New here - daycare dilemma (long)
Hi ladies-
I'm a long time lurker hoping that you can give me some insight. I have a 7 month old baby and have been back to work since he's been six weeks old. He has been in an in home situation (with a lady who also babysits her grandchild). Now that he's getting more mobile and is starting to play and interact more, I'm not feeling so comfortable with this arrangement. The house isn't really babyproof and I don't think she spends that much time playing with him. She spends a lot of time doing chores that need done in her house, and if she has to run errands, she will leave my child with her husband or older children that are home (this is okay with me, I know them). Sometimes I feel like my child is an inconvenience to her. At any rate, something is nagging at me and I can't quite put my finger on it, but I'm not comfortable.
I have an opportunity to put him in the daycare that I had originally looked at and loved. We can start right away, so I signed him up. So, I guess my question is twofold...would you have done what I did, and how do I tell the current caregiver?
Thanks for any advice!
Re: New here - daycare dilemma (long)
If you have any sort of feeling about your arrangement that makes you uncomfortable, I would move him. Mother's intuition is never wrong!
I would just tell the current lady that be because he is older, you are ready for him to move in to a program that offers more interaction with children his own age.
~Benjamin Franklin
DS dx with celiac disease 5/28/10
I agree with all of this.
Just tell her that now that he is getting older you want him in a more structured program & leave it at that.
You definitely did the right thing.
TTC #1 - May 2010 - IUI #3: BFP
TTC #2 - May 2012 -IUI #2: BFP
Amen. This. You can also say that the program he was wait-listed for now has an opening and you're seizing this time as he is older to move him into an opportunity with greater social interaction with other kids.
DD -- 5YO
DS -- 3YO
I agree with PPs- go with your gut! Especially if you have a chance to get into a center that you love!
I think you can thank current DCP for taking such good care of him while he was younger and now that he's more mobile, you wanted him to have the opportunity to socialize with other children.
Listen to your gut. If you think something is wrong, get out of there. I would not be comfortable with my child not being played with or her being handed off to someone else if the primary care giver needed to leave the premises (leaving the premises is a big problem for me too). I would have done exactly as you did and signed up for the new center.
As far as telling her, I would just say that it was your original plan but you were on a waiting list. Now that a spot opened up, you are going to go back to the original plan. Thank her for all she has done up until now, and be done with it. Give her notice as soon as you can.
i think you made the right choice to move your child - for sure.
No way in hell would i leave my child with a DCP who left my child alone with other children- or her husband - to go run errands. I don't pay someone to run errands or clean their house- i pay them to watch my child.
reason 300055 that i have zero trust for in-home daycare providers.