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Multiples
Day Care Question
I just reached my 2nd trimester (well technically it will be tomorrow) and we decided that we were going to start worrying about logistical/practical matters as soon as we were in the 2nd trimester. Our biggest concern is daycare...cost, location, etc...and being a FTM, I have no idea what to expect or where to start.
Did you all begin looking into daycare options this early on? If so, what are some of the things we should consider/look for in our search? Is it too early to start the search process? Also, do any of you have nannies? If so, is the cost similar or way more than traditional day care?
Thanks!
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Re: Day Care Question
It's definitely not too early to look into daycare. We put ourselves on a waiting list when I was 8 weeks pg (we decided not to go there, but still...) and two slots are more complicated to find than one. A good resource is to talk with friends who have kids in local daycares. That's how we found the center DDs are in. Then just visit different places. And when you go, there are a bunch of different questions you can ask, but I think your gut sense is important. How is the interaction between kids and caregivers/teachers? I also think getting a sense of staff turnover is important also. Another thing is when they accept kids. The center we were on the wait list for only accepted new kids in June. That's wasn't helpful when I had to go back to work in March.
We also looking into nannies since I was only going back to work part time. 3.5 years ago, the general rate we were looking at was $14-$18/hour. And then you have to determine if you're going to pay taxes in addition to that (which gets complicated). For us, a part-time nanny was going to cost about the same as two full time daycare spots. If you're looking for a nanny, that would likely be a later process because most nannies don't have that much notice when they are going from one job to another. I know people with nannies that love them, but for us, it just didn't seem like the right fit.
***Twin fraternal girls born at 35w6d in 12/2008***
I initially started calling daycares when I was on bedrest at 32 weeks and on. We knew we wouldn't need care until the babies were 4 months old, so I had a little more time, but it's never too early to call.
I pretty much struck out when I called home daycares. The few that had openings for two infants never called me back. Some said they don't take teachers' kids (my H is a teacher) because of summers off. In MN, most home daycares only can have two infants. It was a bust, so we started looking into nannies. We started out nanny search about 2 months before we needed one. I used care.com. We got over 80 applicants and interviewed 4. We hired our nanny and were excited it was going to work out. (If you want more details about what we set up for pay, vacation, etc, let me know.) About two weeks in, she told me she wasn't going to be able to continue because she was overwhelmed.
So, back to the drawing board, we searched for a center because it was really our only option. Most centers in our area are roughly $300 per infant per week. Besides the steep cost, we have been happy with our center so far. They have had their usual sicknesses, but that will happen anytime they are around other kids.
The Working Mom's board is a great resource for daycare questions, too.
Boy/girl twins born at 37w1d and 37w2d
It's definitely not too early for to look. Lots of daycares having waiting lists - esp for two infants.
We used a nanny for the first year and have just transitioned to a daycare. For us, the nanny was more expensive when you factor in paying taxes. If you didn't pay taxes and found the right person - it might be comparable. I had people asking for $20 an hour as nannies then taxes on top - we ended up paying $12 an hour to someone who had worked in a daycare center making less - so we were both happy. Life was so MUCH easier with a nanny but the girls are adjusting and learning lots in daycare.
Staying at home was not an option for us but you should definitely do the math and make sure you are bringing enough home to make working worth it.
I'm finding out this is the case around here too. I just hope I can find one that will take 2 babies by the time I am ready to go back to work.
Sad but true for us, too. I could have bought a nice lake place for the cost of our center each month
But I agree about the hours and stability. Ours are there for a little over 9 hours a day, and we don't have to worry about it being closed unexpectedly.
Boy/girl twins born at 37w1d and 37w2d