Working Moms
please help
My old job just called and offered me a position as a trainer. It would be great because I would not have to be on the road all the time anymore and I would have salary instead of commission. My husband passed away when I was pregnant and I was put on bedrest on Aug 1st, so I have been living off of my savings since then. I would love to stay with my baby for a while but I know its best for me to go back to work.
My job gives me $200/mo to go to daycare, but with him being so little and with all the sickness going around this year, I dont know if I want to do that.
So my question is, how did you decide between daycare/babysitter/nanny? I am so nervous....Please help me!
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Re: please help
First, congrats on your baby boy and your job offer!! And I am so sorry about what you went through during your pregnancy. You sound very strong.
As for how we looked for a DCP...we couldnt afford a nanny to come to our house and just watch DS so we knew we needed either an in home or a center. We looked at both and just picked the place we felt most comfortable with. We ended up deciding on a center, but we really liked the people and felt the most comfortable there. Then I got pregnant with #2 and we couldnt afford two in a center. So then we knew we needed an in home. We went to a bunch of places and again chose the one that we felt the most comfortable at. In the end I feel we made the right decision with the in home place. DS1 seems to like it better than the center. The only downfall is that they dont do all the educational stuff that the center did. But I figured since he is still young I just want him to be comfortable and happy and when he gets older we will look into preschools.
BUT DS1 did get sick all last winter. ALL.THE.TIME. But once we got tubes put in he was much better, so I dont think he was norm. Most of the other kids seemed to do ok there. DS2 just started at day care last week, so we will see how he does. I am crossing my fingers that he doesnt get sick all the time!
Congrats on your job offer! I hope things are looking up for you and your son. What a time of if you've had.
We went with a daycare mostly because my firm has one. We have been really lucky that DS hasn't been sick a lot. I think he has been out of daycare three times total so far, and he's 16 months old now. I really don't think it makes a huge difference whether you're at a daycare center, an in-home center or at home with a nanny. Heck, one of the kids I know who has been the "sickest" has a SAHM.
If I were you, I'd pick what's best for you and your LO without regard to sickness issues. $200 a month towards daycare is a huge help, but do you have one you like? Are you more comfortable with a daycare situation or one-on-one time like with a nanny? There are pros and cons to all of them.
That's great news! I hope it works out for you. You've gone through so much. DD has been going to a daycare center since September and she loves it (she's a year older than your baby).
Good luck! I hope it's a great fit. Finding the right childcare is such a relief.
We have done both. We had a nanny in our home until DS turned 16 months and then we moved him to day care because he wasn't getting everything he needed at home (he needed lots of stimulation and was eager to learn more, structure, etc.). I'm SO glad we did a nanny in our home for the first year. If you're doing this solo (so sorry about your DH) then I recommend that option only because if the baby is sick you don't have to take off sick days, the nanny still comes and cares for the baby. on the other hand, you have to have a back up plan in place in case your nanny is sick. I also liked the idea of him napping in his own crib. just remember, whatever you decide isn't set in stone. If you find it isn't working for you, try to come up with another plan. It is a difficult at first to put them in a day care when they're itty bitty so you really have to check out a facility or in-home or nanny based on where you want your LO to be at age 12 months, 18 months, etc.
Can you negotiate with the new position to work from home? That way, you're all set up if you need to stay home with a sick baby and it will also help you spend more time with your LO (not commuting, etc).