As a first time mom I was very worried about leaving my baby with anyone else but my family. However, it had been 18 months and my daughter definitely showed signs of wanting to socialize with other kids so it was time.
Meadowland was recommendation by the owner of Angel's Korner since they did not have any spots open so that is how our journey begun.
We toured the place and the first impression was what mattered- the place was tucked away from busy roads and other businesses at the end of Royal Ln and it actually felt like a school. There was an actual person at the front desk who didn't let us go any further without explaining what are we there for and that made me feel safe that people can't just walk in and wander around. The place was spotless- clean and organized and at the end of the tour we decided to give it a shot.
On the first day I don't know who was scared more- me or my daughter but we both cried and my heart was breaking. Everyone was very helpful in making the transition as easy as possible and after few weeks my daughter stopped crying when I was dropping her off which was a sure sign that she was enjoying her time there. She learned so much every day- her cubby was filled with artwork that consisted of few squiggly lines in crayon but made my heart jump for joy like I've just seen Mona Lisa. She was singing ABCs and her knowledge of colors, shapes and numbers just solidified with every day.
We were very lucky with the main teachers as well- Ms.Ashley and Ms.Deanna became like family members and once my daughter started excitedly saying their names in the car on our way to the daycare, I knew we're going to be just fine.
The day for each class is very structured and parents are presented with it at the beginning of the "school year". It includes age-appropriate activities as well as story time and outside play. In the summertime it also includes water play and bike day. They have countless art and science projects and they keep the kids very busy throughout the day.
Of course, every daycare has its pros and cons and there are a few things that I don't agree with or would do differently but I've learned to prioritize and choose my battles because I realize- no place will be 100% perfect.
One of my personal and biggest cons would be variety in food that's provided. I probably am too picky and have never had to feed a small "army" of children so I imagine it's challenging but as a fresh fruit and vegetable as well as unprocessed food advocate my daughter (and myself) struggled with it a bit. The food provided is definitely not bad but it is just not something that she was used to.
In my opinion, every experience is what you make of it- I've seen so many bad reviews about multiple daycares in town on facebook but none of those experiences will truly matter until you tour the facility, meet the teachers and see how problems and issues are being handled by the administration for yourself. There are some teachers that will mesh with you and your kid really well and there are some that won't and we had that experience as well but instead of "throwing a fit" we discussed everything with mutual respect and came to resolution.
Parents also often overlook the importance of lending a kind word to their kids' caregivers or simply saying hello, offering their help and being available. Relationships between teachers and parents are equally important in building a positive environment and foundation to your child's well-being so I really have nothing to complain about because every issue that we've had, has been discussed and resolved which is why Meadowland gets 5 stars from our family.
All USA
As a first time mom I was very worried about leaving my baby with anyone else but my family. However, it had been 18 months and my daughter definitely showed signs of wanting to socialize with other kids so it was time. Meadowland was recommendation by the owner of Angel's Korner since they did not have any spots open so that is how our journey begun. We toured the place and the first impression was what mattered- the place was tucked away from busy roads and other businesses at the end of Royal Ln and it actually felt like a school. There was an actual person at the front desk who didn't let us go any further without explaining what are we there for and that made me feel safe that people can't just walk in and wander around. The place was spotless- clean and organized and at the end of the tour we decided to give it a shot. On the first day I don't know who was scared more- me or my daughter but we both cried and my heart was breaking. Everyone was very helpful in making the transition as easy as possible and after few weeks my daughter stopped crying when I was dropping her off which was a sure sign that she was enjoying her time there. She learned so much every day- her cubby was filled with artwork that consisted of few squiggly lines in crayon but made my heart jump for joy like I've just seen Mona Lisa. She was singing ABCs and her knowledge of colors, shapes and numbers just solidified with every day. We were very lucky with the main teachers as well- Ms.Ashley and Ms.Deanna became like family members and once my daughter started excitedly saying their names in the car on our way to the daycare, I knew we're going to be just fine. The day for each class is very structured and parents are presented with it at the beginning of the "school year". It includes age-appropriate activities as well as story time and outside play. In the summertime it also includes water play and bike day. They have countless art and science projects and they keep the kids very busy throughout the day. Of course, every daycare has its pros and cons and there are a few things that I don't agree with or would do differently but I've learned to prioritize and choose my battles because I realize- no place will be 100% perfect. One of my personal and biggest cons would be variety in food that's provided. I probably am too picky and have never had to feed a small "army" of children so I imagine it's challenging but as a fresh fruit and vegetable as well as unprocessed food advocate my daughter (and myself) struggled with it a bit. The food provided is definitely not bad but it is just not something that she was used to. In my opinion, every experience is what you make of it- I've seen so many bad reviews about multiple daycares in town on facebook but none of those experiences will truly matter until you tour the facility, meet the teachers and see how problems and issues are being handled by the administration for yourself. There are some teachers that will mesh with you and your kid really well and there are some that won't and we had that experience as well but instead of "throwing a fit" we discussed everything with mutual respect and came to resolution. Parents also often overlook the importance of lending a kind word to their kids' caregivers or simply saying hello, offering their help and being available. Relationships between teachers and parents are equally important in building a positive environment and foundation to your child's well-being so I really have nothing to complain about because every issue that we've had, has been discussed and resolved which is why Meadowland gets 5 stars from our family.