Pros and Cons of Barangay Day Care

I started to go to school at the age of 2 and a half.  I was just “saling cat-cat”.  The teacher doesn’t mind what I do for the day.  I just go to school to listen and play.  No pressure.

As early as 2 and a half, Leo and I decided that Neo should go to school.  We wanted him to be exposed to learning at an early stage.  Nothing beats early intervention.  We decided to enroll him at the Barangay Day Care close to our home.

I listed down some pros and cons in enrolling your child in a Barangay Day Care Center

PROS:

Proximity – Barangay Day Care centers are situated inside the barangay and thus are very close to the residents.  Preschoolers will just stay 2 hours in the school – why let them travel 30mins one-way and another 30mins going back?  Instead of excitement, they will just feel tired.

Practicality – young kids who just started school tend to feel halfhearted in going to school.  Yes, at start they are excited, but during the course of the school year,   parents would have a hard time forcing their kids to go to school.  I don’t want to force Neo in coming to school.  I want it to be a daily excitement.  If he doesn’t want to go, he won’t go.  He is still young, by the way.

Laid Back Curriculum – during the orientation, the teacher told the parents not to expect our kids to excel in academics.  At the day care, they will only be taught simple academics and a lot of play time.  I agree with this set-up because learning should be laid back.  No pressure.

CONS:

Poor Facility Status – as with all Philippine government establishments, Barangay Day Care Centers has poor facility status.  From peeling off paints, to small spaces, to hot classroom.  Parents are already talking of donating some ventilation so our kids won’t have issues with the heat.

Can you see the state of Neo’s table?

Teacher-Student Ratio – Neo’s class consists of 20-something students.  Needless to say, the teacher won’t be able to concentrate in giving each one of her students enough time during the 2-hour session.  Mommies or guardians should be there to assist their wards.

Diverse Students – letting your child study in Barangay Day Care will cost a lot cheaper than in private schools and thus, there are various types of students you encounter in the day care.  Students from different socio-economic classes.  Some of the kids your child will encounter have colds and cough.  Some of the kids will curse.  Some of the kids will physically hurt your kid.  You have to ensure your child is protected from diseases by giving them vitamins.  You have to ensure you give your child undivided attention, so he won’t get hit by other kids and won’t mimic cursing.  You will encounter different kinds of kids and guardians in Barangay Day Care.

Having listed all the pros and cons I encountered when I enrolled Neo at the Barangay Day Care, I would still recommend that for the first time your kid goes to school, let him go to a Barangay Day Care.  Just allow him a year of exposure – with no pressure (as parents, when we pay a lot, we force our kids to study hard because every penny counts).  Then later on, enroll them in good schools offering excellent education.