The benefits of sending my child to day care

As parents who have a supportive network of friends, neighbours, or family to look after young children while they are at work, then you’re one of the lucky ones, who will not have to make the decision between day care or nanny. However, caring for your child at home is not an option, then the choice between nanny or day care can be a tough decision.

The most striking fact when choosing a nanny over day care, is that day cares are certified professional child care individuals who provide a stable environment for young children to be in. If you have never had a nanny before and have to hire a new one who will need to start caring for your child on short notice, you may not always find the right one, immediately. You may have to go through a few nannies before, you know your child is in safe hands, and this instability can leave your child confused emotionally, as she gets comfortable with one, when a new nanny replaces the old one.

Some nannies can be fun to be around with, and are in the habit or helping your child’s development needs along. They may give your child one-on-one attention, having fun learning activities planned for the whole day, but many do not do more than feeding, clothing, bathing and putting your child to sleep. Your child will certainly be well taken of, but they will not gain as much as being in a day care. When your child attends day care, they learn new things, develop their social skills, and make new friends.

Day care is structured, and works according to a schedule. A good structured schedule is beneficial to children in more ways than one. Having a set time to wake up means, they will fall asleep each night and have naps at the same time too. This also helps to prepare them for school, and additionally good sleeping habits for children promotes physical development and strong immune systems. Structure can be developed at home too, and although children as young as one, do not require routine, by the time they reach two, sending them to day care, will help them get ready for pre-kindergarten in Dubai.

Day cares prevent children from being depressed. If depression runs in your family, then leaving your child alone with a total stranger may lead them to linger in thoughts of loneliness and anguish till you return home. However, children who have a family history of depression are able to better cope with the condition as they are distracted from feeling lonely, when surrounded by children their own age and by taking part in activities.

One thing that all children need is space to run and play. In many cases, a child’s diet is different from that of us adults, and are mostly fed nutritious food that contains energy. Staying at home is certainly a good choice if they are provided with enough space to play in safely. Growing children do need an area to play in, which helps them to burn the energy they gain, strengthen muscles and bones.

If you have the choice to hire a nanny or choose a good day care, then there are other factors that you may need to consider, like costs of hiring a nanny vs. putting your child in day care, how many hours of the day does your child need to be taken care of, is it for the whole day or just a couple of hours, how reliable is the nanny compared to a day care, and most importantly would your child be comfortable alone in the hands of a nanny? Leaving your child at home with a nanny does have its benefits, but unless the nanny is passionate about caring for children, an approved day care with flexible hours will meet the child’s needs and keep them safe for you while you are away.

Kids Island and Cocoon Nurseries is an approved day and nursery in Dubai with teachers and care givers ready to take on the responsibility of caring for your child fulltime. Our nursery has a certified nurse on call for emergencies. In addition to looking after children, our facilities are designed for young children to learn things, play, and develop their own character and independence, while all their needs are met. If you are looking for a flexible day care in Dubai, drop by for a visit of our facilities with your toddler and explore our nurseries and talk to our team of loving child care professionals.

Encouraging Good behaviour

Kids Island Nursery and Cocoon Nursery in Dubai are professional early childhood educators in Dubai who lead by example. We encourage good behaviour by mimicking what we want children to follow. We are governed by the EYFS framework which guides our education activities, and the kind of educators we hire as your child’s caregiver. We believe that teaching children to behave positively means, we have to behave positively ourselves so children will follow.

Kids Island and Cocoon Nurseries leads by example, and we try to follow the right code of conduct in every situation. We understand that children are mainly influenced the actions of adults and not by our words, and therefore setting the right example is key to bringing up kind, considerate and compassionate children in Dubai.

Many parents say that at times, they are frustrated by the fruitless attempt to get their child to behave when out in social situations. And no amount of yelling out rules gets to them. Although we are inclined to correct our children at every corner, the best way to influence good behaviour is by modelling that behaviour in every situation. So if you want your child to say, “Please”, “Thank you”, and “May I?” we have to do the same when interacting with other adults and the children as well.

Our curriculum entails varied subject matters, but we include many learning opportunities to help children practice good manners. The stories we read are selected on good moral endings which help them see opportunities where others succeed by being nice. We include role plays, to encourage kindness to each other. We use role play and games to create situations where they can show off their good behaviour they learn. It is important that we teach and also let them practice.

The staff at Kids Island and Cocoon Nurseries in Dubai are trained to observe good behaviour and offer praise and encouragement as positive reinforcement. Children love to gain recognition for things they do, and by appreciating good behaviour, each time, children are motivated to keep at it.

We encourage many parents to try these simple steps at home too, and although at times, you may find yourself pulling your hair out in anger, it is always best to not show your frustration to your child and instead try the talking and reasoning method. If you find that your three year old is constantly drawing on important documents and presentations, they may repeat this action, because they think it’s funny, and also to get your attention. Furthermore, they are inclined to react the same way towards another sibling, should the same happen to them. Instead of yelling, sit down with him, and explain to him how important your work documents are, tell them how long it takes to complete, and how you would much rather spend that time with them at home. Children always want to know that they are the centre of your world, and by relating this fact to them, your young toddler will see to it that he never draws at the back of your project proposal again.

Our nurseries Dubai are centred around encouraging good behaviour as well as cultivating a need to learn.