Today I went and toured the day care center across the street from where I work. They don't take infants, but they do take one year-olds once they can walk. So, I had to take a tour and put down a DEPOSIT to be put on the waiting list for a possible start date of December 2010!! December! 2010!! Isn't that insane?
On the application they asked for the date of birth of the child: TBD?? Approximately? They also asked for a name. Does Baby Girl count? How 'bout Lady Bug? There was another woman there expecting twins. I soooo wanted to make sure my app got in the pipeline before hers. She's taking TWO spots! It would be so great to have the little button across the street, though. Not that I'd go and visit her, because i guess that really screws up their schedule, but just knowing she was yards away would be nice.
The pressure is crazy. Now we're thinking about preschool and grade school. Do we need to get on a waiting list for those, too? I thought that only happened in Manhattan and L.A.
The gal who gave the tour totally hinted that "sucking up" really helps you advance on the list. She basically told us to come volunteer at their events and send them notes and emails reminding them of "our special one." It goes against every grain of my being, but I have a feeling I'll be dropping by with baskets of brownies or muffins soon.
Moving
2 hours ago
15 comments:
That is horrifying! You pay them outrageous amounts of money to care for your child, and they want to manipulate you to do more? Before your child can even get in? Convenience is great, but wow! I guess it's good to live here in the Midwest - the competition is not that rough. I don't think I would deal with that very well.
I hope that your girl will get a place. It gives you so much more peace of mind if you can get to your child quickly if she needs you.
The wait lists at all the good places are CRAZY! In fact, you might want to add your future grandchildren to the wait list while you are at it.
That is amazing, it sounds like something out of a movie! Lady Bug better get her college applications line up too.
It's crazy, but that's how things happen in "real" cities. LOL
As you can probably tell, I'm a New Yorker (although displaced somewhere else now) and I totally get the whole "suck up" principle. It's how you tell who serious about landing the premium spot. Good luck with those brownies. Throw in some edible gold if you really want to top the list.
That is horrible but oh so necessary in a big city. And, yes, get on a waiting list for a preschool too! Good luck.
~ICLW
Wow, I had no idea that there were waiting lists, maybe I live under a rock.
I hope your baby girl gets a spot :)
ICLW
I feel your pain! My son was born in December 2008. I went and put our name on the wait-lists in the area when I was 12 weeks pregnant. He is now 5 months old, and we are STILL on the wait lists. We got into one daycare 1 day a week. The daycare we prefer tells me they have a 25 month waiting list for the infant room . . . which they can only be in for 7 months. Do the math on that one!! How on earth can they have a 25 month wait list when the babies only stay in the room for 7 months and pregnancy is only 9 (well, 10) months. Child care solutions are so frustrating. I work from home, but I'm getting pretty desperate! We've been trying to find a nanny, and that has been a disaster, too. We are trying a babysitter starting next week for the summer, and hoping we'll get more daycare days in the fall.
Good luck on your journey! - Tkeys *ICLW*
Congrats on your BFP!
Sorry for the waiting list hassle. And I hate to break the news...but YES, you should totally start pursuing pre-school waiting lists. :)
*ICLW*
Good luck with your pregnancy... I guess you are almost there! Sorry about the waiting list plight!
~ICLW
OMG! This is pathetic...the whole waiting list and the sucking up to them....
Is this the only childcare facility that you can go to?...Nopes, I figure this must be the deal with all of them...sucky!
*ICLW*
The wait list situation for good child care is ridiculous. We are still waiting to get into an infant room. Sorry about the sucking up, though -- that's awful!
ICLW
Holy cow! December of 2010?! That's a lot of planning ahead. Sounds like it's a really great daycare if they have a waiting list that long, though.
*ICLW*
Yikes! Who knew DAY CARE could be competitive?!?! That is insane.
ICLW
ours is not even conceived and we are already running this race, and we live in alabama!!! i thought it was insane. not to mention how much it all hurts sometimes.
the whole sucking up thing really bothers me, like i don't have enough to deal with. hope it works out for you. since you are across the street, just bring food once a month, with a note saying it is from the best little girl they will ever have the privilege to know.
ILCW
Unbelievable... I had no idea that they could be a waiting list. Hope your girl will get a spot.
~Stopping by for ICLW~
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