3 in daycare

krissy3435

Anyone else in this boat? My 3rd is coming in May and I do want to stay working, although I don't have to. Seems weird to walk away from my career and the money. But, I am starting to totally panic that I won't be able to do it all. DH also has a great job, so we are both busy professionals with kids! If anyone is in this boat, please share your thoughts!

bcnoelle

Seems like you will only have 3 in daycare for a limited time once your oldest starts school, right? So if you love your job, just realize this is temporary. A nanny is an idea, but I know when my second is due in May we'll keep our son in his current pre-school. He's 3 and we feel like he really learns a lot and likes playing with his peer group. The hard part with 3 in daycare seems to be preparing all of their stuff, pick-up/drop-off, and unexpected illnesses and back up care. Have these been a problem in the past? Could it be useful to hire someone to help alleviate some other household work or errands? If one of the 3 are rotating getting sick or you need to keep hiring back up care, then I'd consider having a nanny to keep them all at home- or perhaps the younger 2. Good luck mama!

Soon2BMrsN

I am expecting #3 this summer and plan to take a full year maternity leave. But I am a teacher with "tenure," so obviously this isn't feasible for everyone. ODS will be in half day kindergarten next year and we'll probably try to put YDS in a preschool or MDO program a day or two a week. By the time I go back to work, we'll have to go back to paying for two in full-time care but at least ODS will be in school all day. I hope to avoid any kind of before/after care for him, which I think will work out if DH drops off in the AM and I leave asap after my school dismisses. GL!

ebp913

I would look into a nanny.  We moved to one after our second was born and love it.  It makes life immensely more convenient and less hectic because we don't commute with the kids, have to get them ready in the morning, pack lunches, etc.  We are so so pleased having a nanny in general (although we have had a few hiccups with our current one).  We have decided to put our oldest in preschool 2 times a week starting in September to get her out and a bit more socialized but we'll still retain the nanny at home with our son and newborn.  

MommaP12

The people I know that work with 3 kids have a nanny so as others suggested that may be your bes option unless you have 2 in daycare very near where you eldest attends school to make pick up/drop off easier...

cja06

We just had our third, and I am in the process of interviewing nannies. There aren't a lot of good daycare options in our area for infants and the logistics of having three in different places was daunting. A nanny will be more expensive for sure, but I think it is best for our family. Maybe if we had a good daycare that would have taken our two youngest, we would have gone that route. Price it out and don't forget to weigh the pros and cons. Good luck!

mittensonkittens

I have 3 in a daycare center. We thought about a nanny, but we were so happy with the daycare experience that we stayed. With the addition of each kid, it takes us longer to get out the door in the morning, and longer to put them to bed. Every night after the kids go to bed we're still busy washing bottles and pump parts and all the extra baby stuff. I don't think working with 3 kids is much harder than working with 2. I could stay home if I wanted, but I'm happy with my career and 95% of the time I'm happy I kept working. I recommend giving it a shot. It's not as scary as I imagined it would be.

litzo27

What exactly are you asking about? The cost or something else?

I have one in Kindergarten+Extended day, 1 in daycare and 1 with nanny at home starting this week. I chose to keep DS2 in daycare 4 days a week because I like that he socializes there and does a lot of activities. I  feel it's better for his routine (he is 2.5 now when nanny is starting).
Does it cost a lot? Yes. But we can afford it, the arrangement works for us and they won't be in daycare/nannycare forever.

cecilyandgautam

If you have the room and your kids can bunk up, I'd look into a live-in nanny or an au pair. I'd do part-time preschool for the oldest. I don't know how old your second is, but depending on that - free story time at the library + play time at the park + educational games at home would probably suffice. You can add in kiddie gym classes as your budget allows. 

We're currently expecting our second and the cost of two in a center is the same as an au pair/live-in nanny + part time preschool for us. Since having some one else doing the driving, baby laundry, and bottle washing would make our lives so much easier, we're going the au pair route if I can get on a compressed schedule (every other Friday off to alternate with DH's off Fridays) or live-in nanny if I'm stuck in my current schedule. If we were really tight on cash, we'd keep the baby in a cheap in-home daycare and put the older one in preschool with before and after-care which comes out ever so slightly cheaper than having both in one location at a formal center but would make daily life that much harder to two drop-offs and two pick-ups.