Day Care Centers in Katipunan Avenue
Posted on August 11, 2007
Filed Under Food, Friends, Parenting and Family, School, ACET, UPCAT, etc | Viewed 1784 times
Come to think of it, I do not have to spend a lot of money for day care centers in Katipunan Avenue. I now have 2 girls studying in Miriam College, 1 boy at the Ateneo, and still another one in UP—you might say too old for day care centers. But hear me out first. When they are in Katipunan Avenue outside school hours, I am not worried. Sometimes, they have to complete their projects, hold meetings, or just have fun time with their friends. Sometimes the place becomes their meeting place to go elsewhere afterwards. Sometimes, they could not be fetched on time, and wait there. At times, when they come from their teenage gigs with friends, I do not mind them being dropped off in Katipunan Avenue at 10 pm (a worst case scenario), for us to pick them up soon afterwards.
And why am I not worried? Because “Day Care Centers” abound in Katipunan Avenue—for free, or for a minimum amount, like the cost of a burger meal, or a cup of cafe latte, or some school supplies, or a good read, on a grander scale a whole round or square pizza and drinks. And these places are clean, safe and secure—as per my experience for the past 12 years or so.
I am talking about McDonald’s (they have 24/7 service), Starbucks 1 and 2, Jollibee, Cielos, even National Book Store, the “Day Care Centers” in Katipunan Avenue. Oh yes, there is a whole long row of fast food restaurants and semi fine dining places along Katipunan Avenue, but they are good only for dining, an hour at most (The Old Spaghetti House is a family favorite nook). It’s still okay for the kids to go to these places every now and then, but not for “day care”.
One of my former officemates once told me how amazed her daughter (she was from St. Paul’s Pasig) was when she witnessed this “phenomenon” in McDonald’s and Starbucks. Sometimes, she observed, the other students were not even eating, or if ever they did, they only had minimal orders. At that time she was reviewing for UPCAT and ACET. For the whole review period, she would find herself with friends in McDonald’s or in any of the establishments earlier mentioned, after review hours. She found herself having group reviews, or just hanging around in the cool confines of these places in Katipunan.
Generally, in most places, if you laze around in a fastfood restaurant after taking your meal, you would see unfriendly gazes your way, feel the piercing glances of the restaurant crew, the other patrons, and the security personnel. In some cases, the security personnel would even guide you out the door.
I have entrusted my kids in circumstances mentioned above to the “Day Care Centers” of Katipunan Avenue. Trust me, it has been more than 12 years (it stated with my 2 eldest, now with my 4 others), but there has never been any problem. But of course, the kids know the rules, nay guidelines—they have to text or call me of their whereabouts, every now and then they have to get in touch with us, they should not leve the place without our permission, and they should not break our trust. They also meet with their siblings there, they take care of each other—the elder ones (I mean the 2 boys) seeing to it that the younger ones (the 2 girls) are in good company. Teenagers are teenagers—this is the time when their attention shifts from family to friends and peers.
The “Day Care Centers” sometimes become soiree-like places of sorts, where teenage girls meet teenage boys. Oh well, these are open places for teenagers not to misbehave. We have to help our children hone their social skills, we have to continuously talk to them and guide them—we cannot stop them from having friends of the opposite sex. This is an opportune time for us to continuously encourage open communication.
I, too, go to Katipunan Avenue not for “day care”, but to be with the children, meet their friends, go for nail treats and hair works, indulge in the cakes and pastries of Starbucks (where there is online connection for a fee), munch on Cielo’s donuts, or simply forget myself through the rows and rows of books and magazines at National Book Store (too bad, Beauty Bar has closed down), or savor the cold desserts of Jollibee. It is fun, cool, and not expensive.
How about you—do your children have special places outside school for open and free “day care”?
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17 Responses to “Day Care Centers in Katipunan Avenue”
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About Me
Dine Racoma is Sexy Mom, a Filipina doing what she likes best—writing, her passion. She writes freelance, does research, advises on new media, and manages a virtual assistance office for home-based jobs. A mother of 7 (what joy!) foremost, a wife, MIL, grandma to 2 pretty girls and an angel in heaven, sister, daughter, friend. Was in the corporate world for 27 years, the first 5 as Executive Secretary to an affiliate of the country’s biggest drug chain, and the last 22 as an international civil servant in an international development bank with HQ in Manila. Traveled extensively to many countries bringing about rich experiences and lessons learned to share with dear Readers. All these—in The D Spot
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I don’t have school-age kids yet, but some of my fondest college memories involve sharing a tray of french fries – yes, we would take several orders of fries and pour them all onto a tray – at McDonald’s Taft
Hi Dine (with a silent E)!! Like Christianne, my kids are still too young to enjoy the benefits of “day care centers” in Katipunan. However, I can speak for myself. The day-care center of choice, back then, was Cravings and Shakeys. On weekends, my Mom would even join us
I don’t have any kids myself but my favorite “day care center” would be at McDonald’s. Usually my friends and I will get Happy Meal’s … To collect the toys! And to laze around while waiting for others to join us.
;P
A LOT of med students study at Starbucks on the days leading up to an exam.
whenever i’m too lazy to commute home when i’m in katipunan i make my brother pick me up in mcdonald’s.
back in college, our “day-care center” was the University Student Government office…a great place to hang out. Along La Salle Avenue there were also a lot of coffee shops but we never get to hang out there. Nowadays its Starbucks…
I do agree with you Sexy Mom…safe and healthy places for the teens to meet other teens
When I was in college, “day car center” was either UM (University Mall) or McDonald’s Taft. I fondly remember having Strawberry milkshakes. McDo removed it from their menu for several years but I’m thrilled that it’s now back in selected McDonald outlets.
kids here nowadays uses indoor malls as their day care center, browsing for stuff to bug their parents for their next family trip to the mall, even when there are Community Centres nearby where they can do just about everything like things atlethics, reading and culturals, but well kids are kids and they still love macdo, and wendys and tim hortons capuccinos (starbuck is not big here only 7% to tims 67%)and they’re all in the malls..
marami na rin kasing mga resto or coffee shops na talaga oks lang sa kanila na tuambay customer, kasi naman mahal ang tinda nila. pero sa mcdo or jolibee oo nga minsan ang crew or guard ay umiikot na kapag sobrang natagal ka don. at syiempre di rin maganda lalo nga kung magiging tambayan lang at barkadahan. buti lang sana kung mababait ang magiging barkada, mas mabuti pa na sa bahay nalang at makilala pa ang mga barkada.
Hi Dine, my kids are still in grade school so the schedule would be home-school-home. During my time, “day care center” was the Janet’s resto, the Hungry Hippo in Dapitan or the UST coop canteen. There wasn’t much resto or coffee shop to make tambay in the area unlike now.
oh mcdonalds… it’s a good thing the philippines didn’t supersize. or else it’ll just fatten us up. during college, that was our tambayan while doing our assignment for math. those were the days…
I’m going to answer your question although I don’t have children yet so I’ll apply it to my siblings.
Sadly, there aren’t really any day care centers like those in Katipunan over here in Alabang. Among us siblings, 2 are in their 20’s, 2 are teenagers, and the remaining are 12 and 8! The teenagers usually spend their after school hours and weekends home, although I do encourage them to go out MORE!
Hmmm, I don’t see a culture of studying in commercial establishments here in Alabang. They usually go over to friends’ houses for that. Probably it’s because we don’t have a strip like Katipunan, we have a mall and malls are equal to gimmick places.
Nonetheless, I see nothing wrong with them hanging out in these places to hone their social skills—except if they overspend, get engrossed in online gaming, or become too consumeristic!
McDonald’s is a tried and tested place for me to hang out with friends or to be alone reading a book. At times I even coincide with my classmate, who teaches college English at the Ateneo, she hangs out at McDonald’s to check papers.
When I was in college naman, I’d hang out with my friends in Starbucks but if you want to study, that’s not the place to be! Luckily, there’s a center of Opus Dei around the block so that was our “day care center.”
Now, I got it. LOL
I go to Katipunan Avenue because my son lives there. But I will never ever attempt to eat again at Max Resto at Katipunan Avenue.
whenever i’m done with school and there’s time to kill, i transfer from ateneo to the daycare centers in katipunan. indeed it is sad to see beauty bar close down, but hey! starbucks will get bigger (i’m not sure if they reopened already, some said it’s either today or tomorrow).. i just hope mcdo would expand as well.. they should have a second floor to avoid overloads!
Yes, I find the stretch of day- (to even night-) care centers just across Miriam-Ateneo as relatively safe areas for my college kids for group meetings and even study alone times. I have two kids: one each in Ateneo and UP. Even I found the strip a friendly meet-up place where one can just wait (for somebody running late for an appointment) without too much fuss from restaurant staff waiting for food orders or other diners wondering about one’s solitary presence.
I miss being in my day care center when I was in college! Even during board review.. I took my classes in Manila but sometimes I would drop by Katipunan (it’s on the way home)and spend my study hours there.
Haha! A very good perception of the whole strip of Katipunan. Kids will love you for this article. I was once cradled by these “day-care centers” and that was around 10 years ago. However, my mom would never view Katipunan as such. She thinks its lakwatsa when all I really needed when I go there is food and a place to lounge while studying with my friends. Yep! I’m one of those who’ll order Value Meal No. 1 and stay for a good half-day. haha! Now you cant do that inside the library, can you?