How to Pick the Right Nursery for Your Child? 如何挑选合适的托儿所？

史蒂夫·米亚尔 邓璐璐

Tears and distress on the first day of nursery is a familiar story—but thats just the parents.

Choosing whose care to hand your flesh and blood1 over to can be a terrifying prospect.

But if you work then as a new parent then sooner or later you are going to need someone to look after your child for more than a few hours.

This is where paid childcare comes in and most people—unless they are lucky enough to have very understanding parents—opt for nursery care.

This is somewhere where trained and registered professionals will look after your child anywhere between 7am and 7pm so you can go to work.

Nurseries vary hugely in terms of cost and facilities and size and many have long waiting lists.

Its worth investigating as early as possible to find out what there is in your area even if it is only to kick-start2 your thinking about childcare.

Steve Myall， whose son Jackson has been in nursery for almost a year， chatted to First Time Dads podcast co-presenter Richard Innes about the decisions he and his partner made about their nursery choice.

Here are his top tips on how to pick a nursery based on his own experience.

1） Go and visit—if you can without your child so you can pay attention to what is going on.

2） Do the kids look happy？

3） What are the staff like， a spread of ages and sexes is something which is important for us.

4） Is there secure outside space for the kids to run around during fine weather？

5） What is the policy for meal times？ Is there a healthy menu？ When do the children eat？

6） Is there somewhere quiet for kids to nap， especially when they are babies？

7） Staff to child ratios. How much attention will your one year old or younger be getting or will they be left to entertain themselves？

8） Read the nurserys Ofsted3 report—there is no substitution for having a look yourself but its a good starting point.

9） Talk to other parents in the area， they will soon tell you any nightmares or warnings.

10） How much does it cost and what time is open， some nurseries fine you if you are late picking up.

11） Take advantage of settling in days and hours where you can observe your child in the nursery setting.

12） Does the nursery seem professionally run？ Trust your instincts.

13） Visit more than one and at different price points so you can compare.

14） Do they accept nursery vouchers4 which you can get tax free through your employer？

15） Be prepared for some tears when you drop off5 for the first time， both from you and child， its perfectly natural to feel some anxiety.

第一天去托儿所，眼泪汪汪和痛苦忧伤不足为奇，但只有家长是这样。

将亲生骨肉交由谁来照看，想想这个问题就让人忧心忡忡。

但如果你是新手家长，早晚有一天你会需要有人来照看你的孩子好几个小时。

收费托管服务便派上了用场。大多数家长会选择托儿所，除非他们有幸拥有非常体谅子女的父母。

托儿所拥有经过培训的注册专业人士，他们可以在早7点到晚7点的任何时间段照看孩子，让您可以上班。

托儿所的收费、设施和规模差别巨大，许多托儿所要等很久才有名额。

即使只是开始考虑托管问题，也应该尽早做好功课，了解周边的托儿所。

史蒂夫·米亚尔把兒子杰克逊送去托儿所快一年了，他和《新手爸爸》播客的另一位主持人理查德·英尼斯聊起他和妻子挑选托儿所时所做的决定。

以下是他根据个人经验给出的挑选托儿所的最佳建议。

1）如果可以，不带孩子前去参观，以便关注实际情况。

2）托儿所的孩子开心与否？

3）观察工作人员，其年龄和性别的分布情况很重要。

4）是否有供孩子们晴天玩耍的安全户外场所？

5）用餐次数有何规定？菜单是否健康？孩子何时用餐？

6）是否有供孩子，尤其是婴儿小睡的安静场所？

7）了解员工与孩子的比例。一岁或更小的孩子能得到多少关注，还是说托儿所会让他们自娱自乐？

8）阅读托儿所的教育、儿童服务与技能标准局报告，但亲自去托儿所实地考察不可替代，读报告是一个很好的起点。

9）与附近的其他家长交谈，他们很快会告诉你任何可怕的经历或是提供警告。

10）托儿所收费多少，何时开门，有些托儿所会在你晚接孩子的情况下收取罚金。

11）充分利用入托适应期，这段时间可以观察孩子对托儿所环境的适应情况;

12）托儿所的运营看起来专业与否？相信自己的直觉。

13）考察多家价位不同的托儿所，以便比较。

14）询问他们是否接受育儿券，这样可以向雇主申请免税。

15）初次送孩子到托儿所，你和孩子都会落泪，对此做好准备，感到焦虑担忧完全正常。

（译者单位：西安外国语大学）