[Couple's Masterpiece] If There Is a Daycare Like This, Ask and Go Double! 〈Daddy Day Care〉

Daily Newspaper Reporter Im So-hyun

A couple watches a movie together. They reminisce about their dating days while watching a romance film and worry about the future while watching a parenting film. Horror films provide a good excuse for physical intimacy that has been lacking, and action films serve as excellent learning materials for the skills of fighting as a couple. Even if they watch the same movie, husbands and wives think differently. Since they have different favorite genres, it seems unlikely that they will have a bias towards certain films. -Editor’s Note-

"Hello, this is OO Daycare. I am contacting you because your application for admission is now in order. The admission date is in September, but I think it would be good for you to come and take a look around and have a chat beforehand." A message that arrived a few days ago. There is a daycare in the apartment complex where I live, and since there aren't many babies, my waiting number is 0, and I can enroll whenever I want. Oh! What luck! Just as I was feeling happy, I saw a friend's text and my heart sank.

"The place I applied to has a waiting number in the thirties, and if there are no waiting numbers at all, isn't something strange? Have you checked reviews on mom cafes and such? Try applying to a few other daycares nearby. Even if it's a bit farther, sending them there is also recommended. Make sure to check the facilities and curriculum carefully."

A movie that came to mind when I was in a headache...

The meticulous friend’s nagging is giving the laid-back mom a headache. Should I look for other places...? Aren't they all the same...? No, should I read the reviews...? It seems most convenient to send them within the complex.... The movie that came to mind at that moment. If there were a daycare like this, I would have sent my child without a doubt! 〈Daddy Day Care〉 is about dads who become unemployed and start their own daycare.

The protagonist Charlie (Eddie Murphy) was a corporate employee working in the marketing department of a large company. However, he was laid off overnight as part of a large-scale downsizing. Of course, since his wife also works, there is no immediate worry about making ends meet. But the problem is their son. The tuition for his son, who attends an expensive private kindergarten, is too heavy a burden for an unemployed dad to bear. Thinking it would be better to take care of his son at home than to let him play alone, he brings him home. With the confidence that he can take care of him well, even if it’s not as good as a private kindergarten. There were also a few kids in the neighborhood struggling with the high tuition fees of kindergartens. Charlie brings these kids along to take care of them with his son, gradually increasing his parenting skills. Then Charlie comes to a reckless conclusion. "Taking care of kids is quite doable, isn't it?" Eventually, Charlie decides to open a daycare with his best friend Phil, who is also unemployed. The daycare quickly rises as a new business item for dads.

Daycare? Just start it!

Although not as much as Charlie and Phil, I also briefly dreamed of home childcare (?). Before having a baby, I used to shout, "My life is important too! I need to send my child to daycare as soon as possible and have my own time!" But after actually having a baby and trying to raise one, I realized that the baby is too young to be sent to daycare at the realistic time when I need to send them. This little baby can't even walk or talk yet. Is it okay to leave such a baby at daycare?

Realistically, my husband and I need to work, and for my future, it makes sense to continue working. But I can only see all the cute moments of spending time with my baby, having lunch together, and watching them sleep through the Kids Note (the report sent by the daycare). It’s just disappointing. Moreover, the expert's words that "the appropriate time for daycare admission is at least after 24 months" keep bothering me. I try to convince myself that kids need to socialize at daycare! But then I see comments saying, "At that age, children learn social skills through their mothers," and my heart crumbles again. Even YouTube star Tae-ha is going to kindergarten now that he is almost 5 years old. The nation's son Tae-ha also didn't go to daycare... Can I send my son...?

But... it won't be easy, will it?

Two dads who thought home childcare was no big deal opened a daycare. At first, there were only two kids, but as word of mouth spread, the number gradually increased. However, the 'Dad Daycare' without professional qualifications or facilities fell into chaos from the moment it opened.

The kids are completely uncontrollable. One child wraps the living room curtains around himself like a cape and shouts, "I am Spider-Man!" Another child spills juice on Charlie's laptop and says, "Wow! This is like a swimming pool." A jumping contest is happening on the sofa. "Why do they have so much energy...? Is this what raising kids is like...?"

Without a curriculum, it’s even more chaotic. The kids quickly get bored, fight, cry, and play alone because the dads can only spread out toys for them to play with. Lunchtime is the peak of disorder. One child is spreading peanut butter on the wall while another is skating on banana peels next to him.

Running around all day, drying, persuading, changing diapers, and cleaning up toys. The two dads become exhausted. Just when they think they’ve had a hard day, complaints from parents flood in. "You want me to leave my child here? It’s no better than just watching TV at home."

Yeah, is this my future...?

Our baby, who has developed a sense of self, is also wreaking havoc around the house. He bumps into things and has bruises all over his face. Just yesterday, while I was distracted, he dipped his hand in the toilet and enjoyed a water play, and the day before, he found a marker somewhere and scribbled all over his face. Oh! Today, he pooped and tore off his diaper, crawling all over the house, leaving poop everywhere. In those moments, I find myself yelling at the baby. Oh, come on!

But even when it’s tough, seeing the baby crawling towards me. The smile he gives me when he sees me. All the fatigue melts away with those little things. With that strength, I create things that will interest the baby and cook food that he likes. Charlie and Phil must have felt the same way. With that sincerity, their daycare reaches a turning point.

My child's friends are like my child too. Charlie and Phil felt that way. They start reading storybooks to the bored kids. Charlie and Phil, who worked in advertising, read the storybooks in a funny way, like an advertisement. When drawing, they let the kids express themselves freely and hang their drawings on the wall as praise. They dress up in dinosaur costumes and act to make the kids laugh. They play in the grass, rolling around with the kids.

When they think of the kids as their own, the kids also change. Ben, who always wore a spacesuit and never spoke, had always been pointed at as a strange child. But it was different at the Dad Daycare. Instead of trying to force him to take it off, they respect him by saying, "You are an astronaut." They slowly open their hearts by sharing books and sticker toys related to space.

Even when they get hit on the head by the kids, they don’t scold them. When a child falls, they sit down and talk to them. They start empathizing with the troublesome child by asking, "How did you feel?" Just like a parent would.

A crisis comes when sincerity tries to reach

Kids know what’s real. When the kids start talking about what happened at daycare, the parents say, "Why has our child become so bright lately!" Word of mouth even affects the parents' meetings. They suggest sending their kids to Daddy Day Care instead of the prestigious Harrington Daycare.

But without a crisis, it wouldn’t be a movie. Harrington Daycare begins to attack the Dad Daycare. Harrington Kindergarten is an expensive daycare known for its elite early childhood education. The director of that daycare, Harrington, is a believer in elite education. He emphasizes Latin, early math, and classical music. From his perspective, it’s absurd and unbelievable that a ‘nobody’ daycare is gaining popularity. He starts to slander the daycare created by Charlie and Phil.

"Daddy Day Care is unlicensed, unqualified, and a dangerous place." "The kids just run around making dinosaur sounds. They learn nothing at all."

They file complaints with the city hall, health center, and fire department. "They take kids without a license and charge money." As if that’s not enough, they even meet with parents separately to persuade them. "Our institution raises kids with a high college admission rate." "If the kids just play while they are here, they will lose their competitiveness."

The choice is mine

Returning to our couple's story. What kind of daycare should we choose? As my friend said, the better the facilities, the stricter the curriculum, the better it may be for the child's growth. The high competition means that many parents consider this place 'suitable.' But is that the priority? Even if the facilities are a bit cramped, even if the curriculum is relaxed. If there are teachers like Daddy? Should we still send our child to a popular daycare? Of course, the reason for the high competition includes good reviews. Good reviews will contain evaluations from good teachers.

The movie ends with the victory of Daddy Day Care (?). The two daycares hold a parent briefing session and present simultaneously. Harrington still emphasizes the high-end curriculum and facilities, while Charlie prioritizes his sincerity towards the children. And the parents hold Charlie's hand.

This weekend, my husband and I decided to visit the daycare our baby will attend. As I scheduled a daycare consultation, my heart feels fluttery. And Charlie's words keep coming to mind.

"Children grow by laughing, falling, and getting back up rather than getting scores on tests.

Here, it’s okay to be wrong. We also tell them that we love them."