https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 27 May 2026 10:29:46 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2307076 Thu, 01 Oct 2015 04:30:51 +0000 matador84 2307076@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Clean, up to 21st century standards with a library and iPads for older children, attention to safety standards, lower than state student:teacher rations, use a curriculum </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2307056 Thu, 01 Oct 2015 01:26:06 +0000 Mama Bird 2307056@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Someone at DH's office recommended it, and when we visited they told us how the day care has been around more than 20 years and some of the kids that went there are now bringing their own kids there :happy: And just a good gut feeling! It didn't hurt that the day care is five minutes from our house and cost less than the other options we looked at. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306978 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 21:32:49 +0000 JennyD 2306978@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>On our tour, the director made a joke about firing a parent for trying to insist on a ridiculous diet for her daughter. I knew that he and I had the same view on the world and would see eye to eye. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306671 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 16:06:46 +0000 Silva 2306671@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>She's been in an in home daycare part time since 16 months. We picked her because of her general philosophy (Waldorf inspired), and her space (both indoor and outdoor).<br /> She will start preschool a year from now, and we picked that based on the emphasis on outdoor time and he natural world (large garden, sheep, chickens, natural playground, 20 acres for exploring). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306669 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 16:03:18 +0000 Rocker2014 2306669@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We chose our center because my husband felt comfortable there. I had narrowed it down to a few options I was happy with, and when he visited them with me, this was the one that he felt like he really connected with the staff and the feel of the place. While I am quite the extrovert and feel comfortable in most places, he is not the same, so choosing a provider with whom he felt "at home" was very important to me.</p> <p>(Didn't hurt that it was the cheapest, and we knew lots of other people who were happy with it!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306635 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 15:36:02 +0000 Mrs. Pen 2306635@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Personal recommendation from a family member<br /> location- less than a mile from us<br /> Price<br /> Behavior policy (this was extremely important to me) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306584 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 14:53:21 +0000 daniellemybelle 2306584@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It just felt right. Everyone that worked there had been there for years and they were just SO sweet and interacted with LO versus only talking to me. All the kids looked happy.</p> <p>Just after we enrolled LO, we met a neighbor who asked what we were doing for daycare. We told her and she started gushing about the school. Her son had been in the big expensive center nearby and she had not had a great experience. They switched him to our school and it was like night and day. This school is a preschool following the public school calendar, so it was less convenient for her schedule, but she was clearly so happy there that it just felt serendipitous to meet her and hear that. We ended up meeting a few other neighbors that sent their kids to our school and loved it, so it just reinforced my feeling that it was a great place for LO. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306538 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 14:27:57 +0000 MtnBiker 2306538@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>location, we get an extra hour a day with LO! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306535 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 14:26:48 +0000 Alivoo01 2306535@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Cost and location. It was a nice bonus that it was also a Montessori! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306525 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 14:18:50 +0000 autumnlove 2306525@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Cost, proximity, the director's warm personality, flexibility and gut feeling. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306504 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 13:59:13 +0000 californiadreams 2306504@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>for his first centre before we moved, we had a choice of a couple of places. I had the best vibe/impression from the one we chose. Distance wise, they were all the same. This one was also on the lower end of the costs.</p> <p>His current one had really good ratings on the provincial list of licensed centres and it is a 2 minute walk from our house, i didn't even look at other ones! i went to visit obviously one time and got a good impression as well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306494 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 13:54:16 +0000 birdofafeather 2306494@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Cost for time using it (all day 2x a week)<br /> Proximity to our house<br /> Set up of classrooms/"professionalism" (sounds weird but another place we looked at was much more bare bones for the same price<br /> Ability to start her ASAP </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306469 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 13:43:06 +0000 Chillybear 2306469@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was on a waiting list at the center my nieces go to for almost 8 months. A month before my due date I realized, my daughter probably wasnt going to get a spot there when I returned to work. I put a frantic post on FB asking for rec's and a coworker suggested the center we're at now. I went on my lunch break one day and met the director, saw the class and met the teachers who would be with my daughter and toured the school. It was clean, happy, bright and colorful. It was in a neighborhood on a scenic street with a church and catholic school across the street. What amazed me the most was each classroom we went into all the kids were napping (at the same time!) it was like magic... They had a spot for LO, the price was right, and I figured worst case we moved her to the place with the waiting list when there was a spot. 2 years later and we LOVE our center. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306425 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 13:22:57 +0000 mrsjazz 2306425@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LOs preschool is further away from home than the initial one we thought we'd send her to. </p> <p>What sold me:<br /> New and bright<br /> They have their own playground<br /> part of universal pre-k program</p> <p>But what really made me say yes was the way the director dealt with parents. She's no nonsense. A lot of parents brought their children to the information session even though she made it clear not to do this. When the kids were going crazy and parents couldn't hear, she calmed the children while also reinforcing to the parents about rules. Some of the parents didn't like it. I LOVED it! :grin: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306372 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 12:58:13 +0000 LadyPantaloons 2306372@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are in a centre and I hope to always use centres for my kids, they are always open (we don't have to plan our holidays around someone else), the staff can take sick days and have breaks. Our DD also thrives with lots of friends around.<br /> Selling features on this centre -<br /> Proximity to our home, which is in a rural area.<br /> Price is pretty affordable for a centre (585 a month for a preschooler).<br /> Smaller classes, and often all the age groups do activities together. DD loves babies so this is nice for her.<br /> They bus the kindergarten kids to and from our first choice of elementary school. So once DD is in kindergarten part-time and her brother is born and in the infant room we will have 1 drop-off and 1 pick-up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306345 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 12:35:31 +0000 cascademom 2306345@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Home daycare: my mom's a former educator. When I told her the credentials, etc., she encouraged us to enroll LO #1 there. LO #2 is there right now.</p> <p>Center/preschool: we followed some families from the home daycare there, environment, etc. Its location helped being closer to home too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306338 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 12:26:09 +0000 avivoca 2306338@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was sold on gut instinct. The center she is at seems like such a fun place to be. There are colors, toys, the kids seem happy. The other center we visited felt very cold and institutional. The price difference was nice too (current center was $226/week for infant care vs. $282/week, and that was two years ago). I love the majority of the teachers too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306332 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 12:23:48 +0000 Mamaof2 2306332@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ajsmommy: yes to the gut instinct!</p> <p>I had been to 2 other places and just wasn't feeling it - I walked into the next DCP and was instantly saying to myself 'yes, this is where I want my DS to go!" </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306327 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 12:20:54 +0000 blackbird 2306327@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>*just felt "right"<br /> *only 4 kids<br /> *just a few blocks away!</p> <p>I'm sad E starts a new place in Jan! But it'll be a good move </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306306 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 12:11:09 +0000 lamariniere 2306306@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Location! It takes 2 minutes to walk there. Daycare prices are regulated and subsidized here, so price wasn't really a concern. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306299 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 12:08:53 +0000 QBbride 2306299@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>-excellent reputation<br /> -tons of outdoor time, rain or shine<br /> -got a good feeling from the teachers (and really love them now)<br /> -location (beside a huge park and a 5 minute drive from our house) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306295 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 12:05:20 +0000 catlady 2306295@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We use a center. Major things that sold me:<br /> - Super convenient (I found it b/c I walk by it everyday on my way to work)<br /> - Montessori<br /> - Strong music focus<br /> - Provides all snacks and meals<br /> - Just "felt" better than other centers we visited<br /> - Tuition is high but no higher than other centers in our area </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306273 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 11:49:34 +0000 Ajsmommy 2306273@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>-gut instinct<br /> -price<br /> -convenience </p> <p>And we are 100% happy with our choice! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306256 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 11:36:50 +0000 MoreCoffee 2306256@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS's daycare center is part of a church and it's 1/2 mile from our house. Those things made it feel like part of the community to me; lots of families in our neighborhood either go to the church, the preschool, or the full-day child care. It wasn't the fanciest or newest of the centers we toured, but it had a "warm" feeling. We've always been very happy with them so I think we made the right choice! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306245 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 11:31:15 +0000 CakeLady 2306245@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are in a daycare center. We chose it because a former co-worker with two children recommended it, it felt like a very warm and nurturing environment, it was clean, organized, and the kids seemed happy. The price, schedule (hours, days, vacations), and location were right too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306244 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 11:30:24 +0000 Corduroy 2306244@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It was the only place with availability I could find when we moved. We still had to wait a month and even then could only have the spot for two months. Freakin baby boom. I did not like it at all. But we returned when a spot opened up again because there was so much love and structure. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306240 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 11:21:35 +0000 Mrs. Carrot 2306240@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a similar experience with choosing a home daycare (which I was resistant to vs a center because it felt safer and more regulated to me) but then someone recommended me their home daycare provider and we were sold. The things that helped were a) recommendation from a good friend that we trusted b) the cost was significantly less than all other options and c) when we met the provider, she just seemed like a lovely woman who would take great care of our daughter. It was gut instinct in the end. And in our state (VA), all daycare providers have to be licensed and regularly inspected so I did look at her (good) records and that really solidified it for me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306235 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 11:20:00 +0000 snowjewelz 2306235@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We ended up with a center, this one is the cheapest out of all the ones in the neighborhood. And it's an integrated school with ACDS, and I think it's beautiful that DD will grow up seeing/playing with special needs kids. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306223 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 11:07:17 +0000 Mrs D 2306223@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The lead teacher in the newborn room and recommendations from work. It is a center but feels very nice and cozy - not institutional. </p> <p>The lead teacher has now become our primary babysitter...cant wait for #2 to start their when she makes her arrival! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-sold-you-on-your-los-childcare#post-2306212 Wed, 30 Sep 2015 10:58:23 +0000 simplyfelicity 2306212@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I never thought I wanted an in-home daycare but we live in a small town and it's either that or a daycare that feeds into a private school. For us, we were sold on...<br /> -the cost...525 per month vs 800<br /> - it's run by a retired preschool teacher<br /> - the house is 3 minutes from us<br /> - she doesn't advertise on her property for safety reasons<br /> - came highly recommended by other teachers I work with</p> <p>What about you, what sold you on your childcare? </p>