How to Find Child Care

Whether you’re heading back to work after a mat leave or you’ve moved to a new city, there are lots of factors to consider before your search begins, such as your schedule, location (and how much you can afford.
Next, consider your parenting style; you’ll want a caregiver who shares your childcare philosophies and goals or you could run into problems. If you’d prefer to send your child to a place that’s licensed and government regulated, run by professionals and one that offers an age-appropriate curriculum with daily routines, then childcare centers might be right for you. If you’d rather take your child to a caregiver’s house where an intimate and small group setting is encouraged, think about home childcare. And if you’re looking for help with your kids and some daily chores, you may opt for a live-in nanny.
Depending on your child’s age, childcare centers can be anything from a nursery school to a before-and-after-school program. The way to start investigating this is by calling a handful of potential centers and ask how long they’ve been operating, if they’re licensed, the age range of the children in their care and the ratio of staff to children.
You should also ask about availability. Are they accepting new clients? What are their qualifications? How many adults are onsite? Depending on age of the kids and where you live, you could be looking at $800 to $1,000 per month.
Follow up your phone calls by scheduling a tour, or better yet, drop in unannounced to see how the centre functions. Make sure there are fire detectors in the place and that the kids look content. Are they attentive, disciplined and pleasant? What will they do if your kid gets sick?
Go through a private home-daycare agency to find a placement for your child in a private home or conduct the search yourself. No matter how you choose to do it, you’ll want to look for someone who promotes a supportive learning environment in their home.
You should also ask about the number of children in the program, hours, health policies (television rules, sample menus, daily schedules and references.
Be prepared for the caregiver to have her own questionnaire, says Bernard. She’ll ask for parent contact information, medical history, favorite toys, allergies, diet restrictions, emergency contacts and who is permitted to pick the children up. The more permission the place requires the better it probably is as they are trying to protect your kid!

Parenting Tips
, , , , , , ,

The Lost Art of Bargaining

One way to get more for your money in these hard times is to simply remember how to bargain for it.
In an uncertain economy, it pays to shop smart. In fact, hardest part of negotiating is simply getting past the idea of paying the full sticker price. Keep in mind that in these hard times, people are increasingly willing to strike up a deal.
Just ask the sales clerk – 'Can we get a better price? ' It is especially good to do this if you think that it is not just a sales clerk you are talking to and that it is the owner you are talking to…
It also helps simply to look around for a deal. Do your price checks. Stores are often eager to match or beat the prices of their competitors, so check flyers, newspaper ads, internet auction and shopping sites (including eBay, Amazon and Yahoo) and bargain websites for comparisons. Print or cut out the information and take it on your shopping trip; sometimes if you can show you got a lower deal on the internet you do not have to pay as much.
Negotiating the price of a house or car seems obvious, but you do the same tactics to try and get deals department stores, travel centers, home contractors and cell phone providers. Haggling can work almost anywhere.
Try bargaining in person rather than over the telephone. To give yourself a lot of time to strike a deal, shop when a store is less busy and make sure that you are friendly, patient and polite.
You can also look out for damage on items. If you find a flaw on an item that you can live with or fix – such as a missing button on a jacket or a scratch on a table – ask for a better price.
Offering to pay cash in return for a discount doesn't mean you're helping someone skirt taxation; there's no need to put down $20 for dishware and make a run for the nearest border. Many retailers prefer cash payments because they pay a fee for credit- or debit-card transactions.
It is also a good idea to simply keep an eye out for sales. Ask when an item will be marked down and when new models are coming. They might be prepared to wait a bit and then give you a deal. I got a really great baby carriage that way.

Parenting Tips
, , , , , ,