spinoff to working moms... chilcare

For those of you that work, who will take care of your LO when you go back? Daycare? Family?

Re: spinoff to working moms... chilcare

I just got a brand new job in September that I will most likely have to quit or decrease my hours after arrives. I don't have a mom, and my MIL still works and has no desire to retire anytime soon. I'd rather use daycare as a last resort.

My aunt offered to watch and my DH can rearrange his schedule to work evenings so I can work, but we are both discussing that it should be best if I cut back to part time if I can. My commutte is long and it kills me to be away so many hrs!

Re: spinoff to working moms... chilcare

I'm lucky enough to have a daycare in the building I work in. DH and I are going to check it out this week with an official tour but I'm 99% sure that our LO will be staying there while I'm working.

Re: spinoff to working moms... chilcare

This may change when you get there.

I thought I was going to use daycare. I found a nice one & was about to put a deposit down (but they had plenty of space).

I ended up using family (and will with #2). My parents made the sacrifice... my ILs who were supposed to help out backed out LAST minute.

Re: spinoff to working moms... chilcare

My kids have all been in daycare since 4-5 mos old. This last one will have the benefit of me working part-time and having our moms help out as well. So, he/she will be in daycare only 2 days a week.

The other two were in full time.

Like you, I am not into family watching full time (our moms alternate Tuesdays, so we're talking 2 days a month each).

Re: spinoff to working moms... chilcare

Daycare!

Re: spinoff to working moms... chilcare

My mom is a nanny and we've hired her away from the family she worked for to care for our LO.

We will have her stay with us twice a week (we've set up bedroom for her which doubles as a den on weekends) to allow us to sleep in a bit in the mornings, twice a week we will drive to her home in Astoria (on our way to work) to drop off our little guy.

I plan to enroll grandma and baby in Mommy and Me nearby our home for socializing once he's 4 months. We also have a Gymboree walking distance from our home...should all work out well.

If I didn't have the option of family, I would choose a daycare over a nanny....just not comfortable with a stranger in my home all day with my child.

Re: spinoff to working moms... chilcare

We're very lucky - dh & I both have jobs with very flexible hours (that are close to home) so we're able to cover 2 days a week ourselves by each working short days...One of us works the morning shift & the other works the evening shift. My parents are both retired & watch ds the other 3 days a week for us. We both work long hours those 3 days, but dh goes in before I do so I drop the kiddo off at their house in the am and then he goes & gets him when he gets out so that they're not working long hours as well.

When dc #2 arrives in April we're going to continue this, but alter it a bit. DH & I are going to split 3 days & then work 2 even longer days. My parents will only have them for those 2 days & our older ds will be in Pre-K for part of the day come Sept. If it looks to be too much on my parents we'll have to consider full-time daycare for my son those 2 days, but as of right now they are adamant that we don't do that & I'm just fine with that. DS is pretty easy & they love having him around - my dad told me that he's already upset that we're cutting down to 2 days in the spring. He & ds are 2 peas in a pod

Message edited 11/29/2011 8:18:06 AM.

Re: spinoff to working moms... chilcare

I have gotten a lot of offers from family and one friend. But, I have to wait and see. I'm not going to leave my child anyplace where I would worry about him while at work.

While I trust some people, I don't trust people who might visit, or children they are already watching, or the condition of their homes. One aunt (in-law) has 3 huge cats that roam as they please and she is not a clean person

ETA: I might wind up putting him in Day Care because it would be a more reliable place.

Message edited 11/29/2011 8:46:26 AM.

Re: spinoff to working moms... chilcare

DS currently goes to daycare PT and is home with DH the other days. We found a flexible daycare thankfully and DC #2 will be going there as well.

I wasn't sure about daycare going into it but, DS loves it and I can't imagine him not going.

Re: spinoff to working moms... chilcare

MY DD is 12 days old and I will be home with her until she is about 7-8 weeks old. Then DH is taking off 2 weeks to stay home with her. After that, my mother will watch her on Mondays, daycare Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and my FIL will watch her on Fridays. Hopefully, she will be very adaptable!

Re: spinoff to working moms... chilcare

We'll probably do daycare. I am not willing to give up my job at this point and both sets of parents still work full-time.

Re: spinoff to working moms... chilcare

Re: spinoff to working moms... chilcare

I'm lucky I have a flexible job and will be able to wrok from home 2 days week. DH is off on Mondays, and my Dad is planning on retiring right after the baby is born so he will be watching our baby the other 2 days. He's VERY excitied to be doing this.

Re: spinoff to working moms... chilcare

I'm very fortunate in that the school where I work has a phenomenal daycare. My son has been in it since 3 months old, and this baby will be starting at that age too!

Re: spinoff to working moms... chilcare

With DS we only need someone to watch him for 3 days. Part time daycare for infants costs pretty much the same as full time for infants because they have to hold a spot for them (cribs can't be shared at that age), so we really didn't want to put him in daycare part time, but pay full time rates.

Thankfully my MIL watches him 3x week. We pay her, but it's less than daycare would charge us, so that's a help.

I'm with DS on weekends (my days off).
DH is with DS on his two days off (during the week).
MIL watches DS the other 3 weekdays.

We will likely have the same setup when baby #2 comes. We will pay MIL more obviously.

Re: spinoff to working moms... chilcare

Right now my MIL watches DD. We haven't decided what we will do when #2 comes. Even though my MIL has already offered to watch them both, I think it is just too much to ask of her. The good thing is I am planning to stay home for a little while so we will have some time to figure it out.

Re: spinoff to working moms... chilcare

My MIL will watch both kids.

Re: spinoff to working moms... chilcare

DD is with a nanny Mon-Wed; DH works from home with her on Thursdays; and I am off on Fridays. I *think* we'll keep this arrangement after this baby too, but since I have 6 months maternity leave I'm not sure where things will end up.

Re: spinoff to working moms... chilcare

I'm OOS. My Mom will stay with me for a few months. Once LO is 5-6 mo, they will be in daycare in my home. I'll be looking for someone soon. Once LO starts walking I will put them in a daycare facility.

Re: spinoff to working moms... chilcare

We are very very lucky that my sister takes care of DD and plans to take care of our new little one.

I thank god every day for her.

We pay her a fair salary and have set hours. I have DD enrolled in a 2's class twice a week for two hours and a music class once a week for an hour.

When is born I am going to try to enroll DD in a longer class 3-5 days a week so that my sister can focus on the baby. I also work from home Fridays and try to help out as much as I can between calls and emails.

Re: spinoff to working moms... chilcare

This isn't something we've really discussed yet, since it's all so new to us, but I'm very lucky to have a super flexible job that might allow me to work from home one day a week. In addition to that, my MIL doesn't work and I'm sure she'd have no problem babysitting her first grandchild, and my mother (who currently works, but is looking to cut back) lives downstairs from me.