Choosing the right creche for your child in Nigeria is a challenge for many parents.
In fact, it is said that the physical, mental, emotional and even academic development of your child can depend a lot on the type of creche you put him or her.
So, this means that you must choose a creche for your child very carefully. Here are a few tips to guide you:
Distance
The crèche must be either close to your residence, workplace or the location of the person who will be dropping or picking up your child. It could be your husband, mum, family member or friend.
When you consider these options properly, dropping or picking your child up from the crèche does not involve a lot of time and traveling.
Operating Hours
Some priorities such as how early or late a crèche opens and closes for the day should be non-negotiable.
If you work long hours, perhaps you resume early and close late, you might desire a daycare with extended hours without a late fee or at the most an affordable pickup penalty. Most creches in Nigeria work for extended hours.
Facilities
If physical activity is important for you, then a creche that has grounds so the children can get outside or a pool to learn swimming might be top of your list. But, remember, it must be under strict supervision. A good creche must offer a safe, healthy environment where children are well cared for and encouraged to build friendships with other children. A creche should offer children a learning environment where they are free to try new things.
Important Checklists
-Inspect the creche facility
Check out the hygiene-level of the creche and you can do this by finding out the following:
-How are the children fed?
-Where the used utensils are kept and how they are washed?
-How neat and clean the bathroom is
-Check how neat and clean the kitchen or feeding area is.
-How often the entire area is clean and the process is
-Where and how the children sleep
-What the environment of the creche looks or feels like
-Check the level of medical aid available at the creche.
-It is important to find out the kind of medical or first aid that is available at the creche if the children fall ill within the creche.
-How quickly can that aid be given at the creche?
-What happens in the period in-between?
-Are there in-house trained nurses or nursing assistants or matrons to take care of the children before they arrive at a hospital or before a doctor comes around?
-Are there separate sick rooms or sick bays for unwell children to rest within the crèche. -Where are they located and how are they maintained?
-Find out how qualified the people taking care of your child are for their job?
-What are the children taught at the creche?
-Please demand to see the timetable?
-Is there a CCTV in the creche?
-Is the general feel of the creche homely and welcoming?
-Does everything feel right about the creche?
Referrals Are Great But….
While word-of-mouth referrals from other parents or trusted resources are important, you need to look at a creche for yourself to assess whether it meets your needs. Make sure you drop by unannounced at the creche. If possible, try to visit the creche at different times of the day to get a sense of how the staff interact with the children and what the routine is.
You may want to consider popping in unannounced a few times after you’ve enrolled your child, just to see how things are going. Sometimes your visits will confirm if the creche is right for you, but sometimes they’ll be a real eye-opener
Safety
Other details to consider: When older children share the space, toys with small parts (choking hazards) should be kept away from younger babies. Ideally, infants and babies should have their own area where they won’t get “loved” too much by older toddlers.
A room or separate area dedicated solely to swings and bouncers may look appealing at first glance, but keep in mind that growing babies need plenty of floor time to develop and strengthen their muscles.
Of course, any child-care environment should be kept clean, childproofed, and well stocked with sturdy books and toys that are age-appropriate. The location of the creche is also very important. How secure are the location of the creche and its environs?
Trust Your Instincts
Every parent knows when something doesn’t feel quite right and this includes a creche. You may be turned off by a creche everyone in town raves about or even clash with a highly recommended sitter. If that happens, keep searching. Babies deserve, and thrive under, good, nurturing care. If something just doesn’t feel right about your creche, please investigate other options.
Cost/fees
A major mistake many parents make is overlooking the cost of the school fees of the dream creche they are looking to enroll their little ones in.
The questions you must ask yourself as you make to enroll your child in a new creche include
1. Can you afford it?
2. Can you conveniently pay the fees?
3. Can you sustain paying the fees in the event of an increase?
4. Is it really worth the fees and will I have value for money?
As soon as you can answer in the affirmative, then, you are good to go ahead with picking the school/creche for your child or children as the case may be.
Read more about the six things you should never do when picking a school for your child
Take your time and be intentional when choosing a creche in Nigeria for your child. Do not feel you are being fussy or have the mentality that “it is only a daycare”. In reality where your child spends the first few years of their lives is as important as the university they attend.
So, please choose carefully and wisely too…
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