DH and I have talked about whether or not we'll leave DD in daycare while I'm on maternity leave w/ #2. If we take her out, we could potentially lose her spot but save quite a bit of money. If we take her out, I might lose my mind dealing with a crazy toddler and a newborn. ha!
What did you do?
GOLD / wonderful grape / 20289 posts
I'm a SAHM.... but I've thought about what I'd do in that situation. I think if I could afford it I'd keep her in, it's probably easier for kiddos to stick to their normal routine.
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
I kept her in daycare, and I'm so glad I did. I was nursing around the clock with the newborn, there was no way I could've tended to her needs at the same time. She's not at an age where she can sit in front of the TV or be distracted for super long periods of time.
hostess / eggplant / 11068 posts
We'll be keeping DD in daycare. She is thriving there and is doing so well that I can't imagine being able to do the same while having a newborn in the house as well.
GOLD / squash / 13464 posts
When we get to this situation I'll keep LO in day care. Once I get the hang of the newborn I'll probably keep LO home every now and then to do fun outings and things. But in general I think it's best for your toddler to keep a consistent schedule.
GOLD / papaya / 10206 posts
We're planning on keeping her in at least part time. I get a full year maternity leave but I think it would be really hard for her to go from DC, to home for a full year, back to DC again at age 3. I like the structure DC gives her, and I like the idea of having a little solo time with BB#2. PLUS we don't want to loose our 'spot' at DC either since BB#2 will be going there when I go back to work.
grapefruit / 4671 posts
When we get to this situation, we will keep her in daycare. Maybe go down to 3 days a week or something at the most to save a bit of dosh.
pomegranate / 3008 posts
I can't speak for myself but I know both my sister and my step sister chose to keep their older kids in daycare. It gave them a little more bonding time, a chance to sleep, rest, get things done that they otherwise would have struggled to do.
coconut / 8475 posts
I am not in this situation, but I probably would. Honestly, It will be insanely tough to juggle both kids and especially if you risk her losing her spot! I wouldn't want to deal with the stress of that when returning to work.
I am on having 2 under 2 as well, and I am hoping to plan it so that I have my lo#2 while my mom is on her summer break (she's a teacher), so my Lo can spend time there.
I think of it this way: you will be too tired and too busy to give her the attention she wants. She most likely will miss the toys and friends and walks, and playtime of daycare.
persimmon / 1479 posts
For #2 my oldest had just gone back to school when she was born, but she came straight home, no daycare until I went back to work.
With #3 my 4 year old stayed home with me. Our daycare was really great that they did hold her spot. We saved the money and I didn't have to run her across town and pick her up.
pomegranate / 3388 posts
I don't have two kids yet, but in my personal situation, I would definitely keep my daughter in daycare. We would need to pay to keep her spot anyways, and I get my full salary while out on maternity leave so it's not an extra financial burden. I also had postpartum depression last time, so I know I need to focus on taking care of myself when I have another baby. For that reason alone I would pay to keep my older child in daycare.
grapefruit / 4110 posts
We will be keeping him in daycare almost full time. He's at Montessori and there are 2 weeks in June and 1 week in August he will be off. Now, it's a little different for me because I won't be taking maternity leave per say. I teach college and will not be teaching the summer this baby (if it sticks) will be born. So ultimately we are just losing additional income not our actual income.
coconut / 8299 posts
We kept in daycare. We wanted to keep his spot. Plus I liked having that time to take care of the baby without distractions.
cherry / 124 posts
This is a struggle of mine too! I am 34 weeks pregnant and my daughter just turned 1- needless to say they will be very close in age when #2 arrives- 14 months apart to be exact. We have already talked about the 4 weeks before my due date that I will be home and we agree for the sake of her routine she will continue to go to the Nanny (we do a nanny share) so she isn't just stuck at home with a tired mommy. The same will probably go for us once #2 arrives- though we are going to play it a lot more by ear during that time. Its difficult to imagine a newborn and a barely walking, bored, stuck at home toddler living in happy co-existence without mama going a little insane. Thank god for baby wearing! It may be my only savior! Buts its great to know I am not the only one navigating the decision of to continue nanny care or not during maternity leave. Cheers to making it work Mamas!
hostess / wonderful watermelon / 39513 posts
I kept her in daycare FT for May and June and PT (MWF) for July and August. June was going to be PT but I had a tuition credit that I forgot about.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
I love the idea of dropping to part time. That way our spot would be reserved.
pear / 1837 posts
LO #2 is due in October, and we're absolutely keeping LO #1 (age almost 2.5yrs) in daycare. Pretty much every family at our daycare has done the same- kept the older kids on more or less the same exact schedule with daily FT daycare.
honeydew / 7488 posts
My DD was 3 when DS was born so it made sense to keep her in day care/pre-school. She was happy at school and it gave me time to care for the baby. Definitely worked well for us.
cantaloupe / 6669 posts
We actually want to time our second child for when the first is in preschool at least part-time, regardless of our child care situation. Two little ones at home seems like too much! I also think if your older kid is already in a routine, a new baby at home could make it less of an adjustment.
pomegranate / 3759 posts
We currently do not have LO in daycare but are considering finding a part time one for when #2 arrives. I think it would be good for all of us lol
nectarine / 2019 posts
The first 2 weeks of Jax's life, Jacob was in school. Once school got out, he was home with me. It was bananas trying to care for both of them and Jacob was 4 years old, so a little bit more self sufficient than a toddler.
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