Will There Be a Quiz?

I used to be a teacher. Mostly teachers (like journalists) get to ask the questions. But kids have plenty of their own, of course. And one that will never disappear, and that teachers everywhere will continue to loathe, is the one I made the title of this post. Now I’m going to pull a fast one on you. Who would ever think that someone would try to stick a quiz in a blog? I mean, all you have to do is stop reading, right? But stay with me for a minute. It’s a one-question quiz, and it’s related to my book. See if you can figure it out.

How can you be sure that your child in day care is safe?

a) The day care I chose was highly recommended.
b) It’s fully licensed and government-approved.
c) My son’s provider loves him as much as I do.
d) All of the above.
e) None of the above.

The correct answer is “none of the above.” Recommendations may be helpful in selecting a facility, but they’re no assurance your child will be safe. The government may check, but you can’t count on the government to effectively monitor day care. No state has nearly enough inspectors to do that. And banking on a provider’s good will is no substitute for your own watchful eyes.

That’s the first lesson I want readers to learn.