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12-20-2012 at 9:26 AM
madladybri...
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WWYD another switching daycares? - Long

To switch or not to switch. I know this gets asked A LOT. DH and I are kind of on the fence about it & DH has visited the new potential daycare. We can see the pro's and cons of both.


We have been at our current center for most of DD’s life (since she was 10 weeks old). We’ve had 2  directors and 3 different assistant directors. We are more-or-less satisfied, but as she gets older we wonder if we should switch to a different daycare. She was supposed to have the same teachers for her whole time there, but one teacher had to go back to working with only infants due to health problems and the other teacher was fired (It was NOT a safety issue – I think she missed too many days).

PROS to switching
- new center’s teachers all have 4 year degrees
- new center is non-profit, and they have scholarships if families ever need them
- New center doesn’t emphasize xmas (We don’t celebrate it. It’s also more in-line with our beliefs)
- new center doesn’t use jello/marshmallows/gelatin in crafts/food. It hasn’t been *that* much of a problem. At our current center, the director offered to buy safe jello for projects, etc. After she had to buy it, the # of crafts using jello stopped.
- new center gives the employees a separate lounge/breakroom that current dc doesn’t have.
Current one has a fridge/toaster oven in a room where they also keep school supplies.
-new center has healthier snacks (no corn syrup, hydrogenated oils. Currently, we send 90% of DD’s snack food, instead of using the food at the center).

CONS
-          Farther distance away (only about 4 miles, but could be a pain in rush hour)
-          Costs about $30/more a month
-          Closed more days due to holidays (About 9 more days/year, but I have plenty of time)
-          DD would have to leave the only place she has known

What would you do?

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12-20-2012 at 9:40 AM
jlaOK
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The cons for the new place you have listed don't seem like a big deal to me.  If you like the new place and think it'll be a better fit for DD in the long run, I would switch.  I wouldn't let the fear of transitioning DD to a new place be a deterrent.
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12-20-2012 at 10:02 AM
jf198400
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I honestly don't see any of the PRO's as being a big deal AT ALL.  None of them really seem related to the care/education your child is receiving.  The CONS of the new center are a bigger deal to me.  4miles doesn't sound far, but I would test it out at rush away one day, find out how much time it will really add to your day.  You may not think that being closed more days is a big deal now, but 9 days is a LOT.  I honestly don't see a benefit to uprooting your DD from someplace she is already comfortable.
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12-20-2012 at 10:05 AM
CrawltheWa...
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madladybride:

 We’ve had 2  directors and 3 different assistant directors.

This concerns me...why such a high turnover in those positions.  I know that if there are hourly workers in the classrooms to expect a little more turnover there but not in the director level positions. 

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12-20-2012 at 10:08 AM
HilarityEn...
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I would absolutely switch based on the reasons you listed.

 

Andplusalso... what is wrong with jello?

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12-20-2012 at 10:09 AM
Sept07b2b
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I hope this question doesn't get me flamed for asking something that I should know the answer to, but what's wrong with jello/marshmellows/gelatin?  Is this something I should know about?
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12-20-2012 at 10:09 AM
Sept07b2b
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HilarityEnsued:

Andplusalso... what is wrong with jello?

 So glad to see this!  I was really worried I was the only one who didn't know something was wrong with jello!!! 

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12-20-2012 at 10:33 AM
Estwd2
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Sept07b2b:
HilarityEnsued:

Andplusalso... what is wrong with jello?

 So glad to see this!  I was really worried I was the only one who didn't know something was wrong with jello!!! 

Add me to this list. 
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12-20-2012 at 11:43 AM
jlaOK
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Estwd2:
Sept07b2b:
HilarityEnsued:

Andplusalso... what is wrong with jello?

 So glad to see this!  I was really worried I was the only one who didn't know something was wrong with jello!!! 

Add me to this list. 

I was curious and did a quick Google search.  Below is an excerpt from Wikipedia: 

"Gelatin is a mixture of peptides and proteins produced by partial hydrolysis of collagen extracted from the skin, boiled crushed horn, hoof and bones, connective tissues, organs and some intestines of animals such as domesticated cattle, chicken, and horses. The natural molecular bonds between individual collagen strands are broken down into a form that rearranges more easily."

I'm guessing the fact that it is made from animals is a problem for some people.
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12-20-2012 at 11:48 AM
Sonadora
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The only pros you've listed that would sway me are the teachers having degrees and the lower rate of turnover.

The rest seems nitpicky to me. I'd definitely have to check the new place out myself and I would want to see how much time it would add to my day. Around here, 4 extra miles could mean an extra half hour each way. Also, more expensive for less care seems like not my cup of tea, but I certainly don't have 9 additional days off to burn per year if we ever wanted to take a vacation while LO is below school age...

As far as the Jello thing, is it because it's made of horse hooves?
BFP #1 9/23/09. Missed MC 10w3d D&C 11/3/09.
BFP #2 4/13/10. Bridget born 12/28/10

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12-20-2012 at 11:58 AM
Cheerio B
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Honestly the Pro's don't seem that much better. I'd try the drive in rush hour traffic to make sure it isn't going to take more time than you think. And an extra 9 days a year seems like a lot  to me. What if you switch jobs for some reason and no longer have a lot of PTO? And I wouldn't factor in the employee breakroom into any decision.
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12-20-2012 at 12:17 PM
madladybri...
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jlaOK:
Estwd2:
Sept07b2b:
HilarityEnsued:

Andplusalso... what is wrong with jello?

 So glad to see this!  I was really worried I was the only one who didn't know something was wrong with jello!!! 

Add me to this list. 


I was curious and did a quick Google search.  Below is an excerpt from Wikipedia: 

"Gelatin is a mixture of peptides and proteins produced by partial hydrolysis of collagen extracted from the skin, boiled crushed horn, hoof and bones, connective tissues, organs and some intestines of animals such as domesticated cattle, chicken, and horses. The natural molecular bonds between individual collagen strands are broken down into a form that rearranges more easily."

I'm guessing the fact that it is made from animals is a problem for some people.

Well, we keep kosher and we're vegetarian, so jello/gelatin is a no-no, so it's a religious thing, as is the Christmas thing.

I work for the state, and while nothing is certain, I highly doubt I'll be switching jobs in the next 3 years unless I could find the same state job making the same amount with a shorter commute.

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12-20-2012 at 12:35 PM
iluvmylab
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While the 4 year degree thing is nice, it doesn't necessarily mean she will get better care.  Do you like her current teachers?

If you aren't in need of scholarship, I wouldn't consider this a pro.

Jello thing- I get it, but if they accommodated your request, I think that says a lot about the center.

 I don't see why the break room matters.  Maybe I'm missing the boat on this one.

Healthier snacks is a plus, but you'd also be paying more for a farther drive and less days of care.

 
 
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12-20-2012 at 12:54 PM
madladybri...
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I like her 1 current teacher, the other one is meh. She will be moving up to another room next month and the teacher said to me " I feel so bad when DD is here and she cries, I just don't know what to do..." Some of the teachers are ok and some are not. I feel that the care DD gets really depends on how good the teacher is, but I guess that is everywhere.

The breakroom isn't really an issue, but it shows that they value the staff enough to give them a space of their own.

The healthy snacks mean we won't need to spend as much money buying snacks, though we would be spending it on gas...

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12-20-2012 at 1:55 PM
jlaOK
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madladybride:

I like her 1 current teacher, the other one is meh. She will be moving up to another room next month and the teacher said to me " I feel so bad when DD is here and she cries, I just don't know what to do..." Some of the teachers are ok and some are not. I feel that the care DD gets really depends on how good the teacher is, but I guess that is everywhere.

The breakroom isn't really an issue, but it shows that they value the staff enough to give them a space of their own.

The healthy snacks mean we won't need to spend as much money buying snacks, though we would be spending it on gas...

It seems like the pro list is stuff that is really important to you. I think that getting a better "vibe" from one daycare over another is enough of a reason to switch.

We switched DS to a center when he was 10 months old.  It had less convenient hours, cost more, and has more closed days than his previous daycare.  However, we LOVED the daycare otherwise, they have awesome curriculum, and we just got a good feeling about it.  We haven't regretted switching him one bit.
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12-20-2012 at 2:28 PM
jamiedsgir...
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We switched when DS was two.  I was nervous about the transition, but he adapted right away.  We couldn't be happier or more relieved that we found a place that works for us.  It was definitely worth it to switch.

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12-20-2012 at 6:56 PM
rachboston...
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It kind of sounds like you are ready to switch.  

You said your husband has visited the new place - have you?  I would visit and see if it "feels" right, not worry too much about the specific pros/cons... since none of them are big ticket issues. 

 
 
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12-20-2012 at 8:04 PM
madladybri...
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I haven't visited yet, but I plan to do so. DH doesn't have as flexible a schedule, so I figured it was more important for him to visit when he had the chance. (They don't actually have any openings until July).
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