KiasuParents - Parenting in Singapore

today is my first day of sending my baby to the center. I feel quite worry about it. The babies inside the center keep crying one after another, and the teachers can hardly find time to play with them because all their time are spent on feeding, changing ,giving shower and comforting the crying ones. And while one girl of 18-month-old hit me with her small fist, teacher actually punished her to stand facing the wall!
I wonder whether it is too early to send my boy to the baby care program. My son is only 13 months by next week. This first day in the center, he did not eat any thing and also not sleep. If I was not around him, he would cry. Teacher said every newly comer just fussy like this. But I am afraid the enviorment there will torture him a lot.
Dose any have experience to share about when is the proper time for the babies to be send to such centers? Whether a maid is better for a baby than the infant care center?
And also, does anyone send your little ones to My First School of NTUC? Any comment?

When my maid left, and i couldn't find a new suitable one, I had no choice but to put my 2y/o at the childcare, n my 3 mths old baby with a babysitter. But the babysitter was quite irresponsible, she told us she wont be able to take care of my baby after 3 weeks. Left with no choice, we sent our baby to the infantcare at the same CCC as my elder son. I had my doubts n worries too : Will the caregivers giv enough attention to my little one? What if he cannot adapt to the environment n keep crying?? So on n so forth..... But i still think that, unless u can find a really gd n caring babysitter who is not only interested in earning yr money, the CCC is a more suitable place, at least they r professionals n they can't dismiss u due to some domestic or lame reasons. Though, it would be advisable to enroll yr child in a less crowded CCC. I feel that babies shld not hav much of a prob adjusting to the infant care, it is the toddler who give the parents more headaches.

My 2 y/o's first day at the CCC was a nightmare come true. He screamed n cried so pathetically, it would break any parent's heart. So we just brought him home after a few hrs, whilst that few hrs, we make ourselves "disappear" at times, to encourage him to hang ard with the teachers n frens.
The first 4 days were not smooth-going, nothing surprisingly, i would say. We were mentally prepared for all his clinging, cries, screams etc. In fact, he developed a very "sexy" voice after the 1st day. On the 2nd day, my hubby brought him to the CCC n left him to go in with the teacher, of cos not without much protests n screaming again. It went on like this, until the 5th day, my son became more adapted to his new environment n stopped crying.

What i gather fr this experience is : Never underestimate the power of yr child's ability to learn independence. Although it can be traumatic for both parents n child, we need to persevere on. As the saying goes: No pain, no gain. As parents, we need to learn to let go, how else can our children learn independence n gain confidence if we keep clinging on to them? Parents, we shld learn to overcome our "Separation Anxiety" too

My younger boy is current in an infant care. He has been there since he was 3 months old. My older one who is 6 also joined an infant care since he was 5 months old. There are pros and cons but finding a good centre where the principal and teachers are genuinely caring is very important.

My hubby couldn't trust baby sitters and maids with a baby. At least in an infant care, he reasoned, there are more caregivers and checks and controls. I can say so far, my baby is happy there and well taken care of. The teachers seem alright when I interact with them, and I actually spend quite a lot of time there initially just observing and seeing how they handle the babies.

If your baby seem well-adjusted, is growing well and healthy, then I think he should be ok. But good to be there on and off (if the centre allows parents to stay in and observe) to see how they handle the kids. Talk to the teachers too and you'll be able to understand more of the way the centre operates and the philosophy of the principal or chain in running the place.

All the best

Hi, I will be putting my 3rd baby with infant care after I return to work. My first boy was taken care by grandparents, second boy with maid. Both have pros and cons. My parents are very active old folks who likes to go out frequently for social gathering, which I think they deserved a break and should enjoy their time. They are good for standby if babies and children fall sick. Good maids are hard to come by. I think infant care with qualified care giver will be better to free us from fear if baby are safe. At least they will not do horrible thing to them. Attention will not be immediate if there are a few babies crying at the same time. Who can guarantee that maid will give immediate attention and care the baby like their own? Just do a constant check that the centres should not be too crowded with badies and high turnover of care givers.

I have visited My First School at Tampines 4 mths ago. They have 3 caregivers for 7 infants to toddlers. Intake of infants not many probably due to fee also not cheap. After government subsidy, still need to pay abt $650 where other neighbour infant care only $450 after subsidy. But I think location and accessibiltiy to the centre is most important esp for working parents. Hope my reply is helpful to you. Take care.

yang wrote:today is my first day of sending my baby to the center. I feel quite worry about it. The babies inside the center keep crying one after another, and the teachers can hardly find time to play with them because all their time are spent on feeding, changing ,giving shower and comforting the crying ones. And while one girl of 18-month-old hit me with her small fist, teacher actually punished her to stand facing the wall!
I wonder whether it is too early to send my boy to the baby care program. My son is only 13 months by next week. This first day in the center, he did not eat any thing and also not sleep. If I was not around him, he would cry. Teacher said every newly comer just fussy like this. But I am afraid the enviorment there will torture him a lot.
Dose any have experience to share about when is the proper time for the babies to be send to such centers? Whether a maid is better for a baby than the infant care center?
And also, does anyone send your little ones to My First School of NTUC? Any comment?

Thank you all!
But I still decied to give up the infant care centers and take baby home, becaese this morning's experience was so horrible. Today I took the baby to the center again, and he kept crying even when I was holding him. He resisted eating anything.
And one of the babies there who was always crying stood in the middle of the room, crying without stop! The worst thing was that all the teachers were very busy and got no time for this pity and fussy one.
I only took my boy to there for half an hour. Because of intolerance of all the tears and cry, I took him back to home. I finally decied let the boy stay at home. Because this weekend our new maid will arrive, hope this one will be better than the before one.
Since I can manage to work at home in most of my time, I think maid may be better than the centers according to my condition. I won't send the boy to the care-programs before he is 18 months. I just can not bear his tears, shoutings, and pity and innocent face.
Thank you all of your precious sharing!