Childish Pursuits Daycare

For some faithful users I will probably need to build up my Unilocal-​cred, as I have essentially joined Unilocal solely for the purposes of providing Ellen and her Childish Pursuits Daycare a glowing review. And perhaps now that I have an account I will get the itch to go documenting a varying number of poor or great Chicago restaurant visits; or tell you which dry cleaners do or do not singe the buttons on my work shirts when pressing them. But I may not. So if you are leery about the authenticity of this, my maiden review, then fair enough. But it is not because of some awkward urging from CP staff or management that I write this – it’s because we’re about to have our 2^nd baby and in a few months he will be going to Childish Pursuits. Just like our nearly-​4-​year-​old daughter did. We do not have to repeat the daunting task of sizing up the best daycare option for our son. And we have Ellen and Childish Pursuits to thank for that. So instead of comparison-​shopping daycares, I’m pouring my personal time and energy into paying it forward with this review– as both a sincere «thanks» to Ellen & team, but also to lend new parents a hand during this stressful time by telling you why I believe you need to at least consider Childish Pursuits when searching for the right daycare for your child.
Our daughter was a charter member of Childish Pursuits back in early 2012. Ellen was just getting the business up and running. We were nervous new parents just as she must have been a nervous new business owner. I remember my wife and I meeting Ellen in person to learn more about her and CP in order to assess whether it was a fit for us and our daughter.
What I remember most was the very natural and honest approach Ellen had in telling us about her background, her childcare methodology and her opinions on what the most important things were for our daughter’s development during these pivotal baby/​toddler years. Now, mine and subsequent generations – in the pursuit of becoming fiercely independent young adults, I suppose– have in many cases been taught to buck at the mere notion of anyone suggesting tips and opinions on how to live our lives or rear our children. So if you bristle at the idea of someone offering helpful suggestions for you as a new parent, try and keep an open mind as you learn more about Ellen and CP.
Our daughter was under the care of Ellen and her team for 3 ½ years, until she began preschool this autumn. The most tangible way for me to evaluate the job that Ellen and her staff has done is by taking stock of my daughter now. She is a well-​adjusted, polite and outgoing child who has easily acclimated to a larger preschool class environment. We’ve learned recently that she is among a set of her classmates who receives slightly more challenging homework assignments than some of the other children. Now while my wife and I feel as though we do a decent enough of a job, the back that I am truly patting here is Ellen’s. Our daughter was a full-​timer at Childish Pursuits from about the age of 3-​months, as my wife and I both work. Under Ellen’s care our daughter was sleep-​trained by the time she was 7-​months old! As she got older, the style of care at CP adapted along with her age. CP helped foster our daughter’s love and curiosity for reading, they helped her do fun, engaging and age-​appropriate crafts/​art projects. CP was also pivotal in assisting with what seemed like a rather swift potty-​training period. We also established a rather deep bench of awesome and competent babysitters; mostly comprised of current/​former CP staffers.
Additionally, our daughter came away with several friends who she essentially «grew up with» at Childish Pursuits. Proof, I suppose, that we we’re not the only satisfied customers. And another mom touched on this in her review: We loved the fact that lunches, diapers, bottles, wipes, etc… are all included and part of the package deal you get at CP.
I see Casey and Colleen’s reviews here and I can honestly think back to a handful of times where Ellen and I bristled at each other – or perhaps didn’t see eye to eye. Ellen is every bit as complicated a person as you are and as I am. This isn’t a corporate daycare where the plastic charter rules include stock, standard, safe and derivative rules like… «a) the customer is always right – please always smile and say yes, yes, yes» OR «b) Only a minimum number of ‘touches’ per child per day by employees, blah blah blah». No. Its a give and take process where the absolute focus should rightly be on the amazing level of personalized care your child receives. We wanted care for our daughter the way our moms, aunts or grandmas would have or did care for us as children. And so it stands to reason that if you want childcare with a home-​touch, you are going to have to exchange real emotions and feelings with the care-​provider.
The fact that we can’t wait to introduce Ellen to our baby boy should sum it all up here.
Good luck.

Our son has been going to CP 5 days a week since he was 6 months old, and I can’t imagine where we’d be without Ellen and her amazing staff.
They taught him how to sleep on his own, how to be polite, how to play and share with other kids… and all while giving him a level of attention I know he wouldn’t receive at many other places.
The CP family is an extension of our own and have been a vital piece to our sons development. He’ll be 2 in a few months and is overachieving on many levels. So happy we found Childish Pursuits!

I just realized that I’ve never written a Unilocal review about the people who take such good care of my little girl 5 days a week! Our daughter is just over a year old now, and has been at Childish Pursuits with Ellen & Co. since she was 3 months old. And she’s been doing super! When we were looking at daycares, it felt like Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Daycare centers were too big and not personal enough. Nannies were too expensive and not enough socialization. We found that this place was our «just right». There are enough other kids so that our daughter has plenty of fun and age-​appropriate socialization. But it’s small enough so that the staff can give personalized and individual attention to the kiddos.
On top of it, Ellen does a great job of supporting nursing mothers if you want to continue breastfeeding after you go back to work, or even if you want to continue after your baby is a toddler. Plus (and this was a huge one for us), she supports healthy infant/​toddler nap habits, so your kid isn’t an overtired and cranky mess when you pick them up. Finally, everything is provided, so you don’t have to schlep loads of stuff to/​from daycare every day. Yep, healthy food, bottles, formula (if you’re using it), diapers, wipes, sunscreen — she’ll even wash your kid’s clothes and keep a clean pair on hand in case they get messy. And she trims my daughter’s nails, because I suck at it.
I’ll be honest, I’m sure that this isn’t the best fit for everyone. Ellen has her way of doing things and this is what works for her business, her staff, and the other children. Not every parenting philosophy can be accommodated, although they do their best to transition the newbies gently. However, I’ve seen this staff do some amazing things for babies and toddlers with special needs, so anything is possible. Thanks Childish Pursuits for taking such good care of my little Bean!

My wife and I needed to find a new place for our 2 year old because he was having issues biting and hitting at daycare. We decided to look for a home daycare and through a community posting discovered Childish Pursuits.
We could not have asked for a better place. Almost immediately his bitting and hitting disappeared. Ellen (who runs CP) and her team were able to give my son what the other facility couldn’t; the attention and love (and boundaries) needed to foster his development. One of the best aspects of CP is that they have a much lower child to adult ratio– where commercial daycares are 8/​1, here it is ⁴⁄₁ or even ³⁄₁. This was a huge boon for our child; he really started to flourish. Not only did his «bad habits» (which were actually cries for attention) fade away, but he started talking and interacting with both his fellow classmates & caretakers a lot more (he was quite introverted at the previous care).
And he eats his veggies! The meals there are great: lots of greens, beans, fish, etc– fresh and no empty carbs.
I will say that I found the initial space a little small, but they have opened an additional location in the neighborhood for the now «bigger» tykes.
And they are more expensive than your average home care, but you get what you pay for.
Also, Ellen can come off a bit hard when conferencing, but we know it comes from a real passion for what she does– and the kids love her.
I cannot recommend Childish Pursuit enough. This is a place where your child will truly be in good hands.

I wasn’t going to make this review, as I do not have a child enrolled at Childish Pursuits. However, I gave myself 48 hours to cool down and I am still appalled at how poorly I was treated so here it goes:
I am expecting my first child in June and am starting to research day care centers. Based on the very positive Unilocal reviews, I called Monday Feb 3^rd at lunchtime to find out the cost per month and a little more about the program. Well, here is how my call went. First I get a «Hi» as an answer. Really? Is this a business? Who am I speaking with? I asked if this was Childish Pursuits day care and got a «Yes” — I still have no idea who I spoke with. I then explained that I was researching day cares, inquired about their rates and asked if they had a website where I could get more information (explaining that I hadn’t found one). To this I got «We have a Unilocal and Facebook; that’s enough. I’m too busy for a website.» Okay well, your Unilocal gives reviews and your Facebook shows pictures. I found no information about your programs, what age children you take, activities, etc.
So moving on… I ask if she can give me an idea of the monthly rates and am told «I don’t quote rates.» Me: «Well, I’m just trying to do some comparisons if you could possibly give me an idea?» CP employee: «I can tell you we’re more expensive than most home day cares» and the kicker, «I mean, if that’s what you’re basing it on…»
OKAY– that’s where I really draw the line. I said good bye and hung up, completely shocked at the way I had been treated. Was she really implying that I’m a bad person/​mother for wanting to know how much I would be paying for day care??? What kind of person, let alone supposed business person does that?! This is step #1; once I have a few good options in place my husband and I will obviously be visiting each center and taking a number of factors into consideration. However, I can guarantee that Childish Pursuits will NOT be one of them.
Maybe this was just an unfortunate misrepresentation of the center by one rude employee, but it’s enough to make me completely cross them off my list and tell anyone else I know looking for child care services to do the same. CP, I suggest you speak to your employees (or at least this particular one) about the importance of professionalism.
I would honestly like to give 0 stars to reflect my own personal experience. However, as upset as I am I realize it would be wrong to throw off their average based on my poor/​short lived experience as opposed to the quality of their child care… so I’m giving 3.

I can’t agree more with what the other parents have said. Our daughter has thrived while at CP, and as a (sometimes befuddled) new mom, I appreciate Ellen’s advice and guidance.
The kids dance, laugh, and play, and Sleep! Sleep training is hard, but Ellen helps you set up that all important sleep schedule they need the first few years. Not having to worry about food, diapers, etc… is great, but they also know your child’s personality and nurture each child accordingly.
What else can I say? This place is a gem!

We are fortunate to have a lot of family to help care for my little guy, but the team at Childish Pursuits have been a godsend when I needed it. There aren’t many places that are willing to work out their schedules to accommodate the needs of the children they care for.
I started sending my son to CP once a week so he has better playmates than just our dogs at home last year. He always comes home with a big smile on his face, and he’s excited to talk about the things they did. All the providers are so loving with him and you know they genuinely care for those kids.
I’m also a freak when it comes to his diet, but it’s reassuring to know he’ll get good food while he’s there. And like other people mentioned, he eats everything and anything they put in front of him (stuff he refuses at home). I feel better knowing his diet does not consist of pizza and hot dogs and junk food when he’s away.

Childish Pursuits provides the exact model of child care that I am looking for. Ellen loves all the children like her own and only hires staff that are just as qualified and caring. The environment is family-​oriented, yet professional, comfortable, and reliable. You can have complete peace of mind while away from your kiddos, knowing that they are safe, happy, healthy, and entertained!

My daughter has been at Childish Pursuits for almost a year now and we could not be happier. My daughter is not just watched and taken care of, she is genuinely loved by Ellen and her staff. I have peace of mind every day that my daughter is there.
Fees include everything which is not the case in many daycares and helps make the mornings hassle-​free. The environment is clean, stimulating, and has a recently upgraded outdoor play area that is awesome!
Ellen has a wealth of knowledge about children and has been indispensable in helping us through sleep training and other developmental milestones. As a first time mom I really appreciate her experience and advice, but have never felt pressured to do things her way. Ellen is able to cater to the individual needs of the children in her care. She knows each of them very well and is always there to support the kids in what they need.

Glad there’s finally a page to post this review. My little guy has been thriving at CP for over a year and a half.
As any first-​time parent in Chicago knows, choosing daycare for your baby can be stressful. I was on a bunch of wait lists for corporate-​type, sterile places. I never got in, and I’m so glad. Ellen really has a natural talent for nurturing and caring for infants and toddlers. The staff, Monica, Meghan and Bernie and all the rest follow her lead of exemplary care, and there is never less than a three-​to-​one ratio, which is amazing. When we’ve popped in unexpectedly due to work schedule changes, they’re having storytime, or playing together outside, or practicing counting in Spanish, or going for a walk in the lovely Avondale neighborhood… But one thing is consistent: the babies are all happy — smiling, laughing, well-​fed, clean diapers and safe, all the way around.
Ellen has grown the business in just a couple of years to really become an amazing community. Parents know each other, and all the babies, and it just has a wonderful vibe. She even has hosted parent appreciation happy hours, and we’ve made some great friends. I also agree with the other reviewer that there is nothing like leaving in the morning with just my son and no formula, diapers, or food… It’s all included in the fees.
It’s clear they are very thoughtful about providing what new parents really need. My husband and I both highly recommend the place. Take advantage before the best kept secret on the north side becomes impossible to get into!

Ellen and staff have taken wonderful care of my little guy for over a year now. It’s nice to know that when I have to be at work and can’t take care of him he’s in a safe and caring environment. Fees are reasonable and we’re able to use their services on an as-​needed basis, which has been great. I don’t think they have a website but they are on Facebook.

Our sweet daughter spent 7 wonderful months under the care of Ellen and staff — and while we had to move on for logistical reasons, I would recommend CP for several reasons.
First, all food and supplies are included in the cost of care. This was a huge benefit for us as our daughter learned to love foods we NEVER would have dreamed of offering her. (Think salmon and brussel sprouts) It is great to not have to worry about what to pack for lunch the night before.
Second, your child will be genuinely loved and cared for. Our daughter took some adjusting, but Ellen and staff was able to sleep train her and she learned and developed and flourished under the care there.
At the end of the day, you want to make sure your child is well attended to, and well cared for and safe. CP delivers on all this.