https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 22 May 2026 14:54:35 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-going-crazy-trying-to-decide-about-child-care#post-519682 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 14:59:07 +0000 Mrs. Bee 519682@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>we had a nanny until charlie was 21 months old when he started daycare. i have no regrets but think charlie could have started daycare a little earlier (13 months+) when he was walking as daycare was more affordable, and he would have thrived.</p> <p>we chose our daycare because of the home-based feel. they had between 6-10 kids on any given day with 3 teachers, and charlie was one of the youngest so he got a ton of attention.</p> <p>it's tough to make the decision... you kinda have to go with your gut because daycares are all so different.</p> <p>if you can swing it financially a nanny is great the first year, but that's not to say you can't find a great daycare. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-going-crazy-trying-to-decide-about-child-care#post-519611 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 14:42:09 +0000 Mrs. Stroller 519611@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Before LO was born I thought we wanted to go with the military facility because of cost. We've been on the wait list for 20-some-odd months now since I was first pg! There's been a big scandal with the mil facility near us and it's caused a huge investigation into how the mil hires its workers. I'm sure most facilities are fine, but I was horrified by the report (we're in DC and it's the Ft. Myer facility if you want to google and find the WaPo article) and was in tears as I read it. I get really upset when I think about it.</p> <p>We decided to go with a home based daycare. The home, similar to the one you saw, is nothing special. It's an apartment that is small, but very clean. The family however, is amazing. The mother is very nurturing and caring. My baby loves her, is very attached to her husband and one of his first words is one of her son's names. The environment is just like home, nurturing and loving, exactly what I wanted for a new baby. I found our daycare through word-of-mouth. I highly recommend asking random people in your neighborhood with kids if they can recommend someone or if they know of a very local mom-group (lots of communities have yahoo groups around us.)</p> <p>When he was first at daycare I wished I had a nanny or nanny share so that I could nurse instead of pump (I work from home.) But after a couple months I was glad to have the quiet time apart so I could be more productive. </p> <p>In re: full-time v. part-time we have full time and I work a 4 day week. Sometimes I keep him home on Mondays with me, but usually I drop him off a little late and have a leisurely morning together and then go off and do the grocery shopping, etc, without him. It's a really great set up and I highly recommend it! Several of my girlfriends do the same thing :)</p> <p>When he's 2.5 or 3 we'll send him to preschool where he'll have a play-based curriculum.</p> <p>ETA: I definitely think the biggest factor is to trust your gut and to talk to parents who go to the same daycare. Someone told me that no one would love M more than his daycare momma and it's so true. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-going-crazy-trying-to-decide-about-child-care#post-519606 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 14:39:21 +0000 blackbird 519606@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We made the decision between in-home and center based recently. I liked both places just fine, but the more time I spent with the woman who runs the in-home center, the more I just felt she was the right fit. She had 4 kids herself, and watches only 4 kids at home. So I felt like she was very capable of watching 2 toddlers, a baby over 1, and my baby (under 1). </p> <p>A friend of mine went with an in-home center on a military base and she said it was essentially a nanny because for much of the year, her child was the only child there. She said it was marvelous, and had nothing but positive things to say. It really encouraged me to look at in-home daycares, too, and now I feel extremely good about our decision to go in-home for at least a year, probably 2 years. </p> <p>A nanny was too expensive for our area. Over double the cost of daycare...and it's not like I hated any daycare center enough to feel like it was justifiable. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-going-crazy-trying-to-decide-about-child-care#post-519585 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 14:31:07 +0000 mrsmenow 519585@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My girls have always gone to daycare centers. We moved to an area that we didn't really know anybody so it was hard to feel comfortable with an in home daycare that didn't come from a personal recomendation. We figured at least at the center there is more than one person so if things don't click with one provider there was always someone else. We have been really lucky to find great centers. And our little ones weren't sick very often when they were infants it really was once the got to the toddler stage and there was more kidsin a room and more interactions between them.</p> <p>I think all you can do is go with what ever gives you the best gut feeling. We ended up paying more than we originally budgeted because that was the place that we thought was the best. Good luck choosing:) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-going-crazy-trying-to-decide-about-child-care#post-519467 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 13:53:04 +0000 MsLipGloss 519467@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsWagon: Thanks for that. :) Right now, my LO is at home with my MIL, but that will change at the 1 year mark (and I am stressing out about it already!).</p> <p>@78H2O: While we didn't have to make a decision between day care and a nanny (my MIL watches my LO during the week), before that became an option, I was definitely leaning toward having a nanny. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-going-crazy-trying-to-decide-about-child-care#post-519455 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 13:48:18 +0000 mrs. wagon 519455@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>In an ideal world I would either stay home or have a nanny (or grandma) for the first year, then enroll in an education-centric daycare at around 12-15 months. My reasoning is that interaction with other babies is always great, but exposing babies to illnesses that first year is so, so difficult for parents and families (as evidenced on so many threads this time of year!!!). But once they're a little older, being exposed and building up their immunity is a good thing AND the interaction with kids and teachers and learning things is so, so important. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-going-crazy-trying-to-decide-about-child-care#post-519421 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 13:34:49 +0000 78h2o 519421@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How did you decide what kind of care (center based daycare, in-home daycare, nanny) to choose?!</p> <p>I found out we are eligible for a military based subsidy, since my husband works for the army as a civilian. With the subsidy, our cost for center based care will be about $150/wk (vs. $300/wk normally). So now a center is our cheapest option, but I am still worried about germs, etc.</p> <p>There is only one center nearby (Child Time) that has availability... I liked it fine... it seemed safe and had a 3:1 ratio, but I didn't like it as much as another one that I toured that doesn't have availability. If we go with Child Time, we might put her on a wait list elsewhere and move her... The room she would be in at CT had 2 sides, one side with older babies, the other with younger. Each side has 6 kids and 2 teachers. So she'd be exposed to noise and germs from 12 kids and 4 teachers, but there would be 4 adults in the room. They do not have one nap time, they try to go by the parents' schedules... I don't know if that's good or bad... would she be able to sleep if other kids were awake?!</p> <p>We could enroll her part-time or full-time... I am going back 3 days a week. There is not a huge difference in price ($20-30/wk), so we would consider signing her up for full time so that I could have her go on my days off if I needed to run errands, go to appointments, etc. </p> <p>Our other options would be a nanny about 30 hrs/wk (more expensive) or an in home daycare.</p> <p>I visited one in-home daycare that I liked... the house wasn't particularly nice (though it was clean), but the woman was very warm and seemed like she'd be nurturing towards J. She would have a max of 4 kids at once, but some days it would be just J. and an 18-month old baby. I like the idea of that place because it would be quieter and there'd probably be less germs, but I do worry about supervision if the woman needed to go to the bathroom, etc. There is just less oversight in a home like that as compared to a center... but on the other hand, I think she'd be more likely to develop a bond with the one caregiver vs. the center where there might be some turnover...</p> <p>Any suggestions? What would you do? How did you make the decision?! </p>