Saturday, January 22, 2011

Childcare update

Well, it's official. Our toddler loves his new childcare! He wakes in the morning and asks, "New childcare today?" No, not today... on Thursday you go to childcare. "Today not Thursday?" No, today is Saturday. You've got to love it!

As for me? I love childcare! It's been 2 weeks of settling in and things are going great, after a minor hiccup. One of the best aspects of where we are going is that the centre is new. This means I am able to walk into the kitchen in the morning and have a chat to the chef if I need to. They went out to the shops with our list of approved foods and haven't raised any concerns about having to buy specific brands for our son's allergies. In fact, they've decided that on the two days he attends, they will simply cook using only his ingredients for all of the kids! That reduces the risk of contamination at the lunch table and helps our little boy feel like he's just one of the kids.

This was the third centre I considered because even in the suburbs, it can be hard finding a suitable place. The second centre I considered didn't even give me all the right forms for his allergies. If they can't even give me the right forms, how are they going to actually understand the complications of it all? But I'm not upset - afterall, it meant that I had to look elsewhere and have now found a place that has surpassed my expectations in may ways.

So I can return to work knowing that my son is being carefully cared for. Two weeks of someone else feeding our son and not a rash in sight... Priceless.

5 comments:

  1. That's really good to hear! I'm glad that you're having a very positive experience with childcare :)

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  2. Great news! Glad to hear a CC so receptive and setting standards so high! Definitely Someone upstairs is looking after your little family :)

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  3. Yes Mei, I definitely feel blessed. Last week our childcare asked me for special recipes so they can cook cakes and treats for our little son so he doesn't miss out. They really are going the extra mile.

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  4. Oh that is so wonderful to hear. My son also has a myriad of allergies and intolerances which has been difficult enough to determine exact foods in the first place, but we've had so many issues with our childcare centre over this and we have to supply any specific food brands or needs for him. In the end, I finally got them to hand over a menu so that I could make my son's food to send along as close as I could to what the other children were eating. We provided the afternoon tea and morning tea was fruit, so they provided that. It has been a total nightmare. We hope we get into the new centre we want for when I return to work as they are so much more receptive and cater for so many different allergies and shopping lists already there. Can you believe the cook uses No-Egg because it's easier to make cakes using this and not worry than it is to use eggs and make a seperate cake. Makes so much sense to me!! I'm really glad to hear your story :)

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  5. Gee, your old childcare does sound a little disappointing. Our childcare has grown significantly since the early days, so they don't make the same food for everyone anymore. They have to handle so many different food requests, I feel so sorry for their chef!

    But, our son's been going there for 1.5 years now, and they have been great. He does sit on his own table for most of the meals, to reduce risk... but I think next year, when he is 4, they will begin sharing a table with kids who are eating danger foods for him. The hope is to teach him and them how to care for eachother.

    I provide a few recipes here and there to help them out with new ideas. The no-egg cake recipe on this blog is so simple and yummy too.

    You can check out our Safe Foods List that we give to Childcare, to give you ideas for your little one.

    I hope you do get a place at the new center, and that going back to work is a good thing for you too!

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