Parenting is tough. It's also the most rewarding thing I've done. The daycare we chose to send our kids to was a really carefully considered choice. We weighed something like 10 different facilities, including private or in-home daycares, went on tours, made dozens of calls and compared price points. We landed on The Learning Experience, specifically the Cottonwood Creek location. This was a good choice. The facility is fun and vibrantly decorated, it is typically clean, and the "kid" smells are well controlled, despite the kids' best efforts! There are two distinct and age appropriate outdoor playground structures as well as an indoor playroom with a ball pit, and each classroom is well stocked with age appropriate toys and activities. We really love that they take pictures and post them to the app throughout the day, and it's nice that the kids get breakfast, snacks and lunch built-in to the tuition. When we brought our first kid to TLE, we were so nervous! We were first time parents, had no family in the area, and both had to work! I distinctly remember sitting in the parking lot after dropping my baby off for the first time, just feeling absolutely devastated and crying in the car about having to leave them. But nothing beat picking them up that first day and seeing their eyes light up. They were safe, they were ok, and it was ok to bring them here. Their teacher was so sweet, gushing over how much they loved our kid and how well they did for the first day. That made us feel much better. And we're still in touch with her to this day! We've now been with this daycare facility for about 4 years. Over that time, a second kid has joined our first and it's been amazing to watch them both grow. I still remember being blown away when they started talking, when they first told me that a cow says "moo", when they started counting, and singing the alphabet. There is a published curriculum so you can follow along with what the kids are learning. They do parent-teacher conferences so you have a good understanding of how they are doing in their learning journeys and social-emotional development. I've been impressed and sometimes overwhelmed by the amount of enrichment, activities, and genuine education the kids are getting. The current staff is some of the best this facility has had. We've seen a few ups and downs when it comes to leaders and teachers but overall we've been happy at every stage. As they move through classes, potty train, move from babies to toddlers to twaddlers and then pre-school, at each step the teachers we've encountered have given our kids love and acceptance, as well as helped them reach all the important milestones. We love the center's current director, CJ, and assistant director, Mary. Our firstborn is about to start Kindergarten in the fall and we feel she is so ready for that next stage. She was given all the foundations she will need, is already a near reader (sounding out words, recognizing every letter, etc) and is just a lovely person. Parenting is hard, but I'm so proud of who my kids are. As much love and thoughtfulness as we pour into them at home, it's only one part of the equation. They were well taken care of and have become just the sweetest kids thanks, in part, to our decision to trust The Learning Experience with them during the day!
