And the Place that Gets Most of Our Money Is...

Goddard.

I went to KinderCare and had a very different experience from Ken and I fretted all night long about it (I actually didn't sleep for 2 1/2 hours because of this). When I went to KinderCare at the end of the day the kids were smiling and the woman who showed me around was very affectionate with the children. That was what I felt might be missing at Goddard.

So this morning I went to Goddard and talked to the director about my misgivings. Then I looked at the infant room again. While I was there the caregiver was taking care of 2 infants, one of them was bawling in a swing while she fed the other one. They (caregiver and director) explained the bawling kid was teething. As soon as he caught sight of me and the director he started smiling. "Oh, I guess you're just tired of looking at me, eh?" joked the caregiver. The tone of voice she used and the obvious affection she had for a kid that was crying his heart out not just a second before convinced me.

I liked that there were fewer infants at Goddard (6 compared to up to 12 at KinderCare) and that they would be working with Kieran on sign language (not that we'd expect him to learn anything right away). They also have a Spanish cirriculuum. Finally, I talked with my brother this morning who reassured me that we can do this for now and, so long as we're not signing any long-term contracts (we're not) we can always change our minds and find a new situation.

Whew. One less thing to worry about, on to the next....