A caregiver at Chubby Cheeks day care
centre at St Inez, Panjim, Vishanti has been the pivot of her little wards.
Looking up to her as a second parent, they have formed a special bond with her,
one that they are loath to break. To five-year-old Daanish Sheikh, who has
overcome his initial apprehensions thanks in large part to his caregiver, the
place is like second home. “I am excited to stay here and I want to spend all
my time here,” he maintains with the innocence of a child who has come to trust
his caregiver and friends like his own family.
“It’s his first day care centre, so
understandably he was cranky initially. But he has now grown to love every
moment of it and often asks to be brought here even on a Sunday. He has bonded
well with the caregiver and other children. I chose this day care centre for
precisely this reason,” avers working mother Karishma Sheikh.
An astute mother, she understands the
importance of this bond in the development of her child. “Caregivers in day
care centres are like second parents to the child. Hence for the sake of the
child, it is best if they form a close bond based on love, respect, trust and
good communication not only with the child, but also with the parents and
caregivers at home,” affirms Dr Nandita de Souza, Developmental Paediatrician
and Director, Sethu Centre for Child Development & Family Guidance,
Porvorim, while also advising how both sides can support each other in the task
of parenting.
“A message book that goes between home and
crèche is a good way to build communication. The parent and caregiver at the
crèche are responsible for writing (and reading) daily messages to each other,
while the child provides the courier service! A loving caregiver at the crèche
can be a huge asset in a child’s as well as the parent’s life,” she reiterates.
Keeping this very principle in mindm Busy
Bugs Day Care and Activity Centre, which opened at Caranzalem in 2005, is
drawing parents and children to its folds. Underlining the importance of a few
factors like good ambience, right communication as a good bridge and reassuring
children that parents will return, owner Usha Keny says that each child will
get into the rhythm in their own time. “When a child is in a day care centre,
he expects to have things just like at home. They see a parent in the caregiver
and as such, one who will take care of their needs. This bond is very vital,”
she maintains. Another important observation she makes is the fact that parents
themselves suffer from anxiety/guilt when leaving a child at a day care centre.
But to strengthen the child-caregiver bond, she points out, it is imperative
that the child sees trust and confidence in the eyes of the parents first.
It’s a bond that is best summed up by
Avozinha (Lucy Sequeira) who ran a crèche from home for several years. “The
relationship that grows between the caregiver and child is a very real and
often emotional bond. It is very important for your child to have this kind of
loving, nurturing relationship with a primary caregiver. In their formative
years it helps them build a foundation to grown upon.”
