Thursday Thirteen

Questions to ask a Babysitter:

1.   How long have you been babysitting?
2.   Do you have any experience babysitting for infants?
3.   How many children have you cared for at one time?
4.   What do you like about babysitting and being around children
5.   Have you taken a First-aid and CPR course?  If so, are you certified?
6.   Will you always be available on the days I'm scheduled to be in class?
7.   Are you interested in being called for other babysitting times?
8.   Do you have references?  Can I call your references?
9.   How much do you normally charge for someone with two children?
10. Do you Mind coming by and letting my acclimate you to the children and the job?
11. Do you prefer payment in cash or check?
12. Are you a non-smoker?
13. Do you have any questions for me?

Daycare Search - Babysitter

Since I didn't get accepted into the Radiography program, I don't need full-time childcare.  I will need someone to watch both little fellas at my house.  This scares me!
1.  I don't want to hire some psycho who's going to abuse my kids.
2.  I don't want someone, in my father-in-laws words, "Casing the joint".  LOL!

I hate the idea of having to interview someone.  People are always on their best behavior during an interview.  No one's going to beat or neglect your kids right in front of you.  Most aren't going to whip out the booze or crack pipe along with their list of references.

I joined care.com after hearing about it from some other moms.  I have numerous possibilities, over 50 to be exact.  The service just to view the prospects is free but to contact them you have to pay up.  I was lucky enough to find a coupon code for 25% off!  Thanks RetailMeNot.com !

I have a list of questions prepared.  My plan is to email each person to clarify what I need and to make sure that it matches what they're looking for.  I need someone who can commit to August through December; the fall college semester.  The person needs to be mature, patient, outgoing and know CPR/basic first aid.  I don't know about the pay rate.  What I do know is that we aren't made out of money.  There was one applicant that wanted $35.00 per hour!  Ummm......not going to happen watching my kids!

Updates

Since I've started this blog I've posted about a couple different subject matters.  I'm not finished with any of them by any means.  When you have children, nothing is really finished. I've been slowly but surely plugging away at different tasks during nap times, in the morning before they wake up and and night after they go to bed.

Daycare Search - I've only visited the three daycare centers that I mention in earlier posts.  I have three more on my list that  I plan to visit.  Hopefully, I'll visit them this week.  Trying to schedule appointments around nap times and my husband's schedule can be tedious.

Money - I've been doing well keeping track of our spending.  I've also listened to disks 1 and 2 of the Dave Ramsey book on CD that I borrowed from my aunt.  One more disk to go.  I need to make time to read the book Financial Peace also by Dave Ramsey.

The Big Boy Room - The room still has stuff piled in the closet & two piles of stuff in the room.  My husband started painting and it looks really good.  He has to paint the gray stripe and put the closet doors back up.  The furniture needs to be assembled and we have to hang the valance.  The mattress and sheets have been purchased. I found some artwork on Etsy that will be perfect for the room.

Dieting - is not going according to plan.  I don't know if I have too much on my plate (no pun intended) and I just can't focus on another task.  I'm also ridiculously hungry and wonder if I've got some type of hormonal imbalance.  I definitely need to drink more water and exercise but I just don't have the commitment or interest.  Maybe it's too soon after childbirth.  I'm going to try again starting today.

Daycare Search - Visit #3

Good grief!  I'm starting to get a little dismayed at daycare centers.  I know there are benefits to daycare and it will be a necessity in the future.  All three of the centers have been in the same price range so it's no that my favorite is exorbitantly priced.

Anyway Daycare3 was a big fat fail from entrance to exit.  I'm going to make this brief and list the things I didn't like about it.

*There isn't a sign explaining how to get into the place.  I'm glad the door is locked to keep creeps from waltzing in but what about prospective parents and children?  Where's the buzzer or call box?

*I didn't get a full understanding of how security works.  I know that parents must sign the children in and out but who checks to make sure the person is who they say they are?

*When I managed to get inside there was no one around to help me.  The office to my right was empty and the room to my left was an infant room.  There was one employee visible and she was surrounded by 3 babies.

*The woman surrounded by the babies didn't look happy to be there.  Now I'm sure there are days when I don't look happy to be surrounded by two babies but we're not talking about me.  One baby was being fed, the second was toddling around and the third was in a swing.  The worker was rocking the hell out of the swing with her foot.  I know the feeling of exasperation but where were the other employees?

*The Assistant Director had no idea that I had an appointment.  I called and scheduled the appointment the day before.

*The price quoted over the phone was different from the price that was given to me in person.

*The place seem cluttered. 

*It was ridiculously noisy.  I know first-hand that babies/toddlers can be noisy but in addition to the children there were 2 or 3 radios playing.

This place is a definite "NO".  I have three more on my list to visit.  Hopefully, they are an improvement.

Day Care Search - Visit #2

Daycare #2 is a little further of a drive from our home but it received a recommendation from a co-worker and is gold-star accredited.  The price is comparable to Daycare#1.  Many of the policies regarding drop-off/pick-up, illness, and supplies are similar.

The differences between the two were notable.  First the woman giving me the information and tour was friendly, professional and very thorough.  While she did give me a packet of papers, she explained and reviewed them with me.  As we toured the facility, she introduced me to the staff members.  She showed me the toddlers artwork, schedules and menu.  I was able to see eating and sleeping areas, where clothes, diapers and bottles were kept and the playground.

One thing that stood out was how bright and cheerful it was.  The toddler room had adorable bright color chairs and toys.  There were letter and number posters on the wall.  The infant room had toys, swings and rockers readily available.  The are to store extra diapers and clothes was neatly arranged.  In both rooms schedules and activities were clearly visible. 

Daycare#2 left me with a much better impression of what a daycare should be.  If I had to choose today, I would pick daycare#2.

Tomorrow I plan to visit Daycare#3.

Day Care Search - Visit #1

I've started researching childcare options.  I've been a SAHM (Stay At Home Mom) since Aaron was born.  I applied to a radiography program and if I'm accepted I will need childcare for the boys.

I started by looking in my yellow pages and writing down the names/numbers of those centers on streets that I was familiar with.  Then I searched the state website by county and zip code.  From those two methods I came up with a list of six daycare centers.  Since I've never used a daycare center I asked other moms what I should look for.  I also found a great checklist on line at babycenter.com.

I went to DayCare1 website and filled out the info request form.  About 29 seconds after hitting send my phone rang!  I spoke briefly with the representative and scheduled an appointment for 4:30pm.  When I arrived the receptionist (I guess that's who she was) and the director were in the entrance.  I immediately noticed an odd smell.  The receptionist was disheveled and frazzled looking.  She appeared as though she had been changing tires along the freeway or something.  The director was pleasant in demeanor and profession in appearance.

It was clear that they had no idea that I had an appointment.  The representative made it sound like I'd be welcomed in for a discussion and given a tour.  I was handed a piece of paper with rates and told, "The 2 year old room is over there."  Okay...thank you?

I explained that I needed information on everything as finding daycare is new territory for me.  The director pulled out a packed with a parent handbook and enrollment pamphlets.  As Aaron was crying and squirming, I was trying to remember questions.  I quickly gave that up as my thoughts were drowned out by Aaron's wailing.

During the "tour" (I use that therm loosely), I walked through an area that looked like storage for furniture.  We arrived at the infant room.  It was bland and boring.  Several cribs were lined along the walls. There were some bouncy chairs and toys around.  I did manage to ask a couple questions about bottles, formula, etc  Aaron continued to cry and drip snot.  We then turned around and walked through the furniture warehouse area to the front of the building.  The two year old room was just as bland and boring as the infant room.

I have no idea what is normal or standard but I wasn't exactly impressed.  The director didn't seem to really want to take the time with me even after I explained that I was new to daycare searching.  The facility just seemed cold and dreary.  As an environment for children, I expected it to be bright and cheerful.

This is the first place I visited so once I see a few more maybe I'll return with a better understanding of what we want and need in a daycare center.