Why It's Worth Paying For Extended Hours At Your Child's Daycare

Posted on: 12 August 2019

Many daycares are set up to operate from certain hours but give parents an opportunity to have their child spend longer at the daycare center for a bit of extra money. For example, the daycare may run from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., but it might charge an extra $10 if you have your child remain until 6 p.m. For many parents, it's desirable to pick up the child before the extended hour period as a way to save money, but you might want to think about taking the opposite approach. Paying a little more money to have your child spend longer at daycare each day has lots of advantages, including the following.

Low-Ratio Time With The Instructors

Most of the children at the daycare will get picked up around the end of the standard-length day, meaning only a handful will remain during the extended hour period. This gives your child a chance to spend time with the instructors without a lot of other children around. The result will be that your child gets more one-on-one time with the instructors, whether it's to play a game, put in some extra work on a project, or simply so they can get to know each other. This period of time can be enriching for the child and may be something that he or she looks forward to each day.

Less Of A Rush

It's possible that you're scrambling to get to the daycare at the end of its regular hours of operation each day. For example, you might eat lunch at your desk to allow you to leave your place of work slightly earlier, fight your way through traffic in a stressed manner, and constantly be hoping that you get to the daycare center in time. There's little value in adding this stress to your day. If you simply decide to pick your child up a little later, you'll avoid this unpleasant rush.

Calmer Environment For Picking Your Child Up

If you descend on the daycare center at the same time as several other parents, the pickup process might not be calm. For example, your child could be eager to show you something he or she worked on during the day, but the excitement of other children as they greet their parents may be distracting and prevent you from concentrating. Fewer parents will be present if you arrive later, which will provide you with a calmer, more focused environment in which to connect with your child.

For more information on your daycare options, contact a center like Carousel Of Learning Pre-School & Nursery.

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