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Working Moms
blondie10m
member
WWYD? Daycare for 2 kids - near work or home
blondie10m
member
in Working Moms
Having daycare on-site at my work seemed to be a no-brainer for DS1. I could go over and nurse him at lunch, they provide healthy food (probably my favorite thing about it), and it is pretty good (I don't think any daycare is perfect). My work is 30 min from home, but is completely out of the way for DH to do pickup/dropoff because he already has an hour commute and this makes it into more like 1:45 commute.
Now I'm expecting #2 and I don't know what to do. At least during my maternity leave I'm going to have to put DS1 in a daycare near our house because there is no way I'm driving a 1 hour round trip to take him to daycare with a newborn and DH's commute is already long enough. I'm feeling pretty guilty about that already. But after I go back to work, I'm not sure what to do with both kids. On days where everyone is healthy it is no problem. But if I have to leave early to pick up a sick kid, I either have to pull the other one out (possibly during a naptime) and possibly haul both to the doctor or do the hour long round trip at the end of the day to pick the other up. And it's a problem when I'm staying home with a sick kid as well, is it fair to make the other stay home? Taking care of a sick kid takes a lot of time, I don't want to ignore the other one. Also same thing whenever we have doctor well visits (I try to schedule for end of the day since the doctor is near home). Being near home would be so much simpler.
But none of the daycares near home provide food (this is a big deal to me). And I don't know much about them either, kindercare is out for sure. One that is superclose to us gets good reviews but then the others are small chains (learning experience and lakeview child center, 10 min away).
When you had 2 kids in the same daycare, did these logistics get more complicated when one kid is sick? WWYD? What is your situation when one kid is sick?
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Re: WWYD? Daycare for 2 kids - near work or home
I would definitely switch closer to home. My work is only 15-20mins from home, and DC is 5mins from home. When one child is sick or has a DRs appointment, my mom comes to watch them and the other child goes to DC. I would definitely not deal with an hour of driving just to take the other child to DC. My DH has a 2hr commute so all dropoffs and pickups are on me. If you go with DC by home your DH would be able to help with DC too, which I can only imagine how nice that would be.
Also, just wanted to say you don't "have" to put your DS in a DC near home during ML. It is entirely manageable and fun to have 2 children at home with you. I did it when DD was 18months, and personally I loved it. Your child is a little older so I'm sure he would benefit from the socialization of DC, but I'd probably do PT if that is an option.
Our DC does not provide food, I wish it did. I'm sure that will be a bit of an adjustment for you, but once you get used to it, its not so bad.
We have daycare near work and stay there because we really like it, but if I could do it over again, I'd do near home. Then I could work from home some days and it would be more convenient for those days when DH has to do pickup/dropoff because right now, it's close to my work but far from his. Also, some days I take off to be by myself/do errands/etc. and I still have to drive the kids in and pick them up. Plus commutes can be long when someone is tired, grumpy, sick, hungry, etc.
I wouldn't like to prepare food for daycare, but it has benefits and I'm sure you get used to it.
When one kid is sick, if I stay home, I usually keep both kids home. If DH stays home, I take the other kid with me and drop him/her off at daycare.
Couldn't he stay home with you during your leave and then they both could start together at a closer to home center when you are sure that is what you want to do?
I just wouldn't want to move lo around too much and you'll save money having him home with you during that time.
we have very early hours and DCs by us and much more expensive than by my job, so they go by me. The only thing I don't like is that I've had to leave about 3 times a little early to pick them up when one of them is sick. We take turns staying home if someone is sick, is DH or a grandparent stays home I take the other child to daycare, if I'm home they both stay home. I've never felt bad about it, they'd rather be home with mommy than at daycare no matter how much fun they have at school. When I have had to pick them up early because they have an appointment or I have and I've dropped them off closer to home at a grandparent, they're always happy to see me, I think it's kid of a special treat to them.
I don't understand why you'd put your LO is a daycare closer to you during your leave, why can't you just keep him home with you for a few months? I was on leave with both kids for 6 months, I love it.
We have a kind of similar situation. DH and I work at the same place, a 45 minute commute. We decided to put DS and DD in daycare near work. Their doctor is also closer to work. So if a kid was sick, we didn't want to have to drive 45 minutes to pick him up, 45 minutes to the doctor, and 45 minutes back home. Daycares around us are all the same as far as what they provide and what we provide. I'm kind of surprised any daycare lets you bring in your own food because of all the allergies that could exist.
The sickness issue is a pain, for sure. It will be bad this first winter, and you'll muddle through. After that, they won't get sick as much. If I were you, i would prefer to have them at the work daycare.