Keep Your Kids Cheerful with Professional Care

Nothing changes your life as much as having a child does. Given that today most of us are living in nuclear setups, for a mother to get back to her day job can be a challenging task. “Who will look after the baby?” “Who will feed her the way I do?” “Who will lull her to sleep?” “Who will calm him down when he’s having a meltdown?”…These are just a few of the concerns of parents who are looking at going back to work. Yes, parenting is a full-time job in itself and more often than not, we see talented and qualified women (in most cases) leave their flourishing careers behind to take care of their little bundles of joy for the want of a good support system. While there is nothing wrong in being a full-time mother, in fact, it can be one of the most challenging job roles that you might have ever taken upon, there are times that going back to work is essential for a multitude of reasons. A number of parents reach out to the grandparents to become primary caregivers for their children or hire nannies so that they can resume work. While this model had worked in the past, today the story can be quite different.

Choosing grandparents to become the primary caregivers for your children might not be that bright an idea. For one, as an increasing number of couples are opting to have children later in life, that means that the age of their parents is also increasing. Looking after a baby and toddler requires a lot of strength, stamina, and energy. In order to keep a child happy and smiling, your energy levels have to match that of a child. While grandparents can be great at supplementing child care, telling them wonderful stories, and instilling a deep sense of values in them, their inability to match the child’s energy levels often poses a problem in the upbringing of children, especially if they are bubbling babies or toddlers. Additionally, as parenting styles have changed, the way you want to bring up your children might be different from the way your parents have brought you up. This can lead to conflict and often confuses children.

Nannies, though the most sought after caregiving option today, comes with its own set of hassles. The foremost being finding someone who is reliable and willing to look after your children the way you want them to. Often it has been seen, that nannies zone the kids out in front of the television when they cannot manage them or when tantrums strike. Apart from that, there is the safety question that needs to be addressed. There have been enough horror stories that have come to the surface in the last two years where nannies have been found rough handling kids and have physically abused them in the absence of parents. Since most of the nannies in India come from lower economic backgrounds, their education levels are not high because of which they are unable to connect with children beyond bathing and feeding them. At a time like this, what parents of today need are professional childcare facilities that look offer a holistic and safe environment for a child. Professional childcare is not just another daycare facility. It is much more than that –

• It is a place that engages people trained in providing quality care for children. The workforce in such a facility is qualified to understand that children of different ages need to be managed differently. They understand that the way kids are treated when they are young contributes greatly to the kind of adults they become.
• They know how to respond to children, attend to their needs, appease their fears even when the children are too young to understand the meaning of words.
• A professional childcare facility provides a safe and comfortable space to kids where they can explore, learn, build their social skills and gradually build their school readiness.
• Instead of forcing kids to learn their ABC’s, a professional childcare facility uses the ‘learning while playing’ methodology using the appropriate tools to teach children at their speed and liking.
• They have structured play times for children for them to increase their social interactions, become team players, learn to have fun while being respectful of one another and for their overall personality development and place an equal emphasis on ‘free play’. Free play is the time when kids can play with anything they want and in any way they want and it is essential for the development of a child’s creativity and emotional health. Free play also gives professional caregivers the opportunity to evaluate if a child is upset or disturbed or needs special attention.
• Professional caregivers have the knowledge and training to interact correctly and in an age appropriate manner with children to bring out the best in them.
• A professional care facility uses appropriate learning materials for a variety of age groups to facilitate continuous learning and help children develop a love for learning.
• Children in a professional care facility are always kept in a clean and safe environment, are given opportunities to learn something new each day and are always treated with respect.

The importance of positive stimulation, good nutrition, and good health are essential for early brain development. The American Academy of Pediatrics states, “…the brain undergoes its most rapid development in the first three years of life, and in this development, the environment plays a central role. Nerve connections that are associated with specific skills such as language are developed during this critical period.” In order to achieve their full potential, children, thus, need an environment that provides them quality care and teaching methodologies that inculcate an innate love for learning and helps them grow up into confident, happy and successful adults.