Planning ahead
Today is the 6th of May 2008 and it was only last week, ummm, no, perhaps the week before – ag, not too sure, but in anycase – we decided that it is time to start looking for a day mother or baby care to send our little boy to when Bridgitte returns to work in November.
We are in May people, we are in May and the baby isn’t even born yet and we are already thinking about where he needs to be sent when Bridgitte goes to work in November? Some might say that planning so far ahead is crazy.
But after a good couple of calls later, we realised that we’re definitely not! I didn’t even think that this was going to be a challenge, but it is turning out to be. Bridgitte called quite a number of baby care centres in Parklands and surrounds as well as 1 or 2 day mothers and they are all full. Yep, full! We did, however, go and see a day care today, but the thought of leaving our baby with 11 others – needless to say, didn’t excite us too much. And not to mention the cost per month and a deposit? Paying a non-refundable deposit to put your child onto the list? I don’t know if this is normal or not, but it just does not sit well with me at all.
We are finding it increasingly frustrating because there is no list or registry of day mothers in the area, may it be online or offline. Nothing at all! It seems that if you, by some miracle, movie into a friendship circle where virtually all couples are parents, you have much more luck in getting word-of-mouth referrals, which I’ve heard is one of the ways in finding out who is who in the zoo in your area.
Gosh, what about us? We’ve only been living in the area during the last couple of years, not to mention, not knowing many people who have kids.
SO, if you’re one of the very few that read this and by any luck of the draw can refer us to a day mother or good baby care centre, we’d be more than grateful indeed.
