Kindergarten versus Child Care
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I’m all up for a Kindergarten programme! But only if you’re a stay home parent or have a reliable caregiver. Cos kindy prgs are usually only few hours and solely academic learning. Children have less clingy issues due to short hours compared to childcare esp the full day childcare. So kindy children adapt slightly faster in my opinion. Less heart pain for parents, esp those who cannot stand their children crying for such a long time.
Childcare has all the care there is to supposedly substitute home while parents are both at work with no alternative caregiver. ie. b’fast, lunch, snack, sleep time, shower, plus the academics, etc…
Price wise, kindy cheaper. Extra $$$ can put in fun enrichment pgrm for children, ie. ballet, piano, speech & drama, etc
There’s also flexi care and enrichment programmes for "first time try try" parents.. Short programmes to get children used to going to school. Some allow parent-child lessons for some slots and followed up with independent classes and parents can move on from there when children are more confident to attend proper schooling ie. pre-school on their own.
My 5 cents worth..
Hope it helps.
bÜds
[Editor’s Note: See also About Childcare vs Preschools vs Kindergartens]
Child care
Sending your kid to a kindgergarten is always a better choice. As your kid will learn many skills and moreover, he will be social. And this is the reason to be happy throughout the life. We sometimes can’t control the things–but in a kindergarten, your kids will be taken care of fully. So for that you should look for a good kindergarten in your city where your kid can explore himself. But wisely choose the kindergarten!
Baby Learning
childcare teachers keep changing
childcare teachers keep changing. 3 in 2 months. normal?
chilcare recommended in sengkang area
Hi, can I hv some opinion from other mummies.. any recommendation of childcare for 2 years old kid nearby sengkang area?? Thanks
Childcare in upper Bukit timah
Hi I am new. Can any share with me if they have heard of Tinkle Child Care & Development.
PM Childcare Programme
Usually, those childcares that provide half day afternoon childcare programmes are the ones who offer the afternoon enrichment activities. Most, like you’ve mentioned have free play (sometimes unobserved or teachers are around but chit-chatting), CDs after CDs till the children are like stoicly glued to the tele… or worse, left on their own to do whatever while the teachers pack up and get ready to leave ( i have seen such! ). My kiddie attended a PM pgrm before, it was ok. Not overly fantastic as the curriculum dictated due to the teacher in charge of the enrichment activities. ( Terrible English – The kids can be heard correcting her a lot of times! ) This shows they do have the said pgrm but who teaches it, they don’t really care.
This post is more for stay home parents. For working parents, no need to discuss lah. Definitely if no alternative caregiver, childcare is thee only solution. For stay home parents, the extra $$$ will be useful for a whole lotta other stuff! And children get all the love and attention they need during their early childhood life… which flies by reali fast without us realising it.
For me, reali so poor thing seeing these kids being dropped off so early at 7am and only leave at 7pm. By the time they get home, shower and eat, they’re like soooo tired out and barely have that much time with parents. Some even send on the half day Saturdays too, just so they get to spend couple time with their spouses. Reali poor thing some of these children…
A good childcare shouldn’t be draggy. ie. Dragging simple lessons until end of the day. It is right to have more activities for full-day children, they should be learning more and not the same as half-day children. But sadly, not many childcares operate that way.
.I am happy with childcares.Reliable ones,though.
I am a parent to a 5year-old and he has been in childcare since 21mths.It took me close to 3 mths in my search for a good childcare cause like you mentioned for some parents,I have separation anxiety.My lil’ one doesnt!
Hence,I had to be doubly sure that I was super-satisfied with the childcare of my choice in order for me to be at ease at work,knowing that my boy is well-taken care of and enjoying school.Honestly,I favoured kindergarten schools to childcare centres because of their short duration programmes.
Ironically,my views have changed now.Although I have the choice to shift my son to the half-day programme instead of his current full one,I’ve opted not to.After discussing with his class teacher,I realised that the school did plan interesting lesson programmes for the second half of the day which was only available for the children who attended a full-day programme.This includes weekly science experiements,mini cooking sessions,Art & Craft and even journal writing,etc.
I have personally seen the portfolio and photos of my son in action during these activities.I am very impressed as he always had a lot to share about things he learnt during these afternoon activities.For instance,"Carbohydrates are found in breads and rice.They give us energy..".I am happy with that!
Somehow,we do need to enquire with the childcare of our choice,about the activities they have with the children in the afternoon.I do realise that there are some which only plops a children’s CD in the player and let’s the children watch until it was time for transport or parent’s pick-up.Therefore,do check with the school and most importantly,your child.
Afterall,they’re the ones who are attending school.Hope this helps 🙂