Merry Poppets Childcare

My family was in a pinch this past December– our nanny had to move back to Peru to take care of her ill parents, never to return. We were devastated because she had been so wonderful with our year-​old son, caring for him since he was 2 months old. We had started to consider a daycare setting for the socialization and immune system building. (joking, but let’s be honest, it happens.). So, we scoured the internet, asked for referrals from our pediatrician, and decided to interview four day cares– 3 in-​home for up to 12 children, and one «franchise» on Crown Valley. We started with the franchise and it didn’t feel right– too corporate and the conditions were less than ideal. So enter Merry Poppets in Laguna Beach. First, Cara is from the UK, where she was a nanny, and also taught in a boy’s prep school in the UK. (I hope I am accurate with these statements!) Her two assistants, Cody and Nicole are absolutely wonderful– both very capable, loving young ladies with a passion for what they do. But what we loved from day one was her program– they have different themes of the week, they teach the kids about other nationalities, do arts and crafts every morning, and she makes all of their meals in her own kitchen– and it is all healthy. That, and she has an amazing setup in the backyard– a bi-​level outdoor children’s playscape with trikes and slides and a handful of very happy kids. I was so worried to leave my little one in a group with a 3 – 4 to 1 ratio, but he has never cried when we drop him off, and he is always happy to see his friends and daytime caretakers. I can’t recommend this group highly enough.