What kind of daycare are you using?

LokiLahve · September 2013

For those already (or about to go) back to work, what type of daycare arrangements do you have?
In the comments, what made you choose this option and how did you find your provider?

LokiLahve · September 2013

I'm going back to work in 6 weeks and STILL haven't lined up daycare! It's making me a nervous wreck.
I prefer an in home provider but all the good ones seem to be full. I found a center as a backup but it's 2x more than most homes....errr :-L

Cocolamo1 · September 2013

We have used a home daycare for my older two until #3 came along. I have cut back to part time work and will be working opposite of my mom. Financially it made more sense for us, paying for 3 in daycare would be most of my paycheck!

Texasmomma13 · September 2013

She's my ex SIL. She used to be married to my brother. I trust her and she's flexible with decent rates. Easy choice really. If not for her I was going to put an ad in our church bulletin. If for some reason the arrangement doesn't work out this is what I will do to find a replacement. I looked at the daycare centers in our town and was not impressed with any of them.

LJUTCMommy · September 2013

I am glad I am not the only one still looking for day care!

We've pretty much decided on a nanny, but I just posted an ad on care.com and responded to some CL ads today. Hopefully, we have someone lined up next week. I don't go back until mid-November, but want someone to start 11/1 so we can all adjust a little.

Day cares are really expensive in my area, plus we have somewhat unpredictable work schedules.

CaliforniaDream87 · September 2013

SS: Private in home nanny.

AprilRaine · September 2013

Right now just DS1 goes to a center. I at first checked it out since it was closest to our house, got a pretty good vibe from them and have loved it ever since. I had soooo much anxiety sending my first to daycare, and it was hard in the beginning. But now he looooves It. His teachers genuinely care about him and he adores them all. The lady in the infant room literally cried the day he moved into the big boy toddler room.
While I don't think I'll be returning to work full time (if at all) I would have zero hesitation sending this LO to that center.

LJUTCMommy · September 2013

@CaliforniaDream87 Does that mean you'll be taking your son to the nanny's home?

CaliforniaDream87 · September 2013

LJUTCMommy said:
@CaliforniaDream87 Does that mean you'll be taking your son to the nanny's home?

No. We are hiring a private in home (she watches him in our home). It's important for my LO to stay in a familiar space and we feel doing it this way is best.

krb03 · September 2013

We have a sitter. We found her through a work friend. Out sitter only watched teacher's/school personnel's kids. She has been watching our kids since DS was 9 months. We love her & she's really become part of our family.

When DS was first born, we knew we wanted someone in home. I was more comfortable with more individualized attention when he was that young, the cost, & overall security. I worked at a center through college & know here are lots of great daycare places too, but overall we found a very trustworthy person & it fit for us better this way.

LJUTCMommy · September 2013

CaliforniaDream87 said:

@CaliforniaDream87 Does that mean you'll be taking your son to the nanny's home?
No. We are hiring a private in home (she watches him in our home). It's important for my LO to stay in a familiar space and we feel doing it this way is best.

Ok. That is what we are doing too. I thought maybe since the phrase "in-home" was used, that it was like "in-home" day care, where the care happens at the provider's place.

DD hates new surroundings, especially other people's houses, so I completely understand why you would feel that's best. We think it's best for us too.

BabyE143 · September 2013

I'm the SS. I'm going to school full time so I serve because it's extremely flexible. My hubby works in the morning, I will work at night for 4-5 hrs at a time and I will only start 1-3 nights a week at first (it's all I can handle anyway with a nb and school).

LJUTCMommy · September 2013

@HauntedRadio Sounds like a "blessings in disguise" situation for you and your friend. Glad it worked out!

amandarins · September 2013

My SIL will come watch him when DH and my schedules overlap

nurseclare9 · September 2013

My mom will watch him. We have a sort of rent to own situation with my parents and "child care costs" will be part of our "rent". Mostly she is just thrilled to watch him. Easy choice.

MynaBird · September 2013

SS: I'm going back to a four-day schedule. My mom will take her one day and she'll stay home the rest of the week. My husband works from home, and we're going to hire someone to come take care of her two days a week.

LiylaRae · September 2013

A daycare center on my campus. I wish I could just be he with LO but gotta go to school!

FeetFirst · September 2013

We use a daycare center on the site of our work. We both work for the same gigantic NW company

We LOVE this place and after touring and speaking with all options with DS, as soon as we saw this place we just knew. It was perfect for us. Accepting of our cloth diapers. Even though at the time we were the first to use them there. They were so willing to "learn" them and soon after they had more than 5 in the baby class who also used them. It was awesome to see.

Many of the teachers have been there since the center opened 15 years ago. (to me this says happy employees who can focus on my child not work drama or pay and benefit issues)

We pay a lot for our "area's" norm... It is about $13k/year now for DS in preschool 3+, and DD will be $17k for newborn. Which is prob about 5-10k more than some other centers or in home, but we think it is worth it for the education they get there.

Oh I should mention they are NAEYC certified. They have curriculum even for the newborn class. It is super cute to see their "learning plans" at that age lol.

shootthemoon · September 2013

I said still looking, but really I don't know if I'll need it. I'm expecting to find out something about whether my contract with work will be renewed for continuous employment on Monday. If not, I've got time until it does get renewed or I find a new job (would love to SAH but it doesn't work for us financially) to figure it out. If it does, I'm extending my leave till the end of November and then probably going back PT and/or telecommuting to work opposite schedules with DH so we can cover it until the new year and then we'll figure it out.

DH's mom has offered to help us PT but she lives 100+ miles away so she'd stay with us and we don't really have the space and I'm just not that comfortable with it. She doesn't mind the inconvenience and travel, but I do.

southernmama8813 · September 2013

Special snowflake here. H and I both work retail, and he makes the schedule at his store, so we will be working our schedules so that one of us will be home with LO all the time. If I had to pay someone to watch her, we'd be spending more than I would be making.

Curls218 · September 2013

I said daycare center but I guess I'm really a special snowflake because my MIL is watching DS one day a week.

carrotcake06 · September 2013

I answered for the twins, but I suppose it's a bit of SS.

My oldest will continue to go to the large center daycare he's been at for years. The babies will be watched by my mom and my sister on alternating days. A few reasons: center daycare for 3 kids is outrageously expensive, they're preemies and heading into cold/flu/RSV season I'd rather them not be at a daycare, getting 3 kids out the door every morning sounds awful.

I think a structured daycare is very important come a certain age, so this isn't a permanent solution. I can't even begin to think what that will look like, so well do it this way until it doesn't work anymore.

V&G101808 · September 2013

Family Member/SS; my aunt will be tsking care of DS on M, Th, F... She lives on my way to work so it's perfect (and I can peep in on Lo during lunch)

My MIL will take care of him Tu, W. She lives 5 minutes away so also win win. She'll alternate between staying at our house and going to hers (since it's so close). I know she'll be at our place most often but I don't mind her taking LO to her house when she has stuff to do.

katharine25 · September 2013

"Still looking" though not really hard right now. I start back at work in a week, but part time and primarily from home. DH also WFH and has weird late night hours. So DH will watch LO in the mornings until 12 or 1 while I work, and then we'll switch. On the one day a week I have to go in, we'll probably use a neighbor for the afternoon watch.
Then starting next year we need to figure out a more full time arrangement when info back full time. Would LOVE to find a nanny to come for the afternoon shift, but am open to a in-home daycare. Or hopefully my mother will have retired, sold her house and moved closer to us by then...

kaylababy5 · September 2013

I have to take LO to a center because I have to be to work by 6:30 and no in-home daycares around here open that early.

Critter015 · September 2013

I'm going to stay at home this time, but we sent DD to a center starting at 6 weeks. Overall it was a really good experience and I could tell her providers really cared about her. If I had gone back to work I would have sent DS to the same center.

Scubagirl79 · September 2013

We go to a small Montessori preschool that takes babies at 6 wks. The ladies who work there are so caring and sweet. And I love that's it not a huge center (plus it's cheaper than a big daycare).

girlmama83 · September 2013

I chose family member because it's feee

kkay1982 · September 2013

msspeedymarie said:
I chose SAHM, but in reality, my H will be the SAHD during the day, and I'll be on primary duty in the evenings.

Same for us. DH works nights and weekend and I work during the day so we are just keeping LO with one of us for now.

melosch · September 2013

Scubagirl79 said:
We go to a small Montessori preschool that takes babies at 6 wks. The ladies who work there are so caring and sweet. And I love that's it not a huge center (plus it's cheaper than a big daycare).

We're also having LO join the infant room at a small Montessori school.

Creedon778 · September 2013

2days/wk with MIL, 3 days/wk at daycare starting in January

cnthrdlywt2bwZ · September 2013

We love our in home sitter but we just found out that they may be moving in the next month. I'm going back to work tomorrow!

LilMissScareAll · September 2013

DH´s grandma will be watching LO.

Although we're in a stupid situation where we're saying both MIL & GMIL will be watching him because MIL was throwing a fit and hurt because she assumed that she when she moved down here that she would be watching him. So now they 'both' are watching him, but I won't leave him alone with MIL but GMIL can watch him by herself

betsyin2010 · September 2013

Special Snowflake. Mostly I am a sahm but I work very part time hours at a gym in the childcare facility and take baby with me to work.

carlieanddanwedding · September 2013

My bff is a SAHW with no kids (and no plans to have any) and will be watching our LO in her home the 3x per week that my DH and I both work, until she's old enough that I feel more comfortable putting her in daycare.

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