TravelSmart Approach to Choosing a Daycare
Recently I met Charlotte, the TDM Planner for the City of Surrey. She kindly shared with us her family’s story of being TravelSmart.
Before the arrival of their daughter Beatrix, Charlotte and her husband Daniel made the conscious decision to choose a daycare based on her husband’s transit based commute. Even with all the regular challenges of finding daycare, they prioritized transit accessibility.
“We actually wanted a daycare that was within walking distance of our home in downtown, and despite having put the unborn baby’s name down on numerous daycare wait lists when I was just a few weeks pregnant we still didn’t get a place when she turned 1 year,” explained Charlotte.
“It actually it opened up more daycare options for us, as it meant that we were able to look outside of downtown,” Charlotte adds.
Looking beyond the upfront costs when making TravelSmart decisions: “On face value there are some slightly cheaper daycares around in transit inaccessible locations which look like they might be cheaper, but factoring in running costs of using a car to travel there such as gas and the wear & tear, they don’t work out as good a deal as you first thought."
Hassle factor mitigated by being organized: “We have to be very strict about what time we leave our apartment in the morning to ensure that we get to the bus stop on time. Although this can be annoying some mornings, in the bigger picture it does help us keep organized, focused and on schedule. In turn it gives us an opportunity to help teach Beatrix the importance of organizational skills. Living in an apartment with no elevator means that we tend to prefer to carry Beatrix in a baby-carrier anyway instead of using a stroller, and compliment this with using a backpack instead of a traditional diaperbag. The bus drivers are very good at waiting until we have sat down before pulling away from the stop.”
The benefits: [In addition to it being a cheaper option] "The time spent on the bus together is 30 minutes (each way) of quality time where father and daughter can connect after being apart all day. You wouldn’t get that if Beatrix was sat in a car seat in the back of the car. Beatrix also adores the social aspect of being on the bus; waving to people and making new friends. Daniel really notices a difference in the mood of fellow passengers is generally more positive the days he takes her," says Charlotte.
"We want to raise a family that is social and environmentally aware and responsible. If our daily actions don’t match these principles, then we aren’t really being very good role models."
And the best bit? They always get offered a seat on the bus!