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Sometimes (really often) I’m unsure how to fit my professional goals into my mom life. I’ve been told that using the word balancedenotes taking away from one part of your life to feed the other, so I’ll try to stay away from the balancing act and instead… try to have it all!? Feels impossible right now and once again I’m lost in a sea of maybes. Maybe it’s because Mia is only 15 months and I forget that I’m still new to this parenting thing. Maybe it’s because I’m not 100% charging toward one major goal. Maybe it’s because I am impatient. Maybe it’s Maybelline?! All I know is that I need some time to myself to figure it out.

About two months ago, one of my amazing mom friends mentioned that she had started looking into daycare… so I dove into the internet abyss of options in my surrounding area (mostly using Winnie & Yelp) and found a few that seemed okay. The first? Didn’t jive with my parenting style (I try to be hands off but present to foster her independence). The second? Gross. Didn’t look fun but with that said, Mia thinks garbage is fun. Third? AMAZING. At least by looks of it. Organic meals and snacks (so less cooking and prepping for me! Woohoo!), full-time with flexible hours, a warm home with lots of outdoor space a safe playground and toys. I dial and book a tour for the next day.

I get there and realize that I have no clue what to ask. The owner of the daycare dives into a background of herself, the daycare/pre-school she’s built over the years, her passions, the teaching and care taking team, the kids… I leave feeling relieved and know immediately that this is the right place for our little family. Here’s a list of questions based on her very helpful guidance:

What does an average day look like?
Do they have a firm schedule or like to have a more flexible day?
Do they have a curriculum and how does it vary for the different ages?
Do they follow a specific style of teaching method? i.e. Early Start, Montessori etc. - play based or skill based?
Do they speak to the kids in multiple languages?
Do they hire outside teachers with specialties like animal trainers, gymnastics, yoga etc.
What is their conflict resolution style? i.e. If one kid takes a toy from another, how do they handle that?
What do they eat? Is there a wide range of meal types throughout the week? Is it organic?
Are they more hands on or off with the kids?
What’s the ratio of caretakers/teachers to each child? What are each caretakers duties?
What is the age of the youngest child in class and the oldest?
How many kids are currently in class and what is the maximum #?
What do I need to provide every day? Every week? ie. a bib, diapers, water bottle, crib sheet etc.
What do they provide every day? Every week? ie. a mattress, art project materials, snacks and meals etc.
What are the other parents like? How often would we all get together if ever?
What do you expect from us?