Working Moms

Child Care

I have been told I need to start looking into childcare because the good ones always have waitlists.  I am 28 weeks prego, only 12 weeks to go and I plan to take of 6-8 weeks thru SDI and an additional 6 weeks for PFL.  I started calling around places I found online and I'm honestly not too sure what to ask other than if they have a wait list and what their fees are.  I'm trying to find something that is convenient for myself or my husband to drop off/pick up.  So far not much luck.  How do people afford Childcare?  My income is the primary income in our family, so it's not possible for me to be a stay at home mom.  However my husband wants to work part-time next fall and start going to school full time, so maybe it would be beneficial for him to just stop working and go to school full time and watch the baby while i work?  Another option is my husband works at a 24 hr call-center, so he could work nights.  Has anyone done that, work opposite shifts as their husband while having a newborn?  I'm afraid it won't be very good for our relationship.  All of this is just so overwhelming.  Any suggestions/tips?

Re: Child Care

  • Stay optimistic and open minded. Ultimately we decided to use an in home provider because of financial reasons. We found a woman who we love who only charges $30/day, which works out to about $500/month for us since we only need her 4 days a week. if you do want to go with a center you do have to start looking now, but if you want in home you can't start looking now because they won't know now whether they will have openings when you need them. 

    When we were looking I was like you, I didn't know what to ask. Start with the basics like price and hours and then narrow it down from there. I saw no reason to ask detailed questions at a place I couldn't afford. Also, think about any parenting choices you plan to make that may not be the norm (cloth diapers for example) and check if they will support those choices.  

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  • First off, deep breath. You are going to be ok. Sounds like you have some options, you just have to talk with DH to figure out what will work best for your family. Here are my thoughts...

    I started calling around places I found online and I'm honestly not too sure what to ask other than if they have a wait list and what their fees are. You want child care to feel like a continuation of your own care. Do they allow breastfeeding, cloth diapers, feeding/sleeping on demand, etc? What is important to you as a parent? That is what you should ask them. What does an average day look like? Find out what their sick policies are. See what they use for discipline. 

    As far as finding places to check out, figure out if you want the care to be close to your home or office. Then start the search from there. Personal references mean more than anything online. Ask at church, work, local playground on the weekend, library... You may feel like a freak asking, but if someone recommends a place, look into it. And don't go by a phone call. Walk into a place unannounced and get a feel for it. Is it chaos or calming? Are the kids happy? Can you see yourself as friends with these caregivers?

    How do people afford Childcare? We just do. We work our budget to prioritize DD's school. I cut other things like going out to lunch, new cars or manicures.

    maybe it would be beneficial for him to just stop working and go to school full time and watch the baby while i work? This might work. But knowing he needs time to study and go to class will cut into child care time. You may need to get some child care for a few afternoons a week for your husband to do well at school, but you could probably get away with a mother's helper.

    Has anyone done that, work opposite shifts as their husband while having a newborn?  This has killed a couple friends marriages. Please, only do this as a last resort. It's not fair to each other and your LO deserves parents who know and love each other. It can be done, but please don't unless you HAVE to.

    Please come back and post more. We are filled with lots of experience and look forward to hearing from you! Good luck with the search. It's all going to work out.

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
    met DH 1995 ~ married DH 2006 ~ completed our family 2008
    Life is good!
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  • You never think you will be able to afford it but somehow you can do it. Whether it is home daycare or your husband's alternative options...it will work out.... My parents worked opposite hours because there were 5 of us and that was their  only option.... Nothing is permanent. So if it does not work out, you can change it... Good luck and have faith that it will work. FYI I would start looking for both home and center daycare
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