Home daycare vs. Daycare center

hbrooks88974

I am having a "parenting is so hard" moment. I went to meet a lady who does home daycare. She is very sweet and her home is safe. She watches two other little girls and one boy. Two of them are walking/running. My little girl is 6 months and she was terrified of the older kids. Like...screaming her lungs out scared. Ha. I'm sure she would get used to them. 

My other option is a daycare center less than a mile from my house (the home day care is a twenty min. drive). She would be in a room with kids her own age (no walkers). The hours are a little bit more convenient (6-6). Everyone I met seems sweet. 

You just never know....
I want to do what's best for my daughter, i just don't know WHAT THAT IS. I feel like a horrible mommy.

shaunessa

My 5 month old just started daycare about 3 weeks ago, and I'm completely happy with the daycare center!  I love that you need to punch in an access code before getting into the building and they also have webcams that you can access to see your baby.  I understand some daycare centers might not have this available, but you just have to weigh out the pros and cons.  I didn't really want to do a home daycare, unless I really really really knew the person.  That's just my opinion though.  

chicki1012

I agree with pp.
I honestly am willing to pay more for the centers vs. at home daycare. At least the daycare centers are always open. At home u have to have a back up option in case the caregiver is sick etc. I also like the centers cause if something were to happen there are more bodies to help in a bad situation vs. one person in case of an emergency. I also like how daycare centers have the kiddos grouped by ages, so they do activities etc. age appropriate for that classroom. That's just my insight on it. I'm just more comfortable with DS at a daycare center, love it. Hope this helps.

mcgeeva

I myself am for home daycare while my kids are little. My home daycare has more flexible hours if im running late since DH travels a ton. Two she has separate rooms for babies and toddlers. That way I know DS can do tummy time and not get trampled. There are two people that run the daycare so no matter what there will always be someone there. Mine also never close for their own vacations. If one takes a trip someone is brought in to cover. They are also registered with the county so you can check if there were reports etc. Now my almost 2.5 year old will be transitioning to a big daycare for more structured learning in another month but I have been so happy with our daycare. Again each daycare is different. Mine just happens to be amazing and will even take my son when it snows since I do work with foreign clients which means we never close so I have to go in. Lastly I have a great relationship with the two owners that take care of my kids. With my first I was able to learn from them how to put my child on a sleep schedule during the day so I let them direct me some since I had zero friends with kids at the time. Any who..I feel like once you have all your questioned answered you have to go based on your gut feeling as well. 

mcgeeva

I should also add that going by reference is super helpful. I was never interested in looking at places where people I knew hadn't sent their kids. My friend recommended the place I send both my boys. 

zoeylove

This is a really personal decision and completely based on your needs for your LO. They both have their pros and cons.   Everyone will have a different opinion.  We looked into both and we decided on a home daycare....but we looked at several home daycares that were questionable for different reasons before we came to that decision.  The centers in my area are great but extremely expensive so that was a key reason we looked into home daycare.  But we found someone that we trust who is amazing with our daughter who was only 3 months going in and she is a cranky little one.  In my opinion, generally speaking centers offer more pros but are super overpriced for those pros.  I am happy with our choice for home daycare.  The lady is amazing and we trust her immensely.  Good luck...you will know what feels right for you & your family.