Parents/Kids Day Out Programs
I had never heard of Kids Day Out/Parents Day Out programs until I joined a church that offers one, but now I notice signs up for them all over town. If you’ve never heard of these programs, they are a bit of a mixture between abbreviated preschool programs and daycare and babysitting.
The program my kids attend accepts babies starting at 6 weeks old and goes all the way up to pre-kindergarten. Parents have the option of enrolling kids for a half-day (3 hours) or a full day (5 hours) and they can send their kids once a week or up to three times a week. Both of my kids attend once a week for a full day.
I’ll tell you this: it’s great knowing that once a week I can schedule my appointments, catch up on my work, or get the house cleaned up because my kids will be playing with their friends in a safe environment run by people I know. At first I was reluctant to enroll my daughter…she was a year and a half old and I was ready to pop with my second baby. I sobbed like a madwoman the first time I dropped her off. She had so much fun, though, and I felt so refreshed after she attended that it became a normal part of our routine. When my son was a few months old he started attending too, and they still attend now once a week.
I think this is a fantastic alternative to bringing in a babysitter or nanny, or trudging through day after day with no time off. It’s especially valuable for people like me who don’t have any family around and who are reluctant to leave the kids alone with a stranger. I’m lucky to have this program offered through my church because I know most of the people who work there.
If this interests you, have a look around town to see what programs are offered. Around here, these programs seem to be predominately church-based, but you might be able to find something else if that’s not what you want.
Believe me…five hours to yourself once a week can be a real sanity-saver.
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