Calling all daycare mommas!

[doglover31]

I'm going to follow this! We have a friend watching DS now but he will be going to daycare eventually!

[jt2378]

@giamia923, I don't have any experience with daycare but just wanted to say good luck and hugs to you mama, I know it will be tough and worrisome at first but like you said she will be older so hopefully she can adjust quickly. It sounds like it will be a good decision for your family in the long run!

[vavavictoria]

So V started daycare at 15 weeks. I don't know if this is daycare or just getting older but I feel like she became much more able to roll with life after starting daycare. We were in a very strick sleep eat schedule before that bc she would just melt down all the time. In daycare they nap when they are tired.

She has a crib that is assigned to her and sleeps there. They used to feed on demand but have kind of put her on a schedule now of baby food after she is dropped off and then milk half an hour after, then lunch is solids followed by milk, snack is mid afternoon and then her last bottle whenever she wants it.

V loves daycare. Again I don't know if this is daycare's effect or just her personality but she is very social and loves to be out and about and the more people paying attention to her the better. I hated dropping her off at first but it's easy now bc i know she loves the staff and all the other babies to play with.

You don't need shoes. I used to send her in socks but they always just took them off bc she kept putting them in her mouth and soaking them with drool.

My husband takes her and I pick her up. Every once in a while I take her and am always late to work but I think it would be different if it were regular. I usually feed her when she wakes up right before I leave for the day and then put her in her crib to play while dh gets ready. Or we keep her in the bathroom with us while getting ready. I prep her bottles and cloth diapers the night before.

Hope this all helps

[spacedcadet]

Jul 8, 2015 17:10:01 GMT -5 @giamia923 said:

aaaand how is your morning routine? I'm worried that it will be stressful getting her all ready to go in the morning with everything! Also a stupid question- do they have to wear shoes? I'm going to ask my specific center Monday but she never wears shoes lol. Her feet are really like thick and regular size don't fit! I'd probably have to go up in size causing them not to fit length wise or get ones without straps if that makes sense. I really gotta stop stressing but can't right now

DS doesn't go to daycare, he stays with a babysitter, but I have a coworker that's LO is 3 months older than DS, and he is in a daycare.  As far as shoes, she told me that when they moved him out of the infant class when he turned 1, that he was required to wear shoes at all times from then on.  I don't know if this is a daycare policy, state policy or what, but it certainly would be a good question to ask.

As far as morning routine, most of the time, he is sleeping while I get ready, so that is easier.  I generally just wake him up, dress him and go.  When he wakes up earlier, it is a little more difficult.  Sometimes DH watches him (he leaves a little later than I do), and sometimes I just put him in the pack and play with my Ipad and the PBS kids app or some toys to keep him occupied.  He likes to feed himself his bottle lately, so that works too.  Frankly, it might take a bit to get into a routine, but it will get easier, it just might take a couple of weeks or so.

[judyblume14]

HAven't read other responses yet, so sorry if i'm repeating.

Night before- pack lunches, diaper bag, lay clothes out (hers and mine)

I wake up at 5:45. Shower, lotion, dry hair, get dressed except for shirt.
Pack bottles/food in cooler.
Now it's 6:15.
Hubs gets in shower while I nurse L, get her dressed.
One of makes breakfast (microwaves a pre-made hash, fries and egg - literally takes 1 minute) while other plays with LO.
We eat while she rolls around on the floor or jumps in her jumper.
Gather our shit, and out the door by 7.

[judyblume14]

As for shoes... we do in-home daycare, not a center. But I've never sent her in shoes.

Naps - I have no idea! (Am I a horrible parent?). At the beginning, she would send us a summary of when she ate / slept / peed and pooped. But not anymore.

Feeding - We send five 3-oz bottles, and two purees. I know you're worried she won't eat for a stranger, but two things 1) She won't starve. Really. 2) Eventually daycare people won't be a stranger to her. Plus, it's day care's JOB to feed babies, and play with them, and help them sleep. Your LO won't be the first to have an"adjustment period"!!!

[judyblume14]

Jul 9, 2015 13:29:03 GMT -5 @giamia923 said:

Jul 9, 2015 13:25:21 GMT -5 judyblume14 said:

HAven't read other responses yet, so sorry if i'm repeating.

Night before- pack lunches, diaper bag, lay clothes out (hers and mine)

I wake up at 5:45. Shower, lotion, dry hair, get dressed except for shirt.
Pack bottles/food in cooler.
Now it's 6:15.
Hubs gets in shower while I nurse L, get her dressed.
One of makes breakfast (microwaves a pre-made hash, fries and egg - literally takes 1 minute) while other plays with LO.
We eat while she rolls around on the floor or jumps in her jumper.
Gather our shit, and out the door by 7.

Thanks! That's what time I'll have to leave so thanks for the breakdown!

Somewhere between the two bolded statements... I usually put a shirt on...

[jt2378]

Jul 10, 2015 6:23:20 GMT -5 @giamia923 said:

UPDATE: So I was speaking to DH this AM and he said MIL is upset about putting LO in daycare and that she is still too young :shrugs: She wants to quit her job and watch LO during the day. DH and MIL talked about trying to make THAT work yet I'm concerned she won't be able to manage financially. Obviously we'd give her the money that we would be giving to daycare I'm just feeling guilty for some reason. I honestly don't know how she would be able to survive. We do have friends that have LO's that she could possibly watch as well and she's talking about selling her house. I'm grateful she's willing to do this for her granddaughter but I just don't see it working? I just think it's crazy for some reason?! Thoughts?

UGH that is a tough one, my in-laws would be the same way. Before my MIL got sick she was only watching DD 1 day a week which was working out ok but I'm not sure I would be happy with her having her 5 days a week! lol. Is there a way to put her in daycare like 2-3 days a week and have her watch her part of the week? I mean its very sweet of her and sounds awesome in theory but does she know how much work it is at this stage and how exhausting it is? How old is she? Is she in relatively good health? Only asking because it is alot of work and not that she never had kids and wouldnt know how to take care of her or anything just hope she is thinking of the big picture! Would you lose your daycare spot completely and be screwed if it doesnt work out? Sorry so many questions! LOL

[jt2378]

@giamia923, Well it sounds like your MIL doesnt drive you crazy so thats good! LOL It doesnt sound like she would be burdened from it and did offer! I guess my only concern would be her trying to raise my kid and do what she wants instead of what I want. Mine is a control freak and tends to take everything over which is super annoying. Or maybe this goes back to my UO from yesterday and how I need to do everything and everyone else is always in the way, ha ha!

[melw629]

Jul 10, 2015 6:51:35 GMT -5 @giamia923 said:

I think it's important to consider her finances when making the decision, especially if that has the potential to affect you as well. I stay at home with DS right now, but when we were discussing whether I would return to work, MIL offered to quit her job and watch DS for us. We said no for a lot of reasons (health/ability to care for DS being one of them), but her finances were a big part of it. Obviously we would have paid her, but not as much as she's making working right now. We know that when she can no longer work we will have to support her financially to some extent, so it made more sense for us to pay for daycare and have MIL keep working, being independent, and saving money. Has your MIL sat down and crunched the numbers herself? Does she know for sure that this is a good decision for her? If you do a trial run with her and it doesn't work out, will she be able to go back to her job? 

I don't want to impose all my MIL babysitting feels on you...just some things we thought about

edit: apparently I don't know how to quote. Or fix it. Oops.

[judyblume14]

@giamia923, your MIL sounds like mine. Sweet as can be; would do anything for LO; maybe a little old fashioned? My MIL was heartbroken when she found out we were doing day care ("It's such a shame that nowadays it's so hard to be a one income family,"etc).

In addition to the fact that what you'd pay her probably won't match her current salary... can you guys afford to cover her health insurance/benefits?

Now, if MIL is dead-set on it, that's awesome! I wonder if she's consider part-time? That way it's not as big of a financial hit? And LO would still be with other babies a few days a week?

[jt2378]

@giamia923, GL on Monday and your lucky, she sounds like a saint!!!

[vavavictoria]

My only input is that it's awesome that she cares so much about your kiddo and that y'all have such a good relationship but to also keep in mind that daycare isn't all that bad. The first couple of days were tough for me but baby girl loves going and reaches for her teachers when I take her. If she can swing it financially and you are happy that she can provide the environment that is best for baby go for it but daycare definitely isn't worth her struggling to make ends meet.