This is the third day care we've tried with my son. At the first center (which will remain nameless), he would sob uncontrollably when we dropped him off. I didn't think anything about this at first, as it was the first place we tried, and I just figured the crying was because he'd rather stay home as he was used to. As time went on, I was really feeling guilty about sending my son somewhere that he seemed to hate so much, so I tried to make it sound like fun, and engage him about his lessons in day care, or daily activities. That center absolutely did not communicate with parents. We had no idea what our son was (or wasn't) learning all day. Needless to say, we pulled him immediately. The second center (also to stay nameless), was somewhat better, with written curriculums and some parent participation; but I swear I think they were training future MMA fighters there! It seems like at least once a week, we were getting notes that someone had hit or bitten my child! Although he seemed somewhat happier here, I'm not okay sending my child somewhere that violence is the norm. It made me wonder what kind of supervision was actually conducted. After a rough 11 months of terrible treatment, I was really beginning to consider being a stay-at-home mom, until we found North Oaks. My son absolutely loves it here. The curriculum is always posted on the bulletin board, so I always know what my son is learning on any given day or week. This is great, because after day care, he's excited to tell me about his day. He loves his classmates, teacher, and Mrs. Patti (the director); and is so excited to see them somedays, that I have to remind him to come give me my goodbye hug, before he takes off into class. Overall, at the end of the day, the knowledge that my child is safe and happy is priceless. Choosing a day care was a scary task, and I'm glad we finally found this one.
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