We love our babies but sometimes we have to get back to work. When it’s time to think about care for your child while you are at work, you have to explore your options. What are the differences between Montessori vs daycare. Is one better than the other? There are pros and cons for montessori and daycare. Let’s dive in to the differences between Montessori and daycare, the pros and cons and other useful information.

Is Montessori school better than daycare?

Many people inquire if Montessori school is better than sending your child to daycare. It all depends on what are the needs of the family. Both offer safety, love and care for your child but whether one or the other is better depends on what each individual family is looking for. Let’s dive in on the pros and cons of daycare and Montessori and what they both offer.

What is Daycare?

Daycare is high quality child care for babies to preschooled children. Often times, it is regulated by the government to hold certain standards and rules. It is to keep your child safe and healthy while they are away from their parents or caregivers. Additionally, daycare can provide some preschool teachings such as singing, learning letters and numbers and have academic “stations” for children to learn. Pre literacy and mathematics skills may be taught as well.

MUST READ: Make Your Child A Montessori Bedroom

What Is Montessori?

Like daycare, Montessori provides for babies to at least preschool children. Montessori can be extended into the elementary years as an alternative to traditional education in schools. Montessori like daycare is to keep your child safe and healthy. It also provides pre literacy and mathematics skills.

Unlike daycare, Montessori also engages your child to develop their natural interests and talents and has activities and interactions to cater to that. It also boasts a hands on learning program which differs from traditional teaching methods. Montessori education allows children to learn at their own pace and hone in on interests and hands on education.

What Are The Pros of Daycare?

For many parents and caregivers, there are so many reasons why they send their children to daycare. Whether they have to work or are looking for the social interaction for their little ones, they have great reasons for enjoying the aspect of daycare for their children. Here are some of the pros of daycare.

Cost Effective

Parents and caregivers are looking for a safe place for their children to be watched while they are at work. Daycare is one of the most cost effective options. Even though it can be expensive, it is not as pricey as other options. Secondly, daycare can stay open for a long period through out the day. Some daycares can even stay open until after dinner! This is helpful for parents who work long hours. Considering how long their child is in daycare, it can be a cost effective option.

Socialization

Many parents and caregivers love how their child is socializing every day. They get to interact regularly with their daycare providers and also other children. Daycare generally separates children into age groups so they can learn and play amongst their peers. Your child will be able to interact with other children their age and learn skills from their peers and teachers.

Parents and children love that they can interact with many children from all different backgrounds and families. It is always a learning experience for children in daycare. Many parents notice their little ones speech develops very quickly with the constant interaction.

Learning Programs

Many people enjoy the amount of learning programs that their child can get in daycare. They love that their child will begin preparations for school. Some daycares begin to prep children for learning their alphabet, spelling their name and counting. They also have different stations through out the classroom, so the child can play house, dress up, read or play with toys. Both their fine motor skills and gross motor skills are tested daily.

Children also have outdoor options to play and run in a safe zone outside. They also have books where they can read. Their daycare provider teachers are there to sing them songs, set them up for regular naps and play with the children.

Parents enjoy the stimulation that their children get in an entire day and all of the different learning programs a daycare can provide. There are also many others students in the classroom. This may encourage your child to try new stations that they would not usually try if they were not surrounded with friends.

Preparation for School

As mentioned above, parents love that their children could be prepared for going to school. Daycares are like schools in that their are many peers their age to interact with in a learning environment. Secondly, a child has a number of learning programs as we spoke about above. This helps a child adjust to a learning environment and get used to schedules, peers, teachers and time. Lastly, a young student’s gross motor skills and fine motor skills are being tested and growing everyday because there is just so much to do. This helps a child prepare for prekindergarten or kindergarten with ease. They may even have a few of their fellow daycare peers in their kindergarten class!

Safe Place While Parents Are At Work

Many parents and caregivers have to work. They want their children to interact and be social but the number one reason why children are in daycare is that their parents have to go to work to make a living. This means parents are very particular on where to bring their children. They want their children to be safe and they want them to be healthy while in care.

Daycares are often run or governed by a state, provincial or federal government, depending on what part of the world you live. That means they have to meet safety and health requirements in order to run. Many teachers are certified through programs. In some places, a one year post secondary education is required to even teach in a daycare. Yearly courses are preferred to have the best daycare workers in place. Parents feel safe with all of the governmental regulations and the certification of daycare providers in a daycare setting.

These are the main reasons many parents and caregivers send their children to a daycare.

What Are The Cons of Daycare?

There are many pros to daycare and it is why millions of people around the world choose daycare as their alternative care for their children. However, there are some cons to daycare that some parents do not like. This is all relative to the daycare. Here are a few of the common complaints about daycare. Remember, this is not all daycares but these are common concerns from parents and caregivers who have noticed their daycares have these challenges.

Lack of Individual Attention

Some parents and caregivers find that their daycares lack in individual attention. Their children are still in a safe and healthy environment and have the legal amount of children per teacher as per their area, but they notice that their child does not get as much individual interaction as they would like with their teachers. The lack of individual attention may be hard on toddlers who are used to a lot of attention from parents.

More Crowded Than A Montessori

Unlike the Montessori Method of a few children to a teacher, daycares are generally (though not always) more crowded than a Montessori School. Parents want as much for their money as they can and that includes a lot of one on one teacher student time. Daycares tend to be more busier and though the teacher is very attentive in a daycare, they may not get as much individual attention as a Montessori.

Solution: An alternative to this is to think about home daycare providers that can have only a few other children in the home. That way, your child will get the one on one attention they need and still be in a daycare setting.

Ask your daycare provider what the child teacher ratio is at their daycare.

No Discounts If Your Child Goes To Daycare Part Time

This is a very normal and fair policy but it can be hard for parents who sign their children up for daycare for a year only to learn that they cannot get money back if their child only attends a fraction of the time. Daycares need the yearly fees to run a successful daycare. If your child does not show up for fifty percent of the time, they lose the spot for another potential child who would attend full time. If daycares reimbursed for sick days and part time students, they would lose alot of their revenue and teachers.

Though no discounts are offered for students who show up occasionally, ask for details about the payment plan and payment options so you understand the price breakdown.

These are some of the cons that parents and caregivers have about daycare. By no means does this mean it is all daycares. However, it is common individual experiences that some people face at some daycares. Before signing your child up for daycare, be sure to ask common questions to get the answers you need for the best daycare for your child.

What Are The Pros of Montessori

There are many reasons why parents and caregivers love Montessori school for their little one. Let’s dive into all of the pros of why parents and caregivers choose Montessori School. Parents and caregivers choose Montessori school for many reasons. However, most parents and caregivers send their child to Montessori school because like daycare parents and caregivers, they have to work. They want their child to be in a safe and healthy environment.

Socialization

Parents and caregivers love that their child is getting a lot of opportunity to socialize with other students and teachers. Generally, Montessori schools have a smaller population of students than daycare, but they do form close bonds. Montessori students have time to associate with their teachers and get some adult time and then play with their friends and get their peer time.

Low Children Teacher Ratios

The low student teacher ratios is a favorite for parents and caregivers. Unlike other child providers, many Montessori students get a lot of one on one time with their teachers. It gives room for toddlers to work on their fine motor skills and gross motor skills with their teachers. Children also get a lot of love and attention from their teachers. Teachers can assess children and really get to know the individual needs of the child. Teachers also can help children explore their talents and interests and be the support children need for the areas in which that they are struggling. This is one of the favorite things about Montessori’s for children that parents and caregivers love.

Individualized Care

As mentioned above, there is a low student teacher ratio that parents and caregivers appreciate. Since there are many teachers to students, teachers can really get to know the students as individuals. If your child loves to read, a teacher would be able to recognize these interests early and speak to the parents. Together, they can nurture talents and interests. Alternatively, if their are struggles and challenges, a teacher can notice early and address them. Montessori teachers can keep parents in close contact during the day and come up with a care plan that caters to the child best.

Hands On Learning

Like daycare, Montessori wants to prepare your child for kindergarten. However, it really understands and believes in the approach of hands on learning. For example, if your child is interested in insects, the child would be encouraged to go outside with the other students and teachers and observe insects. Teachers may provide a small magnifying glass. The student may be encouraged to draw the bugs they saw and talk about them. Teachers and students would look up facts about bugs for the student.

Alternatively, a child who loves to read will have teacher curl up and read a second book to them. They will encourage sounding out letters and finding letters around the classroom. They would draw letters and glue feely objects to the letters so it helps them remember the letter and the sound. Hands on learning is a favorite way of learning by Montessori schools.

Individualized Learning

When a child is learning about different interests, it is wonderful when they have a teacher to guide them. Montessori has individualized learning. They will look at your child’s interests and challenges and help them through each and every stage. Through hands on learning, positive affirmations and a safe environment, your child will be on a pathway to success. Teachers also like to have close contact with the parents and caregivers to so everyone can be like a community helping your child in any way you can.

Close Contact With Parents Through Out The Day

One thing that many Montessori parents and caregivers love is the close contact with parents through out the day. Parents can receive regular videos, updates and pictures of their child. Some Montessoris that we have observed have an app that parents and caregivers can download that informs parents about their child’s daily schedule. From how long baby slept during their nap to outdoor fun, parents can get the inside scoop on all of the fun their child is having! Parents and caregivers can also receive a few paragraphs of text a day on how their child is doing, how they are feeling etc.

Parents can also communicate at the beginning of the day how the child is feeling (the baby did not get a good sleep, the toddler loves books lately) and the Montessori will take great attention to what the parent or caregiver has said and give that child that needed attention. From introducing the new reader to fun new books to giving extra attention when the child is feeling sad, parents and caregivers love the close contact with their child’s Montessori teachers.

Extra Programs

Montessori has the opportunity to offer extra programs that can be beneficial to small children. They can have cooking classes, regular special guests, field trips and even regular language classes. Many Montessori children start to learn a second language like Spanish, French or Mandarin. This will help them in their future careers to communicate with global companies and most of all, be able to befriend and communicate with those of different cultures.

Extra programs are a great way to expand your child’s mind. These programs depend on what the teachers or school can offer.

Montessori can continue into elementary school

Familiarity is important to children, especially young children. Many Montessori schools do not stop at pre kindergarten. Some Montessori schools can continue all of the way until the eighth grade! Depending on the Montessori school, your child can be in the same school from prekindergarten all of the way until grade eight. Afterwards, they would transition into a high school of your choosing. Montessori can be comforting to children and they would be able to stick with the same program and educational concepts all through out their elementary career. Parents, caregivers and children alike can enjoy the consistency of Montessori.

These are some of the many reasons why people choose Montessori.

What is so special about Montessori?

Montessori school is special to many parents and caregivers because it offers extra programs than the alternatives, it also offers a low student to teacher ratio so your child can get a lot of individual attention. Parents and caregivers area also interested in the hands on approach that Montessori providers offer. Children are able to explore their interests, talents and new experiences freely and encouraged to explore, be curious and ask questions.

What Are The Cons of Montessori

Though there are many people who enjoy the Montessori outlook on childcare and education, there are some people who have some cons about Montessori. These are based on individuals opinions and it depends on the Montessori school. Like daycare, this can vary from Montessori school to Montessori school.

The Cost

Some families find the cost of Montessori expensive. It can really bite into a family budget. Parents and caregivers find some Montessoris to be so expensive, it is like having a second mortgage, especially if more than one child is attending a Montessori school.

Solution: If you think that Montessori school may be too expensive for your budget, inquire with the program director or the teachers if there are any scholarship programs that you may apply to. Some Montessoris have discounted rates for students while others have a “lottery system” where they can take on a few students at a discounted rate or for free. These types of programs vary from Montessori to Montessori.

No Discounts for part time Students

Some parents and caregivers want the Montessori experience, but only part time. They want to pay for their child to attend on the days they are available, but when the child will have other child care or be at home, parents do not want to pay for the regular days children will miss. Like some daycare centers, Montessori schools are often times not able to give substantial discounts to families that are only coming part time or to reimburse families for days their child did not attend school.

Solution: It is best to look over the contract before signing with a Montessori school. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and explain your ideal school and home situation for your child.

Montessori Vs Daycare – Which One Is Better?

When deciding which is better, Montessori school or a daycare center, the answer is simple, it depends on the family! Considering what your families situation is and the needs you have, you must look at budget, time and educational practices that mean a lot to your family. Both offer a safe and healthy situation for your child to receive childcare. By looking at the needs of your child, the family budget and what is available in your area, there are many options that will help you find the perfect child care for your little one.

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