Mummy's entry - what I like about the daycare

I have no regrets sending Rye Li to the daycare ever since she was one and a half month old. People did warn me then that I will constantly have a sick baby, being exposed to so many kids at the daycare. I was prepared for this and told myself if this is really the case where I will have a sick baby monthly, I will then look for a babysitter.

Luckily, I never had to come to this. Of course, she did become sick now and then in the first year, the most 4 times and it was manageable. Aunty Ng, the owner said she's quite good already compared to the other babies and she thinks it has got to do with the breastmilk Rye Li was having then. Her poor baby cot buddy then, Shon, was constantly sick and sometime last year, his parents decided to pull him out of the daycare although his 2 elder sisters were there as he wasn't growing healthily as he should. I remember the first day I sent the girl there, Shon, who's 3 weeks older then Rye Li was much bigger and taller in size than Rye Li. And he has always been until towards a year old when I notice although he's taller than Rye Li, he was getting thinner and thinner. Rye Li is already petite for her age till today and for Shon to be thinner and lighter than Rye Li then, it was not a good sign. I've not seen him for a while although I see his mom and 2 sisters regularly but the last time I saw him, he was much healthier already.

I guess there are the pros and cons of a daycare but looking at how the girl has progressed with the daycare, I really have no regrets at all.

There are so many things the daycare has taught the girl that shamefully, I admit, I will not have the patience to teach the girl the same things at home.

She is 28 months old today which makes her 2 years and 4 months old and she can:-

1) count up to 20. of course her 11-20 is not as perfect as her 1-10 but that was how she learnt her 1-10 anyway.

2) she knows all her shapes from heart to oval and can tell the difference of a square to rectangular. several months back, I was drawing out shapes for her to recognise and she can tell me all of them. I continued to draw half a moon expecting her to say moon and she knows this and this girl answered "cresent". At first, I thought she meant "present" and wanted to correct her but then it hit me that she meant cresent and she is right. I was really impressed with this and told hubby and hubby asked me back "What is cresent?!" haha.

3) she knows how to colour within the lines but with mistakes now and then. I remember when I was teaching her to colour, she was colouring all over the place and I just gave up, letting her do what she wants but of course on the book and not elsewhere.

4) just last week, I got to know that she also knows how to read about 7 words from the flash cards they use at the daycare. I was impressed with this and tempted to do my own flash card for her. All this while, she only knows her name as we have been spelling out her name since she was a baby and now she can spell her name as well.

5) she learnt how to eat on her own mostly from the daycare. i don't have the patience to see her make a mess at home. now, when I'm in the mood, I let her eat on her own. she doesn't make such a mess like before.

6) she's also potty trained at the daycare. we use more diapers at home than she does at the daycare and only along the way i found out she pees on her own at the daycare. this of course lead me to have her pee on her own at home but she is still not being cooperative to poo in her potty at home unlike at the daycare.

7) although she goes for her music class (kindermusik) once a week, she also learns other songs from the daycare. i'm guessing from the combination of this and what i sing to her at home, i notice she tends to also make up songs on her own at times.

8) and of course her ABCs too but I have always sang to her now and then this song ever since she was a baby.

I guess with the daycare strengths, it also goes to show my weaknesses as a mom. Yes, I'm relying on them to teach my girl things as well and I've never admitted that I'm a perfect mom. ;)

Back to the girl, I was contemplating whether I should send the girl to school when she turns 3 end of the year. Aunty Ng did advise that I don't need to since she is already learning stuff at the daycare and that she goes to her music class once a week. I will still try and source for one around the daycare which provides transport and if I feel if the girl is ready then, I may just send her to one. If not, I will wait till she turns 4 then.

I cannot believe how fast she has grown, as much as I am proud to see her grow, I'm also sad that she's not exactly my baby anymore.