we have alwayd said that Ethan goes to day care when he reach 12 month. that'd be next Feb. Both of us grew up in daycare when we were little. or maybe I didn;t, I was at a homecare for 6 days a week, only went home on sundays (back then we didn't have Saturday off).of course I didn't remember anything other than what had been told by my parents. it felt OK untill I had Ethan, I couldn't imagin leaving him for more than 12 hours. I guess I am becomin a control freak, I just don't trust anyone, surely they maybe know more about babies, but I care him the most. I told myself that I will take Ethan to daycare next year. but the more I think about it, the more I hate that idea. it makes my feel sad :-( I know he wants me ...maybe not, he'd be fine, he will survive and he will learn and cope. he is my boy, he will do well, but I still feel sad leaving him with strangers. bunch kids ... the image of him being with a group of stranger kids and teachers in a crowded room just breaks my heart. but it is good for him, isn't it? he needs to grow up, but he is still a baby. I wish I could spend more time with him, I wish they do part time program. maybe I will do 4 days but not taking him on Fridays.
daycares are expensive too. average $1000/month. Alex has felt in love with the Creme-de-Creme which is really nice but we will be really at stretch. I doubt it worth it. I think he is who he is and he follows his own path. I could not change him for what I like and noboby can and noboby should. he will grow and become who he destinated to be despite what we had hoped. it is all about him ... not me ...right? I need to love and accept no matter what...
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Monday, October 8, 2007
Child care
Choosing a Daycare Center
Choosing the proper daycare center for your child should be a carefully thought out and researched process. With some daycare centers being exceptional and some being just plain bad, it is important to pick a center that helps your child grow and develop his skills while also having fun.
There are several advantages to having your child in a daycare center. Good centers have a mix of activities that will teach different skills. Projects that lead to creativity, storytelling, dancing, and singing all help the child learn instead of just playing all day. Children also get to socialize with other children, which they wouldn't get to do as often if they were at home with a nanny. Finally, the centers are more stable and consistent than nannies because the center will watch your child even if a teacher is sick.
There are, however, a few disadvantages to daycare centers. Children and babies usually don't get the one-on-one attention they would get if they were at home with a parent or nanny. Children can also be more likely to get sick since they are exposed to more germs from all the children. While centers are usually very structured and have clear rules for parents to follow such as those regarding picking up your child, a disadvantage is that you could incur fees for picking up your child late, having to find a place for your child on holidays, or finding someone to watch your child if he or she becomes sick and is sent home by the center.
To assist you in finding the appropriate daycare center, we have listed steps below that will guide you through finding a good daycare center and noticing the signs of a good daycare center , as well as recognizing the signs of a bad daycare center.
Finding a good daycare center
Make a list of what's important to you. Do you want a center close to home? Close to work? Do you want your children to be with several children or prefer smaller groups?
Research all your possibilities. Ask your friends, family, doctors, and referral agencies for centers they would recommend. Look on the Internet and in the phone book for other possible centers. When doing your research, be sure to think about your list of important topics. Is the center accredited by the National Association for the Education for Young Children or the National Association of Family Child Care? Has the center received any local award or recognition?
Once you have a list of possible centers, call them on the phone and ask some preliminary questions. This is a very important step. Make sure you remember your initial feeling of the conversation and write down if you had a good or bad feeling, including what made you feel that way. You should ask about their policies, hours, fees, activities, and philosophies on teaching children. Are they flexible to help you with your schedule? Will they accommodate your special requests? What is their teacher to child ratio? Do they change activities frequently? Do they have experienced teachers?
Narrow down your list by crossing off the centers you had a bad feeling about. Next, visit and interview the center you had a good feeling about. Get a list of the activities and look around at the facility. Is the center a warm, clean, safe environment in which you think your child would learn and have fun? Be sure to pay close attention to the actual teacher to child ratio during your visit to verify what they told you it was over the phone. Also, ask any more questions you may have and make sure the director is allowing you free access to look at everything you want to see or know about. Again, your gut feeling is most important.
Narrow down your list again then start checking references. Call parents of children who are currently at the center or have had children at the center in the past. Ask their opinion of the center and if they would recommend it to you. If their child is no longer at the center, ask why.
Take you child to the center for a visit. Observe how your child acts in the environment and around the teachers. Does your child seem comfortable? Do you think your child would be happy at the center?
Once you find a daycare center that meets your qualifications and one that you feel your child would like, enroll your child. If there is a waiting list, get your name on the list and find a temporary caregiver until a spot becomes open.
Signs of a good daycare center
Reputation: The references you talk to should be very happy with the center. If they are unsure or have doubt, you probably will too.
Caring and qualified staff: The staff should be enthusiastic and interact with the children in a positive way that shows they really care. The staff should have a philosophy about discipline, feeding and sleeping that follows your philosophy. The employees should be educated with at least two years of college, a background in child development, along with first aid training and knowledge of CPR. The following is the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended child-staff ratio.
Age
Child-Staff Ratio
*Maximum Group Size*
Birth-12 months
3:1
6
13-30 months
4:1
8
31-35 months
5:1
10
3-year-olds
7:1
14
4-5-year-olds
8:1
16
6-8-year-olds
10:1
20
9-12 year olds
12:1
24
Safe, clean facility: A good center has floors, walls, bathrooms, kitchen and changing stations that are clean, well lit, and ventilated. There should be established policies on how to keep things clean, when and how often hands are washed, and how to keep toys and equipment in safe working order. The center should have an emergency plan, with first aid kits, fire extinguishers, and childproof storage areas. All general child safety issues should be followed.
Established rules and policies: A good center will be flexible but it should follow set hours, have enforced rules on sick children, and will require checkups and immunizations to prevent the spread of illness. The center should have an open door policy that allows you to stop for a visit unannounced. If they don't have this policy, they might be hiding something.
A complete schedule of activities: Good centers will have a schedule that allows for play time, quiet time, individual activities, meals, snacks, and group activities. One thing that should not be included in a good schedule is TV and videos. A good center teaches a wide variety of topics, while at the same time, teaching things appropriate for the age group. Also look for toys that are appropriate for the age of your child. These toys should be fun, while letting the child be imaginative and creative.
A current license: While a license doesn't guarantee the center will work for you, the center should be licensed by your local city services department. Also look and see if the center is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Licensing laws vary from state to state. You can find your state's child care regulatory agency, along with other helpful information at the ChildCareAware website.
Choosing the proper daycare center for your child should be a carefully thought out and researched process. With some daycare centers being exceptional and some being just plain bad, it is important to pick a center that helps your child grow and develop his skills while also having fun.
There are several advantages to having your child in a daycare center. Good centers have a mix of activities that will teach different skills. Projects that lead to creativity, storytelling, dancing, and singing all help the child learn instead of just playing all day. Children also get to socialize with other children, which they wouldn't get to do as often if they were at home with a nanny. Finally, the centers are more stable and consistent than nannies because the center will watch your child even if a teacher is sick.
There are, however, a few disadvantages to daycare centers. Children and babies usually don't get the one-on-one attention they would get if they were at home with a parent or nanny. Children can also be more likely to get sick since they are exposed to more germs from all the children. While centers are usually very structured and have clear rules for parents to follow such as those regarding picking up your child, a disadvantage is that you could incur fees for picking up your child late, having to find a place for your child on holidays, or finding someone to watch your child if he or she becomes sick and is sent home by the center.
To assist you in finding the appropriate daycare center, we have listed steps below that will guide you through finding a good daycare center and noticing the signs of a good daycare center , as well as recognizing the signs of a bad daycare center.
Finding a good daycare center
Make a list of what's important to you. Do you want a center close to home? Close to work? Do you want your children to be with several children or prefer smaller groups?
Research all your possibilities. Ask your friends, family, doctors, and referral agencies for centers they would recommend. Look on the Internet and in the phone book for other possible centers. When doing your research, be sure to think about your list of important topics. Is the center accredited by the National Association for the Education for Young Children or the National Association of Family Child Care? Has the center received any local award or recognition?
Once you have a list of possible centers, call them on the phone and ask some preliminary questions. This is a very important step. Make sure you remember your initial feeling of the conversation and write down if you had a good or bad feeling, including what made you feel that way. You should ask about their policies, hours, fees, activities, and philosophies on teaching children. Are they flexible to help you with your schedule? Will they accommodate your special requests? What is their teacher to child ratio? Do they change activities frequently? Do they have experienced teachers?
Narrow down your list by crossing off the centers you had a bad feeling about. Next, visit and interview the center you had a good feeling about. Get a list of the activities and look around at the facility. Is the center a warm, clean, safe environment in which you think your child would learn and have fun? Be sure to pay close attention to the actual teacher to child ratio during your visit to verify what they told you it was over the phone. Also, ask any more questions you may have and make sure the director is allowing you free access to look at everything you want to see or know about. Again, your gut feeling is most important.
Narrow down your list again then start checking references. Call parents of children who are currently at the center or have had children at the center in the past. Ask their opinion of the center and if they would recommend it to you. If their child is no longer at the center, ask why.
Take you child to the center for a visit. Observe how your child acts in the environment and around the teachers. Does your child seem comfortable? Do you think your child would be happy at the center?
Once you find a daycare center that meets your qualifications and one that you feel your child would like, enroll your child. If there is a waiting list, get your name on the list and find a temporary caregiver until a spot becomes open.
Signs of a good daycare center
Reputation: The references you talk to should be very happy with the center. If they are unsure or have doubt, you probably will too.
Caring and qualified staff: The staff should be enthusiastic and interact with the children in a positive way that shows they really care. The staff should have a philosophy about discipline, feeding and sleeping that follows your philosophy. The employees should be educated with at least two years of college, a background in child development, along with first aid training and knowledge of CPR. The following is the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended child-staff ratio.
Age
Child-Staff Ratio
*Maximum Group Size*
Birth-12 months
3:1
6
13-30 months
4:1
8
31-35 months
5:1
10
3-year-olds
7:1
14
4-5-year-olds
8:1
16
6-8-year-olds
10:1
20
9-12 year olds
12:1
24
Safe, clean facility: A good center has floors, walls, bathrooms, kitchen and changing stations that are clean, well lit, and ventilated. There should be established policies on how to keep things clean, when and how often hands are washed, and how to keep toys and equipment in safe working order. The center should have an emergency plan, with first aid kits, fire extinguishers, and childproof storage areas. All general child safety issues should be followed.
Established rules and policies: A good center will be flexible but it should follow set hours, have enforced rules on sick children, and will require checkups and immunizations to prevent the spread of illness. The center should have an open door policy that allows you to stop for a visit unannounced. If they don't have this policy, they might be hiding something.
A complete schedule of activities: Good centers will have a schedule that allows for play time, quiet time, individual activities, meals, snacks, and group activities. One thing that should not be included in a good schedule is TV and videos. A good center teaches a wide variety of topics, while at the same time, teaching things appropriate for the age group. Also look for toys that are appropriate for the age of your child. These toys should be fun, while letting the child be imaginative and creative.
A current license: While a license doesn't guarantee the center will work for you, the center should be licensed by your local city services department. Also look and see if the center is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Licensing laws vary from state to state. You can find your state's child care regulatory agency, along with other helpful information at the ChildCareAware website.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Sick XiaoXiong sucks
Ethan had a temperature last Wed(9.26). it started in afternoon and it went up to 102F before we gave him Tylohone. he had to have it again every 4 hours. on Thursday it didn't get any better, he refused to eat anything other than nursing. we tried everything to give him more fluid cause he sweat a lot and his temperature went up to 103.5F in the afternoon. he'd threw up if I force him taking the Tylonone, Alex had to got out to get cherry flavour in the evening, but the temperature didn't drop much after taking it, so 2 hours later, alex was out again this time we got Motrin. it worked for almost 6 hrs. (he sweat so much) before his tempearture went back to 103F. after the midnight Tylonone, he was fine in the morning, so I went to work, but by 11am, his tempertature came back. took him to the doctor's at 3pm. we were told it was virus. and he should have red rush after the fever went away. and guess what? it did!! Sunday his face, forehead, chest, belly were all poted with red rush. they look scaring but didn't both Ethan. he was eating and playing ;-) hew~~~~~~ by later Sunday, he seemd back to normal, pooped twinc a day. Monday still more red rush ... and Tuesday he woke up with no rush at all. yeah, miracle!! ;-D
Monday, October 1, 2007
belated trip report/Happy natioal day
it has been almost a month since we came back from China. too much to say about the trip while too lazy to start.
things we packed for the trip for Ethan:
things that didn't get used much
highlights
things we packed for the trip for Ethan:
- Clothes PJx1 / blanketx2 hat / sunglasses Diaper / wipe
- Bath travel pack towel bottom cream q-tips
- Toys - a bag full
- Feeding formula /solid food bowl / spoon bottle/ nipple pump
- Medication sun screen / bug repellent allergy / anti-itchy tellonone
- Gears Diaper bag/sling / baby carrier booster seat travel bed stroller
- Camera, DV,
- nursing pad, more baby clothes for Ethan - baby stuff are expensive in B!!
things that didn't get used much
- travel bed: only used on the airplane (DFW to Narita) , he was held pretty much all the time on the way back.
- booster seat: only use a couple of times at home. most resteraunt has high chair.
- PJs: it was too hot to wear them
- pump: used only once, nursing schedule was all messed up by the 13-hr jet lag.
highlights
- early bird gets the worm. bulkhead seat will only be assigned at the gate (not at the check in counter in DFW with AA). there are pros and cons for bulkhead seats. you definitely get more leg room, for infant under 20lb or 6 month, a bassinet can be attached to the partition wall. Ethan was too big for that, so we had him in the travel bed on the floor. the only complain about the first row seat is that the armrest is fixed, so you can't lift it up to let the baby lie down even you got an empty seat next to yours.
- narita airport is great for kids - a very nice child area, play room, meeting room, nursing room, changing room, a kids toilet and even a purified water fountain.
- we love our stroller. it is lightweight, one hand fold down and very easy to maneuver. also the navy/red color fits Xiaoxiong very well ;-)
- Food, Food, Food ... Beijing has too much to offer, there is no way we could try out everything we wanted in 2 weeks, we even had our lunch booked. "big plate chichen and DuoJiao fish head" were the two got left out. ;-( next time we'd need a list and schedule. Ethan has gone to numurous resteraunts with us, among them, Beijing roasted duck we had twice, once at BianYiFang (MenLu), once at DaDong(LuaLu). I thought they were equally good (what d I know? I am so not a duck eater:-) ways of eating duck is getting fancier, we even had a girl to come demo us.
- Backsea/bar street , it is no more the place where I grew up.
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