allo mommies,
came across this article. it's old but i think the core arguments still stand.
http://www.vtaide.com/png/ERIC/Infant-Care.htm
lili,
If there are health concerns e.g. risk of scalding of infant's mouth with hot milk then this infant care centre is definitely not supporting you with peace of mind as a working mom. Even with a long waiting list at many places with ifc services, you are probably better off looking somewhere else and be placed on their waiting list. Meanwhile, you might want to consider a change of strategy with your approach towards staff and management (who obviously does not care or truly have the most appalling people skills). What you need now is to butt in and make yourself known - positively.
I have seen parents who empower themselves by volunteering themselves to e.g. sit on the board, excursions, birthdays, pot luck, festive celebrations, concerts, parent support groups, administration e.g. i had a parent who's in marketing help out with fund raising collaterals.
You might also need to take some time off to make friends e.g. teachers, director, admin as well as this most important group --> cleaner, cook, bitchy sahms (hahahahaha). In my exp, the last 3 groups often have alot of information to share and they are often the least discreet.
Having short informal chats with teachers frequently (particularly those who work with your bb) allows them to develop a sense of responsibility towards you. So load on the accidental snacks, tidbits, biscuits for staff and children 'to share'.
Showing your face around often to volunteer and to chat with staff and other parents also shows management that you're involved and can be involved positively and not just someone who comes in and randomly. Ask the teachers (after you know her name, number of kids, abit of background) what's the school policy on contacting teachers e.g. email addresses? (prob no personal contact numbers, no contact after hours are standard). What kind of infant curriculum do they do e.g. loosely translated as what sort of activities are planned for infants esp now that they're more active.
It was funny. Just the other week, i told my friend to cunningly check on what the teacher is doing with her boy by asking her, 'miss tan, my ah boy couldn't stop talking about the way you ..[insert bullcrap statement], could you show me how you do it or give me some tips, i want to try this with him at home. it seemed so fun!'
That worked. because it played up on teacher's ego and made her feel like she was contributing to the child's learning. all teachers want to feel like that, esp childcare teachers. we hate people who make us feel like we're only here to play with your kids and clean up after them.
Once you're friends with your teacher, you'ld prob start feeling sympathetic towards her pathetically low pay and long hours but as a 'friend', you're also in the position to gently probe into staff matters (who's leaving), changes in management, curriculum changes and planning (changes in themes), child feedback, observation methods, recording, maybe that horrible director's deepest darkest secrets and most importantly, how your bb is doing.
you'ld need to make that time if you're staying put, lili. i don't know if it'ld work for you but if i were the teacher and not reading this right now, i wouldn't see it coming. so mommies with bbs in ifc, go on and make more friends.. most teachers hate management anyway.
Jelly,
how about try convincing mom that you'ld put rebby into ifc for a few hours each day, get her to pick rebby up, introduce her to most of everyone, let her make auntie friends to build her own sense of 'picking kid after school' community, then tell mom that this is the initial phase of introducing rebby into formal schooling so must start slow, tell mom that you have plans to put her in the full day eventually so she can get some rest. might be a strategy into delaying rebby's introduction into school but what reb needs now is a secure caregiver, if mom is tired.. it stresses the kid out as well. and you are very stressed out, kid senses it well.. then it's no fun for anyone. You might have difficulty finding a ifc who'ld give you a few hours, they'ld rather give your place to a full day enrolled child because of the money. how about a nanny? somewhere nearby? hard to find but you could work that against your mother in the way she eventually wants rebby to herself. hahaha...
oh no, sorry for laughing.. sigh. hope you'ld work things out jelly. -hug- come meet us soon.