time and will be able to fetch her back from her 3-hour class on some days. On other days, she can take the schoolbus back to my mother in law’s house which is just a stone’s throw away from school and kindergarten. By the way, the kindergarten which I have shortlisted is just 5 min walk from my home and 8 min drive from my mil’s house. The school seems to have very loving and caring teachers and I can see that the children are very happy during my visit there.

On the other hand, I have also shortlisted a premium childcare centre that seems to have a very comprehensive curriculum and I am thinking whether I should put her there for half a day first and convert her to full day when she is in nursey level. She will take the schoolbus back to my mil’s house and hubby will fetch her to school daily. I am very attracted by the school’s curriculum.

Both schools have their pros and cons. I am really having a headache over the selection of choice. anyone can help? Thanks!

[DesertWind]

princesskaris:

I am currently torn between putting my girl who is turning 3 years old next year to Kindergarten or a childcare centre.

Both schools have their pros and cons. I am really having a headache over the selection of choice. anyone can help? Thanks!

Hi princesskaris,

Wow, this type of question very difficult to answer. Because actually it really depends on what you want! Because yes, for kindy, you will really need the home-support to be able to fetch your girl home. For a CCC, you can opt to put her there for longer hours.

If you ask me, my 2-cents worth of opinion would be to put her to the kindy which is much nearer to you since it would be the first time she is going to school is it? Then when she is older you can decide whether to change her to the premium pre-school you mentioned.

Furthermore, the school fees between this kindy and premium school must be quite large. Presumably it is not an issue for you.

Really again the choice is yours!

[princesskaris]

desertwind, thanks so much for your reply.. really appreciate it!


Yes, my daughter is attending school for the first time... Think I have more or less decided to put her to the half-day child-care centre since I would prefer a more academic environment. The hours are more flexible and I can bring her there earlier or later, likewise for fetching her home, as compared to Kindy which has a fixed schedule. Finally decided to choose the more academic choice and I can't choose to put her at the kindy during pre-nursery and transfer her to the cc during nursery level because the cc has super long wait list and I need to enrol her during pre-nursery level to secure a place there.

Anyway, hope that I have made the right choice.. wish me luck!

[Fuzz]

rachelam:

Hi Fuzz, I agree with you. My child is about 2 and I sent her to the stamford little genius full day program directly. Like you mentioned, it was really painful to drop and leave my daughter, sort of like what you mentioned - throwing her in the deep end of the pool.

Just a week into her program, my daughter started adjusting better. Quite pleased that Stamford little genius allows me to start off with a full day trial at only $40 per week before considering to switch my daughter to a half day program.

I am looking for a good chinese program. Any recommendations?

Hi rachelam, glad to hear that your daughter is adjusting better after only a week. That's great!

Yes I agree that it really helps if the school has a more flexible system of allowing you to do a trial to see if you/yr kid is more comfortable with full day or half day. Some centres can be very rigid and I think that makes things tough for parents who don't know what to expect and don't know how their kids will react and adjust to the programme. I know that such changes/flexibility makes it hard for the school. But personally I feel that if they're more flexible, it's also an indication that they may be more caring and their main concern is the child's wellbeing, rather than just running the business efficiently.

As for Chinese programs, I've heard that Berries is quite good. I find private tuition more effective though.

[Fuzz]

dokomo:

Hi Fuzz,

Agree with you, putting them at full day ccc is like throwing them into the deep end of the pool. Btw, do most ccc make the kids do colouring at least 2 times a day generally?

Hmm personally I don't like the idea of doing so much colouring! What purpose does it serve? I never heard of any centre doing it twice a day. To me, it sounds like a lazy way out. Easier for the teachers. Just give the kids colouring pencils and some drawings and leave them to do their own thing.

I've read quite a lot about early childhood education and also learnt from friends and relatives who are in the industry. It's actually not ideal to make kids do colouring on ready-made templates. It doesn't teach them creativity. It's better to give them the art materials and let them create their own artworks.

[dokomo]

Fuzz:

dokomo:

Hi Fuzz,

Agree with you, putting them at full day ccc is like throwing them into the deep end of the pool. Btw, do most ccc make the kids do colouring at least 2 times a day generally?

Hmm personally I don't like the idea of doing so much colouring! What purpose does it serve? I never heard of any centre doing it twice a day. To me, it sounds like a lazy way out. Easier for the teachers. Just give the kids colouring pencils and some drawings and leave them to do their own thing.

I've read quite a lot about early childhood education and also learnt from friends and relatives who are in the industry. It's actually not ideal to make kids do colouring on ready-made templates. It doesn't teach them creativity. It's better to give them the art materials and let them create their own artworks.

Hi Fuzz,
Never occur to me that colouring may hinder their creativity. Thanks for the pointer.

Btw, I have dropped my kid from the childcare after she attended for 2 days. She has gone back to her previous 2 hours playgroup now. She is much happier there. Have personally \"experienced\" their day to day activities. Felt my kid's time will be wasted if she continues there. Rather send her to 2 hours and supplement with enrichment classes. Actual learning (if there is at all!) is less than an hour. The teachers are mostly pre-occupied with serving the kids meals, cleaning them up etc. Seems short-handed.

Regarding the colouring part, its true its the lazy way out for the teachers. One colouring was held during the english time slot and another colouring held during chinese time slot. Plus the teachers just dump the papers and crayons to the kids and let them colour by themselves without much explaining what is the meaning of the picture or the words that come with the colouring sheet. Then the teachers will be bz with more cleaning up again.

Wonder if i am expecting too much or if this is the norm cos my nephew at another ccc also does a lot of colourings.