This was written for us by one of our subscribers explaining why they chose a crèche for their children, and how they went about it. It makes for very interesting reading, as it explains how they as parents went about finding the correct facility for their first son, and later used the same crèche for their second son.
Jacques and I decided from before our first child (Emile, 3) was born, that they would be enrolled into a crèche, and not be left in the care of family such as grandparents, or a nanny.
As hard as it might seem to others who do not share the same view, we believed that a crèche/pre-school would prepare them, not only for "big school" but also for life. Socializing with others (from baby), would give that child a head start in life. It was not an easy decision to make, but we stuck to our decision, against the will of certain family members.
We did our homework before deciding on the right crèche/school. Only the best would do. We interviewed other parents, conducted an arranged visit to the crèche and followed soon after with an unexpected inspection. The crèche we decided on was close to home and work, fortunately I had met the school mistress a few years before, so that gave us an added advantage of knowing the head mistress. I also knew a couple of the parents personally, so the choice was pretty easy, as we discussed the crèche with them.
The crèche was clean, security was very good, the baby care facilities were safe, clean and there was ample space for young ones to explore the world. The kitchen was spotless, and the food smelled great. The care givers were great with the babies, trained in first aid methods, child care/stimulation, and all the little ones received the same attention.
I had a few requests, which I respectfully discussed with the head mistress, and these instructions; which were not unreasonable requests; were followed, right up to the time my first born left the baby room when he was two. He received all the attention and stimulation that he demanded, as he started walking at an early age, and was a very busy young one.
I promised myself I would not cry when I dropped him off for his first day without his mommy, ensuring that he kept to his routine, that he got his feeds on time, and ensuring he had a clean bum. I was nervous, but I also knew my son was in good - great hands, and that he would be fine. The head mistress assured me that everything would be alright. And I didn't cry. Having our kids Emile, 3 and Stefan, 1) in a crèche is the best choice we could have made.
If we look at his development since he has joined compared to other children who have not gone to crèches, he is very advanced for his age. His brother, Stefan has made huge progress already.
Although not all parents will agree with decisions such as we made, we feel ours was the correct one. Our young ones grow so fast, and the importance of developing at this age, between 3 months and 6 years, creates the basis for all future development.
Article by: Jacques and Gina Goosen - Alberton
We feel that the lessons learnt by these parents are very important, and hope that all our subscribers will find this letter helpful.
Watch out for our next newsletter when we will be looking at the importance of contracts for your employees, as well as looking at the different industry specific clauses in contracts.
