https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 11 May 2026 06:52:40 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/torn-about-starting-day-care-early#post-820676 Thu, 30 May 2013 22:22:08 +0000 tysonja 820676@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>ohhh congrats on getting a spot in the daycare you wanted (and half the price is so good!) --- sounds like what others suggested about paying full price and putting him in part time to acclimate (and give you free time yayyyy!) is a good option!!</p> <p>i'm sure the daycare lady will be happy to earn her full wage and get a 'break' (less kids) so to speak for the summer! hehe :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/torn-about-starting-day-care-early#post-820647 Thu, 30 May 2013 22:11:44 +0000 Katrocap 820647@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bookworm: I had no idea affordable, good day care was so difficult to find before I had DS. I feel so lucky a spot opened up for us. Good luck; I hope you get into your number one spot! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/torn-about-starting-day-care-early#post-816966 Thu, 30 May 2013 07:53:59 +0000 Bookish 816966@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with the others, definitely go for the cheaper one if it's half as much! I think the idea of going part time until your LO (and you!) are used to it is a great idea. That's awesome that a spot opened up for you! We are having a similar problem finding affordable, good day care. We're #2 on a waitlist for our number 1 spot, and we signed up way back in December!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/torn-about-starting-day-care-early#post-816917 Thu, 30 May 2013 07:27:05 +0000 Katrocap 816917@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsmate: Thanks for sharing your friend's story. I like the idea of home-based daycare so that DS will get more one-on-one attention (there's only one other baby there). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/torn-about-starting-day-care-early#post-816595 Wed, 29 May 2013 20:51:47 +0000 mrsmate 816595@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a teacher friend who pulled her DD out of a center and put her in a family daycare. She was such a chill baby that she hardly got any attention; every time she stopped by the center she would find her daughter in a swing while the other teachers attended to the criers. She was much happier with the family daycare. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/torn-about-starting-day-care-early#post-816585 Wed, 29 May 2013 20:46:56 +0000 Katrocap 816585@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks everyone for your responses and support! We're meeting with the woman on Friday to sort out details but she's fine with part-time, although I think we'll have to pay the full-time rate. But as folks have mentioned, that's not too bad, considering her rates are so affordable. </p> <p>@banana: I'm glad to hear you're happy with your home-based daycare.</p> <p>@plaintains: Good point. This could be a good way to ease DS into the new situation. And get some much-deserved mommy time for me!</p> <p>@littlek: That poor 11 month old! I think a slow transition will help prevent separation anxiety for all of us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/torn-about-starting-day-care-early#post-815776 Wed, 29 May 2013 14:36:39 +0000 blackbird 815776@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're doing home daycare, too! Will she let you do part time? My lady doesn't. I agree it's financially better to just pay and not use. But if you're paying full price, I don't know why she'd care if you brought your LO in part time </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/torn-about-starting-day-care-early#post-815773 Wed, 29 May 2013 14:35:26 +0000 littlek 815773@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If they won't hold your spot, I would enroll your LO and start taking him once or twice a week to get him used to it. There is a little boy in B's class that didn't start till he was 11 months old and he cries the entire time he is there because he has such bad separation anxiety. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/torn-about-starting-day-care-early#post-815769 Wed, 29 May 2013 14:34:07 +0000 Smurfette 815769@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@plantains: ditto!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/torn-about-starting-day-care-early#post-815763 Wed, 29 May 2013 14:32:24 +0000 plantains 815763@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i would enroll her and take her part time as people have suggested. This way you can slowly increase the number of days she spends there and by the time you go back to work she will be completely adjusted. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/torn-about-starting-day-care-early#post-815753 Wed, 29 May 2013 14:28:12 +0000 banana 815753@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree. Since it's half the cost, I would go ahead and enroll her and pay, even if you don't put her in right away. I love my son's home-based daycare. I struggled between putting him in a center vs home-based daycare and I"m so glad we decided on the home-based. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/torn-about-starting-day-care-early#post-815727 Wed, 29 May 2013 14:16:54 +0000 Cole 815727@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think I would tell this woman yes and then ask her if she has any flexibility on price if you were to use her sparingly over the summer. It sounds like even if she says no and you have to pay the full rate all summer you could still come out ahead in the long run. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/torn-about-starting-day-care-early#post-815701 Wed, 29 May 2013 14:08:35 +0000 Foodnerd81 815701@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm guessing she won't just hold the spot for you? I mean, financially, it wouldn't make sense for her. </p> <p>If it is actually HALF the cost, what if you pay for it this summer but only use it part time-- like, put LO in for a day or two a week while you run other errands and get stuff done, but you are still mostly with him? It seems like in the long run, it would still work out to be more cost effective to do pay and not use it than be stuck paying for the more expensive one, that you don't even like as much. </p> <p>I haven't looked into any daycares, so can't comment on in home vs center or anything. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/torn-about-starting-day-care-early#post-815690 Wed, 29 May 2013 14:05:34 +0000 Katrocap 815690@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm a teacher on maternity leave with my 5 month old DS. I'm going back to work at the end of August. We had DS registered at a day care center that is nice, close to DH's work, but expensive (for us). It's difficult to find quality affordable infant care in my area. Anyway, our first choice for day care, a woman who runs a family day care with only 2 infants and is HALF the price of the center, just let me know she has an availability ... next week.</p> <p>I am so torn. I don't want to lose any of my precious time off with my baby, but this day care is what we've been hoping for. Just want some feedback. Also, folks who use family day cares, have you had good experiences? </p>