2015

Entrusting your child to someone else is a big deal. In fact, is there a bigger deal?

So, how do you choose the right people to care for your child? How do you know if a child care center is actually good? How can you tell, when your child is so young?

The short answer is that it’s difficult to say. There is a lot of theory involved, and yes, theory is absolutely important. But when it comes to younger children, the best care comes from the heart, not out of a textbook.

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I t seems like there is a new smartphone app coming out every day to handle some real or imagined inconvenience. And as you know there are plenty of real inconveniences associated with parenting!

Apps come and go (their popularity does, anyway) but the challenges that preschool parents face are fairly predictable. “Don’t forget that! I need it yesterday! Where is…?”

In this post, we present the top 10 app categories for preschool parents with a few examples of apps that are on the market. Some of the apps have been specifically designed for parents; some just provide solutions parents find particularly useful.

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I always had passion for learning and exploration.  These two personal traits often got me in trouble with my elders, when I was a child.  As I got older, the spontaneity of my actions had to change to conform to the responsibility of the adult world; however, the love of that curiosity stuck with me till this day. 

I started child care because I believe every child needs a safe, nurturing and a challenging environment where they can learn and explore.  Few of the preschools and child care programs that I visited prior to opening Kiddie Academy of Ashburn were run with a primary focus on business.  It bothered me a little bit not because it was wrong, but because the focus has shifted from quality and personal care to enrollment by the numbers. I remind myself and my management team and staff every day that we are here for the children and their families, and our passion for what we do should never cease. Indeed, the impression we leave on these children is what is going to form and shape their future.  What an extraordinary feeling, but also what a great responsibility!

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Having kids is expensive. Very expensive. The food, the clothes, the diapers and the toys are just the beginning. For most families, child care is the highest single household expense, as mentioned in this recent Yahoo Finance article.

But, there’s good news! Uncle Sam is here to help and can offset some of your daycare costs. However, in order to get it, you need to be aware of some important facts. Here are 10 things you need to know to claim your child care tax credit (aka Child and Dependent Care Credit):

1. You must identify each qualifying child on your tax return.

The qualifying child must be your dependent and qualifying children must have been 12 or younger when the care was provided. The logic is that most children over 12 are able to look after themselves. However, if your child is over 12 but incapable of self-care then they may also qualify.

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You asked and we delivered! Now you can use our brand new Daycare Tuition Calculator to know the average cost of child care in your area.

Choosing a daycare or preschool can be challenging.  And for most parents, cost is a major deciding factor in selecting a program.

Our new daycare tuition calculator automatically tells you the average weekly tuition rates in your city, or state based on your zip code, your child’s age, and the type of program you’re considering, home daycare or a child care center.

We’ll even suggest a few child care providers and preschools in your area that may be just the right fit!  As parents, we understand the challenges of finding the perfect daycare for your family.  We hope this tool helps you find the right place for your little one!

We’ve all been there.  You go to pick up your sweetie from preschool. You’re ecstatic to see your preschooler and they are over the moon to see you. You hug, you kiss, you gather up their belongings and you scoop them into your arms.  Then, you ask the question that parents have been asking since, it seems, formal schooling began:

How was your day?

It’s a simple question. Only 4 words. You anticipate a long list of activities, lessons, learning experiences and social accomplishments! You want to hear everything. You are giddy. Did they paint? Did they color? What songs did they sing? Did they get to play outside or was the playground too wet?

But…

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Parents return to work after having children for a myriad of reasons. For some, it is out of financial necessity. For others, it’s because they genuinely love their jobs. But no matter the reason, that first day of daycare drop-off is hard on just about every parent. The working parent guilt is very real.

No matter how much a person loves his or her job, and no matter how ill-suited they feel about being a stay-at-home mom or stay-at-home dad, it is heart-breaking to hand the child they love so much off to someone else for 8 to 10 hours a day. It’s hard to miss the many “firsts” that occur over the course of early childhood development, and it is sad to not be the one there, kissing all the booboos and providing all the care.

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If you think about it, sales are a big part of parenting.  Especially repeat sales!  Every morning you probably have the same “sales pitch” that makes up the “Bed to Preschool Package Deal”.

Waking up instead of sleeping. A real breakfast instead of cookies. A clean shirt instead of the batman costume.  The list goes on…

But the real moment of truth is when it is actually time to jump in the car and go to daycare or preschool. It’s just you, the idea of preschool, and the idea of home. If your preschooler is going to be a tough customer that morning, that’s the moment when he will do it.

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There are many things to consider when searching for the best daycare for your family, which can understandably leave you feeling overwhelmed. Have no fear, in this post, we’ll walk through some of the main search criteria that parents use. This
should help you narrow down options and find the right child care.

Home-Based vs. Child Care Center
There are many benefits to both home-based care and centers. It comes down to the environment and benefits you feel are best for your child. For instance, home-based daycares typically offers more flexibility and can boast smaller groups of children which provides more one-on-one interaction and a “home-like” environment.  Centers typically offer a larger and more structured environment. They have clear cut rules for both kids and parents and there is no concern when it comes to working around someone else’s sick or vacation days, which may occur with a small home-based provider.

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That’s right. We are giving away a brand new Amazon Fire HD Kids Edition to the kiddo with the most votes in our Cutest Kids Photo Contest!

Upload your favorite picture of your child 0-6 years old and include #LuLuKids in the description for a chance to win.  You can enter once per week through April 30th, 2015.

If you have pictures that will warm hearts or make people laugh from the belly up, follow these simple steps and you could be our lucky winner!

• Like us on Facebook.
• Upload the cutest photo of your kids and use #LuLuKids in the description.
• Share your photo with friends & family and ask them to vote.
• Vote for your favorites by liking the picture and commenting.

Visit our gallery page regularly to see new photos and who is in the lead!

Click here to upload your adorable photos and enter for a chance to win an Amazon Fire HD Kids Edition!