I hate "shopping" for daycare. But i also don't want to be a stay at home parent, I want to work and I'm lucky that I have that choice. But they make it so HARD! All I want is to be able to drop my child off at the place a block from my house. Of course they are booked 12 months out. I'm trying to find other places and I'm sure it'll work out, but there aren't any that are close and DH and i drive in different directions to his work and my largest client. The idea of a nanny isn't the worst but I just don't know where to start. I was an Au Pair in Europe so I guess i could look into that option.
@blackhottamales What if you got on the list for the place near your house and then hired an interim nanny until a spot opened up? You may have a local nanny service that you could hire temporarily, or go through Care.com, Urbansitter or Sittercity. They offer background checks and reviews from parents if you want to pick and choose then have interviews, but you can also post a nanny job on all of those sites, with your needs and requirements, then potential nannies can apply if they are interested.
@mama_bear19 I don't think they give me mine until we are at the hospital. They give it to you there and the lactation consultant comes in and works with you to go over how to use it and you practice, maybe?
@blackhottamales you should definitely look into a nanny option! We pay a family member to be at our home with our son on the days that my husband and I both work. It’s really nice to just leave and come home without needing to dress and pack up the toddler, drop off and pick up at daycare etc. We are so blessed. But we get a good deal because we don’t need her every day of the week and because she is a family member who is retired and does not charge us as much as a legit nanny would. We also have a lot of flexibility with coming home late and it not being a big deal. If we had to pay full price for a nanny I don’t think we could afford it.
🤩😍🤩😍🤩 had inservice at school today (teacher work day no students) and it was actually great! Normally they are more exhausting than actually teaching, but we started the morning with independent "EdCamps" on how to stay healthy and sane through the winter/hardest part of the school year. One of the other teachers teaches belly dancing at a yoga studio and did a belly dance class for anyone who wanted to join. I did and it was great! If my OB okays it on Monday I am signing up at that studio to take belly dance and more. It is pricey, but I don't care.
After that we were working on our own the rest of the day and a bunch of the teachers hung out in the "senior lounge" area and graded papers, wrote reports, and generally hung out working for the rest of the day. It was great
@blackhottamales I also would hire someone to bridge the gap for the place you really want. A spot could open up sooner than they expect. Another option would be to find a different place for the beginning and switch when a spot opens up closer to home? I'd get my name on that list regardless! You can always follow back up right before the baby is born to find out where you are on that list.
@blackhottamales I third trying to find a nanny for the first 12mo. You could find a stopgap daycare, but if you can afford a nanny, then LO would only have to change whole environments once...
@blackhottamales Have you thought about in-home daycare networks that may be in your area? We were blessed to be able to use a network with in-home daycares 5-10 minutes away from our house for M's first two years. It was cheaper than a center, and had great backup policies if for whatever reason they needed to close or take a vacation or were sick (unlike a nanny). Also, because of the network, there were built in surprise check-ups on the daycares, licensing and upkeep on training tracked, etc. Our two DCP's were amazing, loved Matthew, and he really flourished and learned, and got to interact with kids older and younger than him from an early age.
@foodislove@blackhottamales my kids go to a licensed in home daycare and they LOVE it. They can only have a certain amount of kids there too. I knew their daycare provider beforehand though, I was friends with her son in middle/high school. But my kids get so excited to go, they have made friends. She has a preschool program in the morning, and it keeps them on such a great schedule and develops their social skills. I feel fully prepared to put them in school because they know how to respect authority other than just their mom and dad now and get along with other kids well. I’m a SAHM so they go 2 days a week so I can make sure I get my workouts in, they can socialize with kids, and so I can run errands what not. and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done. Much prefer this than just a nanny or a regular daycare (my oldest went to a regular daycare when he was a baby and he just didn’t get the attention he needed)
@ccmama3 no Aldi here. I wonder if they have them at Trader Joes? I have had the Keebler ones. They are pretty good.
I think I have finished the majority of my registry. I think the last part of the struggle is going to be the nursery design and planning. I just can't decide what I want to do design wise.
Gave my 3 year old the option between soccer & T-ball to play this spring. He chose soccer (kind of sad—I’m a former softball player 😭) but I’m all about my kids making their own decisions. I’m excited that he’s SO excited to play. I can’t believe my oldest is old enough to play sports now 😭
@bartonolivia at that age, the game should be called “ball mob” instead of soccer, but it is so fun to watch them grow through being on a team and such!
@hakele it’s msotly just practices and learning the game for his age, drills and what not. I’m sure it’s going to be interesting to watch 😂 I’m just excited it’s something he hasn’t done before so he’ll learn new skills— sports & social wise
@bartonolivia my 4 year old just started tee ball and he loves it! He was so excited because we drive by the tee ball fields on our way home a lot so when I told him he was finally old enough to play, he was so pumped. Does he ever see kids playing tee ball? We're going to do soccer in the fall
@Bear14+ He’s seen my little brother (his 4 year old uncle, weird 😂) play T-ball. My little brother is somehow like a pro already. He’s also seen me play softball on my dads church league. But I think he is more drawn to soccer because he gets to run more instead of wait around a lot. I have a feeling he will choose baseball next year. My 2 year old will probably choose flag football when he turns 3 next year because he’s HUGE and his personality fits it more. Haha
@blackhottamales I agree. We are actually moving my soon-to-be 4 year old to a new daycare when baby gets here because the one I originally wanted for her has two open spots by some miracle. It’s 30 minutes closer to our house and I’m already dreaming of the time I’ll save this summer.
@bartonolivia DH and I joke (ok only slightly joke) that we really really hope our daughter picks any sport other than soccer. I dread spending so many hours at a cold/wet/hot field.
@wineandcoffee I ALWAYS said the exact same thing. I hate watching soccer games. And I had an ex that played tennis and it was the worst! So I always said I hope my kids never chose those sports. But here we are. I’m hoping I enjoy it just because it’s my child 😂
@bartonolivia hey, at least it’s pretty cheap gear-wise and you really just need a field. I’m terrified mine will want to play hockey! So much $$$. I did basketball. Where you literally need shoes and a ball. Great sport! I’m 5’9”. I was 10” in high school. But I quit bball in the 10th grade to be in the musicals! My dad and sister always played soccer and I agree that watching it can be rough.
@bartonolivia@hakele Down with the cheaper sports, which is why I worry about soccer and travel as the kids get older. Travel will be the expensive part. We're also hoping for swimming as the kids near middle school, DH was on swim team and nearly went to the Olympics when he was in high school (dislocated a shoulder, though). I told DH that he gets to do the early morning practice drop off though.
Soccer when they are younger can be so hard to watch. As they get older though I think it’s great! Traveling as they get older can get really expensive, but I think that’s true for most sports. We have friends who are traveling every weekend for baseball, softball, volleyball. I think it just depends on the level your kid makes it to.
My oldest is currently loving golf and I can totally get behind that! I think my youngest will be more into steam sports
I just know nothing about soccer so I’ll feel useless with trying to help him. If he chose baseball I’d be able to help him practice so much more I feel like! But yeah travel sports are SO expensive but I think they pay off in the long run. Keep them out of trouble. Lol
@foodislove I've been hoping for swimming too because it seems safe lol! I did gymnastics... it wasn't cheap or safe, but if I ever have a daughter I wouldn't say no to her doing it. My 2.5 year old is doing soccer this spring and he's sooo excited! I'm ok with soccer!
I'm REALLY hoping my girl kills in volleyball! I can live with volleyball and mma! Summer sports are the worst because it seems like there are always a million games!
We came up with a new game tonight. Watching people’s baby name list videos on YouTube and you have to take a drink every time someone uses a last name as a first name. Getting hydrated over here!
@ccmama3 I turned it on to watch and hubs goes, “I wonder how many names will end in -son.” And I was like, oooh! It’s a drinking game! I had water and hubby had apple tea. It was a bunch of young millennial vloggers on YouTube. So there were lots of last names! Haha.
Also a fan of last names as first names! I always thought it was a nice way for the mom to incorporate her maiden name, or other family names, if it worked as a first name. There was no way my maiden name was ever going to work as a first name, but if it would have, I think it would’ve been nice to use it.
@mamahmh2 there isn’t anything wrong with it! Just the criteria we selected for our game! I think lots of those names are really cute! We just think it is very on trend right now. My boss has a Watson and I think it is the cutest name EVER.
I’m an “older millennial”. I think most of us are millennials. Millennials are in their peak childbearing years right now.
@nolemomma14 there is no way my name was going to work as a first name! Haha. It’s an obscure Swedish name. Like Lagersall. My hubby comes from a long line of mafiosi, so I was happy we have a girl because we kept coming up with boy names and it was like... nope that guy was a bad one. Oh no, that was a mafia hit man. We could have made a game out of that, too!
@hakele you’re right, it is very on trend right now! My maiden name totally would’ve worked as a first name, but it got vetoed by hubby because he also hates the trendy stuff 🙄 lol I’m with ya @bartonolivia, very close in age with you and on the lower end of the millennial spectrum!
Re: Randoms w/o March 4th
The idea of a nanny isn't the worst but I just don't know where to start.
I was an Au Pair in Europe so I guess i could look into that option.
Ugh. Adulting is hard.
After that we were working on our own the rest of the day and a bunch of the teachers hung out in the "senior lounge" area and graded papers, wrote reports, and generally hung out working for the rest of the day. It was great
I hope you can do the belly dancing class. It sounds really fun!
I have had the Keebler ones. They are pretty good.
I think I have finished the majority of my registry. I think the last part of the struggle is going to be the nursery design and planning. I just can't decide what I want to do design wise.
My dad and sister always played soccer and I agree that watching it can be rough.
My oldest is currently loving golf and I can totally get behind that! I think my youngest will be more into steam sports
Getting hydrated over here!
It was a bunch of young millennial vloggers on YouTube. So there were lots of last names! Haha.
, 💙💙💙💙💙💙
I think lots of those names are really cute! We just think it is very on trend right now. My boss has a Watson and I think it is the cutest name EVER.
I’m an “older millennial”. I think most of us are millennials. Millennials are in their peak childbearing years right now.
@nolemomma14 there is no way my name was going to work as a first name! Haha. It’s an obscure Swedish name. Like Lagersall.
My hubby comes from a long line of mafiosi, so I was happy we have a girl because we kept coming up with boy names and it was like... nope that guy was a bad one. Oh no, that was a mafia hit man. We could have made a game out of that, too!
lol I’m with ya @bartonolivia, very close in age with you and on the lower end of the millennial spectrum!