Hellobee Boards

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.

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.

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:)

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.

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.)

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.

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

When he's 2.5 or 3 we'll send him to preschool where he'll have a play-based curriculum.

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.