stress of child care..

trac101s · May 2013

with my pregnancy almost at the half way point there are a few things left to figure out. the biggest one being child care after the 6 weeks.

I am very hesitate about putting my baby in daycare especially as an infant.
I was reading and most day cares have one teacher per six infants. that scares me i realize my child won't be the only one with needs but i fear that with that many infants the quality of care won't be what it should be.

But daycare although expensive is less expensive then hiring a nanny..

My hubby and I both work full-time jobs but can't spend a large amount on child care. so stressful making such an important decision.

Anyone else in this boat?!

mben1119 · May 2013

As someone's who's been there, I can say that at least for me, the idea of day care is a lot scarier than it actually is. DS's day care has a 4:1 student to teacher ratio in the infant room, and his teachers adore him. They are absolutely capable of caring for all the babies.

Go and visit potential DCPs before making a decision. Seeing them in action will assuage a lot of your fears.

DreamDisney · May 2013

I worked In an infant room for the longest time and state mandated us to 1:4 ratio. Although it can get stressful, and seems like a lot... In that profession you get it done. Everyone gets fed, changed and naps and as well as the attention they deserve! While daycares are great for a lot of developmental things, an infant in daycare seems like a waste of money. If you know of any stay at home moms for the first year, that's ideal! I know how expensive child care is. And I know some people only have a daycare option. I hope it works out for you!

BelhurstBride · May 2013

Would you consider an in home daycare?

Kfran84 · May 2013

I felt great about what I observed when I visited my first potential DCP. They had all the younger babies (about 4-5 months and younger) in a room with one caregiver and they were all four sleeping peacefully. The other room had older infants with two caregivers and about three were sleeping and five were doing various activities. They were all content and being stimulated.

Maybe go visit some, it will really put your mind at ease. Or maybe in home daycare would be more your style, as PP suggested, but it's not my preference.

JBear02 · May 2013

As pp said, would you have access/consider an in home daycare? That is what I just registered my LO for in the fall (I'm an education student doing my student teaching, so I don't have much time off- just barely those first 6 weeks). I think that it is a lot more personal, and a lot cheaper for the short-term. Although the 4:1 ratio is pretty awesome.

sarenu1 · May 2013

It's 1 to 4 here. And a lot of times they had floaters that would come in as needed. So at any point there were 2 to 4 teachers or supervisors in the infant room.

It really is a great environment later on. My daughter is around 10 other toddlers her age. They do a boat load of activities, and learn at the same level.

But it's really up to you and the level of trust you have with your care givers.

PrimRoseMama · May 2013

trac101s:
with my pregnancy almost at the half way point there are a few things left to figure out. the biggest one being child care after the 6 weeks.
I am very hesitate about putting my baby in daycare especially as an infant.
I was reading and most day cares have one teacher per six infants. that scares me i realize my child won't be the only one with needs but i fear that with that many infants the quality of care won't be what it should be.
But daycare although expensive is less expensive then hiring a nanny..
My hubby and I both work full-time jobs but can't spend a large amount on child care. so stressful making such an important decision.
Anyone else in this boat?!

We decided against daycare after interviewing and looking at a lot of them in my area. I'll quantify a lot and say that we physically walked into, interviewed and walked about 30 to 40 daycare facilities in our immediate area. Our main beef was the cost. It was very very expensive and essentially I would have been working to send my kid to daycare without bring much home as net income. That is part of the reason that I chose to SAHM.

You have to do what feels right for you regarding your child. If you like a smaller kid to teacher ratio then look at private daycares or licensed in home day cares that may have fewer children.

When I was researching options I found Nanny Care to be a more expensive option. Its a more individual attention to your child but generally nannies can be expensive. That is true where I live in any case.

Its a really tough decision when you are trying to decide who will be looking after your kid while you both work your 8 hour (or more) days. I understand that not everyone has the luxury of being able to SAHM or daycare. I wish you luck in your search and hopefully you will find a daycare that meets your family's needs.

olga1311 · May 2013

I personally don't trust day cares untill the LO is at least 1 years old. I am planning to either SAHM for a year before going back to work or if I decide to come back to work early, it will be a nanny for us. I'd rather spend more on childcare and feel that my baby is safe, in a familiar environment etc. I realize sometimes its just not an option due to cost but that's what I am planning to do. I am FTM so we'll see how it actually pans out.

3222w27thst · May 2013

I feel the same way. I only work part time but after I deliver I want to go back to full time since we hve another life to take care of. As a young girl I thought of being a stay at home mom but now as a women I need my own and dont want to rely on my man for everything. I keep hearing horrible things about childcare from my mom and my bf's mother. They both dont want the baby in childcare but I even know my options. I thought of working graveyard again but he wont get sleep if Im at work and I wont get rest in the day either. Shucks but all mothers figure it out eventually.

slh6363 · May 2013

I will be looking for a nanny, feel much more comfortable with that. Also in my area daycares are usually much more expensive so that is interesting!

snookums2013 · May 2013

I will be using a daycare center and in my state the law is 1:3. 1:6 is when they are older. Make sure you start touring centers and get on waiting lists soon.

laurakaz13 · May 2013

We love our daycare and we pay big bucks for it. DD was one of 4 babies in the infant room with 2 teachers her first 10 months. Then she went to a class with more kids, but she was already walking and ready to socialize.

I don't think being a SAHM is a luxury. I would never want to do it, ever! I love my career. And it's for this reason that we are able to send DD to a top notch facility.

I've never heard of infant/teacher ratios being higher than 1:4. Isn't it state law in pretty much every state?

little_bren · May 2013

Where I used to work it was 1 to 3. I don't know if it varies by area or by care center. Mine was kind of pricy.

vintageutopia · May 2013

First, I would check your state laws. In MI, infant rooms are required to have a 1:4 ratio. Our daycare takes it up a notch and does 1:3 which I really appreciate.

With that said, when you aren't working, spend time calling and touring daycares like it is your 2nd job. As a FT working mom myself, finding a daycare that gives you a sense of peace when you drop off your baby is critical to both your happiness and the happiness of your baby.

kcox123 · May 2013

First, all of my kids have been in daycare from 8-12 weeks on. Full-time, year round.

Second, we LOVE our daycare. We brag on it to anyone who is expecting or wanting a change in care. It is AMAZING. My only issues with my children being at daycare have been my own (new-mom separation anxiety, stress over toddler getting sick a lot as kids get more mobile, stress over 2 year old developing new separation anxiety, etc. ).

Third, we have 12 infants in our infant room with three full-time adults (so, 4:1) plus the manager comes in over lunch hours to help cover... And the 3 teacher are specifically assigned to four babies so that they can learn them and get to know all their preferences/quirks...

We LOVE our daycare. It is one of the best decisions we've made as parents. We are expecting #4 and we could afford a nanny but have no desire to go that route and actually we would feel like the kids who didn't get the daycare experience would lose out.

Our daycare does sign language with the infants, letters/numbers/days of the week, etc in the toddler room, and the curriculum goes up from there... Daycare has gotten my infants on nap schedules and feeding schedules and has potty trained (largely) my older kids. And the socialization is great. My kids have their own social circles already and it creates opportunities for us to meet new friends with kids of similar ages.

For us it is a choice - and it is our first choice.

williswifey2 · May 2013

I remember the day I dropped DD off at daycare when she was 6 weeks old. I could not stop crying, but you get through it and everything is OK. A 6:1 ratio seems high to me, I think our state law is 4:1 or maybe 5:1, not sure. You might want to check on that, but the most important thing for you to do now is to go and visit every daycare that you would consider. We were limited b/c the daycare had to be convenient with our work hours and drop off/pick up times. Keep this in mind: You'll be scared out of your mind handing your baby over to complete strangers but when you find the right daycare, you'll learn to trust them. They know what they're doing and they do a great job! Also, most infant rooms have 2 teachers and I like knowing that my baby's needs are being met by more than 1 person all day long.

You'll be just fine...VISIT VISIT VISIT right now...I remember spending Friday afternoons visiting daycares for months before DD came. Good Luck!

Want a personalized experience?

stress of child care..

Re: stress of child care..

LFAF Summer 2016 Awards:

Choose Another Board

Search Boards