[speaker001:] Okay, do you have [static].
[speaker002:] Are you there?
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] Okay [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] There, okay.
[speaker002:] Okay.
[speaker001:] Had to mess with my phone here. Um, do you have children?
[speaker002:] Yes, I have one.
[speaker001:] Oh, okay.
[speaker002:] How about you?
[speaker001:] I have three.
[speaker002:] Oh, my goodness [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] Yeah [LAUGHTER]. Yeah, uh, do you work?
[speaker002:] Yeah, I do.
[speaker001:] Okay.
[speaker002:] I do, I work and, and, uh, Brian's in a day care center. He's uh, he was two in December,
[speaker001:] Oh.
[speaker002:] so he's not quite two and a half yet.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] He, uh, I put him, I'm kind of had different, different ideas from what probably the majority of people have,
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] I put him in a day care center from the very beginning. He started in day care when he was eight weeks old.
[speaker001:] Oh, no kidding.
[speaker002:] And I just, I don't know, I have kind of the opposite opinion of most people,
[speaker001:] Really.
[speaker002:] I have had this real problem [children] with a, a private individual. I mean I, I kind of looked at it like if you take him to a home with a, with private individual, [child] when the door shuts,
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] that one person has total control,
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] and I always figured at least in a day care center there are other people around,
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] and if you get one bad apple, there's are at least other people that can see it.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] They can watch, and
[speaker001:] Yeah, yeah.
[speaker002:] I just kind of always felt that the chances of something happening were less.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh. Because there's,
[speaker002:] You know, how can you help depending on the day care center, you know,
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] you got to when you hear about all the horrible things that happen in day care centers, have you ever noticed they're always like a family owned center where the mother and the daughter and the son run it, you know, kind of thing.
[speaker001:] It's like a family thing.
[speaker002:] Yeah, yeah. You never hear about it really in the big ones.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] So, that's what I did and I have had just excellent luck.
[speaker001:] Oh, good.
[speaker002:] I have been just so happy. He's,
[speaker001:] Oh, good. I was just going to ask you how it, you know, if you liked the, the, but obviously you do or you wouldn't have him there, [LAUGHTER] I know, but,
[speaker002:] Right. Right. Well he was in, he was in the same center for two years,
[speaker001:] [Sniffing] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] for the first two years, and, uh, it was wonderful, and I loved it, and I was so happy there and the woman who owned it sold it.
[speaker001:] Oh, gosh.
[speaker002:] But, I thought okay, I'm going to keep an open mind here,
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] and the people who came in, it just wasn't, it,
[speaker001:] Wasn't the same.
[speaker002:] just wasn't the same and their,
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] their attitude and philosophy was just completely,
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] opposite from mine, and I left him there for about a month and just decided I can't do this anymore, and I,
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] moved him, which was an extremely traumatic experience but.
[speaker001:] Was it? Yeah.
[speaker002:] but, he's done well, he's been there,
[speaker001:] Good.
[speaker002:] a couple of months now, and I just feel so lucky.
[speaker001:] Oh, good.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] That's great, that's good.
[speaker002:] How about you? Do you work or do you get to stay home with them?
[speaker001:] Well, I got to stay home with my kids for the first ten years. My oldest one is ten and a half now,
[speaker002:] Wonderful.
[speaker001:] or she's, I guess, yeah, it's, was about ten years. So I, yeah, I, I was really happy that I was able to do that. But, I, that's what I wanted to, because I, uh, you know I just couldn't wait to have kids and so, if I was, I was so anxious to have them and I couldn't wait to have them it would be kind of silly, you know, to go back to work as soon as I had them, so,
[speaker002:] Right. Right.
[speaker001:] so, it, it, it, it was really great. By the end of the ten years I was really ready [LAUGHTER],
[speaker002:] Yeah. I bet [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] to go back to work, and my youngest was only, uh, two and a half [sniffing].
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] I mean she was already two and a half,
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] so it wasn't, you know, she wasn't an infant.
[speaker002:] A baby.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] Yeah [child].
[speaker001:] Yeah. Yeah, so, I felt real good about that, but, uh, boy, I tell you with summer coming up I'm just pulling my hair out, in terms of what I'm going to do, I, I guess I,
[speaker002:] [Child].
[speaker001:] went back to work about a year and a half ago and, uh, I worked full time all last year and now I'm going to school part time and, uh, [lipsmack] graduate school, and I'm working part time [lipsmack]. And, so I'm still,
[speaker002:] I know how that goes [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] Yeah. I'm still going full time, but I only have half time salary,
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] and, uh, when school lets out, I just don't,
[speaker002:] [Child].
[speaker001:] I haven't, I have no idea what I'm going to do,
[speaker002:] [Child].
[speaker001:] because I certainly can't afford what we did last year [sniffing]
[speaker002:] Right, right.
[speaker001:] which was,
[speaker002:] Did you have them in a center or something last summer?
[speaker001:] Well, we did, we tried, we had all different things, we sent them to camp. One, first month, in June, they went to summer school, then the second month they, uh, one, my daughter went home to visit my Mom for a while and my son, uh, went to camp and there we had, uh, I don't know some, forget what else we did but it was all, uh, really expensive [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] Yeah, that stuff is expensive. It really is.
[speaker001:] So, now they're a year older,
[speaker002:] [Noise].
[speaker001:] and I, my daughter's eleven, going to be eleven this summer and my son will be,
[speaker002:] [Noise].
[speaker001:] nine and a half. [Lipsmack] And so,
[speaker002:] [Child].
[speaker001:] I'm not, I think I can leave them home,
[speaker002:] [Child].
[speaker001:] for a, if I can work part of the day, you know, I'm going to leave them home.
[speaker002:] Yeah, yeah. I was going to say they're getting to the age where,
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] you should be able to trust that a little bit, yeah.
[speaker001:] Yeah. Yes, in fact I'm doing that right now with their afternoons, when they get home before I do. You know,
[speaker002:] [Child].
[speaker001:] that's okay. But, the four year old now I hav-, I have had her since I went back to work, or before I went back to work really, in a home day care situation,
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] and, uh, we've just been really thrilled,
[speaker002:] [Child].
[speaker001:] with it too. We were what, actually we, it took us two or three different people to find,
[speaker002:] To find the right one,
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] that's what we have to do though.
[speaker001:] Right. But, I wasn't embarrassed to shop around you know, [LAUGHTER]
[speaker002:] No.
[speaker001:] so, the, the person we found it through the, there's an association here in town of professional home,
[speaker002:] [Child].
[speaker001:] care providers or something like that.
[speaker002:] Where do, where do you live?
[speaker001:] In Plano.
[speaker002:] Plano?
[speaker001:] Yeah, and they have a number you can call and all these people are registered with their association and, you know, go like our, our, uh, [lipsmack] I don't want to call her a baby-sitter, she's doesn't like,
[speaker002:] [Child].
[speaker001:] to be called that, [LAUGHTER] care provider.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER] Care provider.
[speaker001:] Right. She goes to seminars and, uh,
[speaker002:] Oh, that's wonderful.
[speaker001:] she gets home visitations by the s-, I don't know, the state boards, I guess, some of them and then some by the association, and they have weekly meetings and everything and, so it's just really, really well regulated.
[speaker002:] That's great.
[speaker001:] And, she's just great. In fact, uh, she's all upset because Galen is going to go to kindergarten next fall and she says this is it, [throat clearing] you know, I'm not going to have her anymore and I said, Oh, no, don't count on that [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] After noon classes she's going to be here because she's going to morning kindergarten.
[speaker002:] Right, right.
[speaker001:] So, but, we, we've tried, we've tried everything and one year, I guess last year when I went back to work I had my son was eight at the time, just barely eight, and, uh, we put him in Amrein's Day Care, after.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh, I've heard that,
[speaker001:] After,
[speaker002:] they were very good.
[speaker001:] Well, [lipsmack] that's why we picked it, because they were, were supposed to be real great, and, you know, I think they were fine, but the thing is he was in school all day,
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] in second grade, in, in Plano, it's open classroom situation where they don't have walls,
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] so there is like a hundred and twenty second graders [LAUGHTER],
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER] Oh.
[speaker001:] in the same area with no walls. And, uh, and then he'd get on the Amrein's Bus to go to Amrein's and then there would be a whole ton of other kids, all in the same room, you know,
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] you know what fun they had with these computer games and then they'd go outside for awhile, they had snacks and story time and everything. But, it was just like going to school until five thirty at night instead of being able to get home at two thirty.
[speaker002:] Poor kid was in school all day. Yeah.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] Because he was always around with a crowd of kids and he just really missed being able to be by himself,
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] and having some [children] peace and quiet or, you know.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh. Even at that age they need that time,
[speaker001:] Yes.
[speaker002:] we all need that time,
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] just some quiet time to wind down from the day.
[speaker001:] Right. That's exactly it. So, another thing that we tried to do, I, I know your son's too young right now, but we're trying, we tried to sign him up for after school scouts and,
[speaker002:] Yeah, yeah.
[speaker001:] stuff like that and,
[speaker002:] I think that's really important,
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] and we've already started about, you know, I mean, how young can they start T-Ball and soccer? [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] Right [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] You know, I mean, I just, you know, we both think of that that as just so important,
[speaker001:] It is.
[speaker002:] to get him involved in stuff like that and,
[speaker001:] It is. And,
[speaker002:] you could hardly wait, I mean, he's, he's so much fun now,
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] he's really, he's really starting to get lots of fun and I can't wait until stuff like that starts happening
[speaker001:] I bet, yeah.
[speaker002:] you know, and, you know, we did the Easter egg hunts,
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] which was really the first year he was really able to
[speaker001:] Un-, understand.
[speaker002:] and to know what we wan-, know what he was doing
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] you know, and enjoy it, and it was so much fun and gosh he went a couple of weekends ago and rode an elephant and, God
[speaker001:] Oh, my gosh. You're kidding.
[speaker002:] he got up on this elephant all by himself and Lord, I couldn't believe it.
[speaker001:] You're kidding.
[speaker002:] They had so much fun. [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] Oh, that's great.
[speaker002:] I bought us tickets and stood there in line and I thought, I'm going to end up on this elephant with him [LAUGHTER],
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] you know, [LAUGHTER]. He did it by himself,
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER]. Well, good for him.
[speaker002:] so stuff like that is starting to come along where it's really,
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] getting fun,
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] you know.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] Day care has just done just incredible stuff with him and he like comes home with something new everyday, you know and so,
[speaker001:] Well, that's great. That's so good.
[speaker002:] I know, I know they're working with him and he's excited to get there in the morning,
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] and just doesn't even want to kiss me good-bye. It's just like bye, and he goes running,
[speaker001:] He's out of there.
[speaker002:] you know, and he's always having fun when I pick him up so, you know. Yeah, this, this day care is, is,
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] it's Bright Steps in Lewisville. And,
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] whenever you say Bright Steps, everybody goes, oh, I've heard that's the best day care in town, you know,
[speaker001:] Yeah? Good.
[speaker002:] and it's, it's one of those that's very hard to get into.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] and they have, this, this, this woman owns three day cares, two in Lewisville and one in Irving.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] and she had to open the second one up in Lewisville because,
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] her waiting list was just like, you know, like a year old, it was ridiculous.
[speaker001:] Oh, my gosh.
[speaker002:] And, she's got two day cares within like three blocks of each other.
[speaker001:] No kidding.
[speaker002:] Yes, so its,
[speaker001:] She knows something right, that she and,
[speaker002:] She knows what she's doing, all the teachers, like about half the teachers are degreed teachers.
[speaker001:] Yeah, that makes such a difference.
[speaker002:] Oh, it makes a huge difference.
[speaker001:] That's the way it is at my daughter's nursery school too.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] And I think that really makes a difference.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] They're in it because it's a profession,
[speaker002:] That's right. That's right.
[speaker001:] not because it's a job they could get because they didn't qualify for anything else, you know.
[speaker002:] That's right. And, his old day care as much as I loved it, you know,
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] and the owner, I really liked her and she worked really hard to get good people, but the people that she got
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] were there because they weren't qualified to do anything else
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] you know.
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] And, and I got lucky and all of his teachers were,
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER] Because, because,
[speaker002:] very good.
[speaker001:] Right. Some, sometimes that's fine, that's great, you know.
[speaker002:] Yeah, but then sometimes, you know,
[speaker001:] Sometimes it isn't. You just have to.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] Well, is it real expensive then?
[speaker002:] Um, it just went up the first of this month. I'm paying,
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] uh, seventy nine dollars a week for now. So,
[speaker001:] Wow.
[speaker002:] It's a little high,
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] but, but it's, you know, it's like where he was before I was only paying sixty three, so there's quite a little jump there,
[speaker001:] Right. Right.
[speaker002:] but, I looked all over Lewisville, I looked in every day care there was
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] in Lewisville, and,
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] you know, and there were places that were cheaper, but is it,
[speaker001:] No.
[speaker002:] you know, your peace of mind is worth a little bit of money,
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] you know, and I have peace of mind,
[speaker001:] [Noise].
[speaker002:] where he is
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] and some of those other places I wouldn't have.
[speaker001:] That's exactly it. See, we do the same thing, since Galen goes to nursery school,
[speaker002:] [Child].
[speaker001:] we pay our, our home care provider, for our day care provider, full time for a whole week, but she, she's gone three mornings. Galen just doesn't go there three mornings a week.
[speaker002:] Yeah, yeah.
[speaker001:] But, I said to her, I said, you know, it doesn't matter if for whatever re-, when school holidays come around, I used to have such a problem with that.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] They wouldn't have anything to do. I'd either have to [voices fade],