https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 13 Jul 2026 23:04:25 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-better-daycare-close-to-home-or-work#post-619237 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:42:41 +0000 blackbird 619237@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Close to home because it's better for both DH and I. I'm doing drop off and he's doing pick up, and it's too difficult for one parent to be solely responsible. </p> <p>If the baby is sick and I'm stuck at work, it's not feasible for DH to drive all the way to my work. </p> <p>Plus if the kid is sick, the less time puking in the car, the better. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-better-daycare-close-to-home-or-work#post-619231 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:38:54 +0000 PurpleUnicorn 619231@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pelikila: hmmm, good point about the doctor. L's doctor and hospital are close to home, so for me, another pro for home!</p> <p>@JoJoGirl: definitely something i haven't considered! and i have to admit, i think the lunch time visits would be for my own separation anxiety at this stage! The visits would not be for nursing as he will be a year old by then so i am sure i could pump whatever milk he needs to last him during the day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-better-daycare-close-to-home-or-work#post-619047 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 20:30:31 +0000 JoJoGirl 619047@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO isn't here yet, but we're shopping for daycares now and one provider made an interesting point about lunchtime visits - once they get old enough to have separation anxiety, it can be hard to do the whole 'saying goodbye to mommy' route twice in one day instead of once! She said after a certain age she doesn't recommend mid-day visits for this reason. Just FYI :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-better-daycare-close-to-home-or-work#post-619025 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 20:22:38 +0000 pelikila 619025@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I chose close to work because 1.) I could go at lunch and nurse him and 2.) his pediatrician was closer to my work than home so if something happened, it was more likely I'd be picking him up from daycare instead of going all the way back home to get him and come all the way back. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-better-daycare-close-to-home-or-work#post-618980 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 20:01:13 +0000 PurpleUnicorn 618980@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: good points! i also want DH to share the responsibility!</p> <p>@oahujeni: part of my dilemma is that i am more confident i will be staying at my job for a while, but we might be moving in the next couple of years. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-better-daycare-close-to-home-or-work#post-618862 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 19:23:41 +0000 oahujeni 618862@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We chose close to home. I put a lot of effort into finding a good daycare and want him to stay there for several years. I am not sure that I will stay at my job which is an hour from home so didn't want him to be at a daycare that far away if I ever change jobs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-better-daycare-close-to-home-or-work#post-618577 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:17:22 +0000 Anagram 618577@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm going to be picking a daycare close to home. </p> <p>I commute an hour (sometimes more) away by car, and I just can't see putting an infant in a car (alone in the back) for 2+ hours a day. Plus, I'm afraid I'll have a kid like my nephew, who would scream non-stop when in his car seat. So that wouldn't be good for me or baby.</p> <p>If we have one close to home, DH can do drop off in the morning (I leave almost an hour before he does), and I can do pick up (I get home at 4 pm). So that way, baby is only in daycare 7:45-4 pm every day.</p> <p>We're also a 1 car family, since DH takes the subway to work. So the rare nights I have parent nights or Open House, etc., DH can still get to the daycare to pick up LO. </p> <p>And finally....I just don't want to be solely responsible for all the daycare pickups and drop offs. I feel like it's not fair...I think DH should have to do it, too! lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-better-daycare-close-to-home-or-work#post-618420 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:29:02 +0000 dookie32 618420@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We picked a daycare close to my husband's work. The main factor was allowing my husband flexibility for pickup in the evening. If we had picked a center closer to home, he would have probably had to leave work by 4:45 everyday (allowing extra time for traffic) and I don't think his job would have been ok with that. Now it only takes him 5 minutes to get there from his office. We also live in Chicago where the weather is always unpredictable and most places are really strict about you being on time for pick up- we couldn't chance that. Another pro is knowing that my husband is there if my son needs anything. For instance, a few weeks ago he had a terrible teething day and he was able to go over and give him Tylenol (daycare isn't allowed to give it to him because he's under 2). The only real con I can think of is that when either my husband or I is sick and my son isn't, it's really far to take my son in. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-better-daycare-close-to-home-or-work#post-618413 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:27:58 +0000 lilyann 618413@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I chose close to work:<br /> -see him on my lunch break if I have time<br /> -his doctor and the hospital is very close to daycare<br /> -more time spent with him on the commute </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-better-daycare-close-to-home-or-work#post-618395 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:23:20 +0000 KayKay 618395@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@twoofeverything that's an interesting perspective! nice to hear from the other side. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-better-daycare-close-to-home-or-work#post-618384 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:19:39 +0000 twoofeverything 618384@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I spent two years as an operations director for a childcare center, and I LOVED it when the parents chose to have their childcare close to work. It was so much easier when kids got sick, or when the parents had to work late and were in a rush to pick up their kids before we closed. I remember a time when a child was vomiting profusely, (like, every 5 minutes), and the parents were there instantly to comfort him/take him to the doctor.<br /> Its was also wonderful when nursing mothers stopped by to BF or when we had parties/parent-teacher conferences, and special events/guest speakers.<br /> So my vote? DEFINITELY close to work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-better-daycare-close-to-home-or-work#post-618375 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:16:36 +0000 PurpleUnicorn 618375@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>these are all good points and i am thinking it makes more sense to look close to home. i think my main pro is the idea of a lunch time visit, but i think i feel that way now because i am with LO all day and already i am having difficulty with the idea of going back to work full time as i am going to miss him!! but it may not be the most practical. Also, at least 3 days a week, i will be able to finish work by 4:30, so i can pick him up at a decent time and probably then on my late work days, DH can pick him up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-better-daycare-close-to-home-or-work#post-618373 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:15:59 +0000 ladyfingers 618373@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I chose close to work but where we live (a town 30 minutes from work), there are virtually no daycare centers for infants so my hand was forced.</p> <p>Pros:</p> <p>I can nurse/visit LO on my lunch break</p> <p>I'm close to him if he gets sick/hurt</p> <p>DH works for a newspaper 30 minutes from home in the opposite direction of where I work, so sometimes he's working from home, sometimes he's in the office, sometimes he's covering something anywhere from 5 minutes to 5 hours away, so I felt more comfortable having one of us nearby.</p> <p>If I have to get him in the middle of the day I can just bring him into work with me if possible and that's only about 20-30 minutes out of my work day.</p> <p>Cons:</p> <p>Will make transition to preschool difficult, we'd need to decide whether to keep him there through preschool with the same kids but then throw him in with a different group when he starts kindergarten close to home, or move him to a preschool close to home and again throw him in a group if totally different kids.</p> <p>Long commute home with potentially sick/crying/cranky LO</p> <p>His doctor and hospital are on our side of town</p> <p>It's not impossible but more difficult for DH to go get him if I can't. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-better-daycare-close-to-home-or-work#post-618372 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:15:34 +0000 Smurfette 618372@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We choose one closer to my work. This was solely because of cost. It saves us $400 a month, or $4800 a year, to have her by my work. DH travels usually during the week, so it is going to be we doing the drop off and pick up anyway. It is about a 30 min commute, 45 mins if traffic is bad in the afternoons. I would have preferred some place near home, cause I want a new job, if I have a doctor's appointment can drop her off first, working from work, etc. But those aren't very common things to justify the extra cost to us right now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-better-daycare-close-to-home-or-work#post-618365 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:13:21 +0000 prettylizy 618365@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We went with close to home because our support system (my parents and ILs) live close to where we do. Because of this they can do pick ups and drop offs for us if something goes wrong, or if they finish work early and want a little time with LO. I also wanted her to be in our small town instead of the city where DH and I work, and with kids that she will go to school with. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-better-daycare-close-to-home-or-work#post-618360 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:07:57 +0000 KayKay 618360@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>That's a tough one! A couple other things to consider that may come more into play as your LO gets older...</p> <p> - if use daycare closer to work, will LO nap in the car on the way to/from daycare? how does that impact naps/bedtime/routine?<br /> - if use daycare closer to home, what time will you be able to pick up? how will that impact dinner time for LO? </p> <p>We chose one closer to home, but I only have a 15 minute commute, so the difference was pretty minimal. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-better-daycare-close-to-home-or-work#post-618292 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 15:55:04 +0000 lawbee11 618292@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We will be doing close to home. I have a similar commute to you. </p> <p>Pros: If I am sick and stay home, I can still easily drop off at daycare. My husband works from home 2-3 days a week, so easy for him to drop off/pick up those days. We will meet kids that live in our neighborhood so we can more easily set up play dates/get to know families near us. Don't have to commute with a crying baby in the car. Cheaper (daycares in our suburb are much less expensive than those closer to downtown/where I work). </p> <p>Cons: More time spent at daycare/less time spent with me. Can't visit during the day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-better-daycare-close-to-home-or-work#post-618227 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 15:41:45 +0000 DillonLion 618227@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ours is close to our home</p> <p>Pros:</p> <p>Convenient if we have to pick her up and get her home b/c she is sick. Or if one of us works from home, we can take her to the daycare and pick her up easily as opposed to driving all the way to where our our office is which is an hour away. </p> <p>Cons:</p> <p>We are apart for 10 hours a day. I cannot nurse her on my lunch break. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/whats-better-daycare-close-to-home-or-work#post-618220 Wed, 06 Mar 2013 15:39:27 +0000 PurpleUnicorn 618220@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am starting the ever so daunting task of finding child care for when i go back to work. And already i am not sure if I want to find a day care close to home or work. I work about a 40 minute drive from work. </p> <p>from what i can think of off the top of my head, the pros for close to home are easy to drop off in the morning, have it nearby if i don't work one day for some reason, closer to my husband's work so he can be around if need be during the day.</p> <p>pros for close to my work - less hours in daycare since i won't have to drop him off before and after my daily commutes, and i can visit him at lunch hour sometimes (i hope), and i am close by during day if something comes up.</p> <p>what do you do and why, and what do you think are the pros and cons? </p>