Can I get some opinions on daycare please?

PinkDahLia44

I'll try to keep this short...

Currently we pay my mom $500/month to watch DS 3 days per week. This works out to days that I work plus about 1ce a month a free day for me, 1ce a month a free day for DH, and 1ce a month a day for me and DH together. She's flexible with her days and works with our schedule (not like a M,W,F schedule).

I would like to give DS some socialization, so I visited a daycare today, hoping I could do a scheduled 1 day per week. Well, no such luck. They actually don't have any openings until he would be in the 13 month group in November, and then it is all full-time. It would be $1100/month, but it would provide education, socialization, and momma some free time to keep the house clean, keep up with fitness, read a book for gosh sake.

We can afford it, although we would have to move money around, but I'm trying to decide if it's worth it...I guess I feel guilty about less Grammy time and less me time for DS, but I think it would be valuable learning for him, and definitely nice for me to be able to get stuff done during the day and have more family time in the evening.

So I guess I'm looking for unbiased opinions: Is daycare a valuable thing at a year old? Those who send their children to daycare, do you think it's worth it?

TIA!!!

nonoemily

I am not a expert on these things, but I think all the benefits you listed are more appropriate at the two year old age.

angelashly

Daycare is worth it. Is that the only place? All Daycares I've used had part time available.

PinkDahLia44

@nonoemily, thank you for that input. My mom said the same thing, but I wanted to ask others because, you know, biases. And he's my first kid, so sometimes I just don't know.

@angelashly, it's not the only daycare available, but it's SO convenient to where we live, and I really liked it. It does have part time available starting at 18 months, so that would be an option, but I'd have to make sure my work schedule worked with it, and it's only like, $200 less expensive per month. It seemed like it might be worth the extra $200 to have more flexibility.

SpaceGirlSpiff

I've found daycare to be very beneficial...my son is quite the social butterfly, he loves playing with other kids and running around on the playground... it makes him happy.  He has also learned a lot from it.  He didn't start until around 18 months old though, before that I worked from home with him.

Maebb

I send DS to an in-home DCP with 2 other kids. He's almost 18 months. He also goes to a YMCA gym class once a week, plus he's in church nursery once a week.

I was thinking about the same things as you, but to me I preferred the flexibility of the in-home situation, and I don't think the socialization is that important until he's older, especially since he's getting it in other ways.

Could you maybe join a weekly moms group, music class, gym class, or some other way for him to socialize with other kids?

For me personally it would not be worth the extra money to put him in day care, but of course that's a personal decision.

Lolapop29

I did almost the exact same thing with my mom watching DS1 when he was a baby.  She watched him until he was about 2 1/2 then we moved him to a daycare.  It worked out great for us.  

angelashly

I would still wait and think about it closer to when he is 13 months if your situation is working now.

PinkDahLia44

Thank you, ladies, for your input
I visited again with my husband this evening. It was $100 to hold a spot, but they will keep our spot for a year, so that gives us the option of waiting until he's almost 18 months old to start, which, after reading your responses, seems like it might be the more appropriate time.

Our situation works fine for us now, with the exception that I never get anything other than the bare essentials done in my personal life. I will continue to sit on that thought, while working on my time management skills, I guess, lol.

chevronseven

I work at a childcare center and I think if you have the option, waiting until age 2 would be best. Not everyone has that option but it sounds like your current arrangement is working so I would stick with that for now. Or at least until 18 months when you could do the part time option. Babies younger than that need more one on one time than a daycare can realistically provide. That's not to say there wouldn't also be some benefits, but I agree with PP that those benefits would be more apparent at 2.

lifesaverz

While I'm sure daycare has it's benefits, I personally think that when they're that young they definitely benefit more from more time with you and/or family members to build that bond. I'm a therapist though so I'm coming at it from that attachment perspective. It sounds like what you have going with your mom is a pretty sweet deal anyway, so as long as that's working for you I would def try & keep LO with family/you as much as possible.

Eta: words

Mags748

pobrecita said:

nonoemily said:

I am not a expert on these things, but I think all the benefits you listed are more appropriate at the two year old age.

Maybe that is the age when they start recommending you work on these things (I don't really know), but I absolutely see educational and social benefits from daycare and my son is 18 months.

My kids have both gone to daycare from 3 months on. Before age 2 they don't really play with each other and only really do parallel play. However they do learn a lot from each other and I have noticed social and educational benefits from a very early age. My daughter was crawling around at age 9 months at daycare carrying a baby, patting it on the back and rocking it because she saw the teachers doing that with the other babies. Not that this is a necessary skill, but it just goes to show that they pick up on and learn so many things from early on. Also, by age 2, they all obediently (for the most part) gather around in a circle and listen to stories and sing. I feel its harder to teach this, which is a necessary part of participating in groups, activities and school later on if the child is not in a more structured setting with other children. 

I don't know what I would do in your situation. I don't think she will ultimately be behind if she doesn't start now, but I do think she will learn some things she wont learn elsewhere.

fintin

Social interaction is always a good thing no matter the age. Not saying this will happen but if you were to wait till 2 then he might develope attachment issues and those are difficult to over come. I personally think daycare is always worth it.

Good luck

PinkDahLia44

@Inkogneetoh‌ the price for part-time at 18 mos is $900, but doesn't work well with my career as a nurse. I talked it over with my mom and husband and we have decided to wait until he is 18 mos to make a decision (they will hold our spot for a year, and he will be 19 mos in a year). In the meantime, my mom has agreed to watch him for an extra half day each week so I have some time to do chores.

I really am grateful for all the responses. It made a decision I was struggling with much easier. Thanks everyone!