Any daycare or sitting ideas?

Question

My partner and I are planning on having a baby within the next year. We both work, and she has a son who is 7. I would love to get some ideas about someone to care for my baby after I go back to work after maternity leave. My family lives too far away to ask them to care for my baby, and I cannot ask her family to do it. We dont really have any friends who I would consider, and I am a little leary about putting the baby in a daycare setting. I cannot quit my job and carreer, nor can she, because we need both incomes. Im nervous about hiring someone to come in and nanny at our home while I am at work too. What have other people done in this situation in order to find trusted care for their new child?

Answer 1

in my area we have a helping hand with a organization call project child which helps out family's that need help paying babysitting fee,,,,,but that's not the only thing they do they register the day cares and babysitter and have a list, which you can call and they ask what time and all these other questions to help you find the right one for you. If you don't know what your in the area is called public aid department does this to and can help you find out what it is called in your area...leaving children with strangers is hard but with help like that it isn't to bad. At least your 7 yr old can talk and tell you want is going on while you are gone instead of leaving a new born that can't communicate yet. Good luck with your search and check out a few of them just don't take the first one. You might want to ask for references too.ask around town maybe . I love me babysitter I have had the same one for now 6 yrs, I like the fact that she has made a special addition on her house and have her daughter and mother helping out. well anyhow good luck to you and your partner....

Answer 2

If possible you could try working different shifts. Its not a good idea to put a newborn baby into daycare because of all the germs. Even as the child gets older putting them in daycare gives them a chronic cold. That's the only thing you can do besides daycare or a nanny if you don't have any friends that can help. You should really consider your partners family. That might just be the best thing for you both and the child. Most of the time grandparents love to watch their grand kids for free.

Answer 3

You are going to have to do alot of interviewing and trust your gut feeling. Ask your co-workers who they use. As an in -home daycare provider for 14 years, I understand your concerns, I took only babies and kept them untill pre-school or kindergarten ages.Some things to look for and ask. I personally dont think a center is a good thing for a baby,They need lots of nurturing and stimulation to develope their brain pathways. Find out what the childraising philosophy of the provider is and does it match yours. Look around ,are there play areas and are they large enough, Things should be colorful and clean, Check the nap time arrangements . Is there an open door policy. You should be able to drop in at any time, If your partner is nursing and is close to the daycare ask if she can nurse whenever she can get there, I provided a quiet area with music if wanted plus liquids for the nursing moms. If the answer to the drop in at any time is no, DONT USE THAT DAYCARE!! Most abuse in a daycare is done in special visiting times only daycares. Find out what the discpline philosophy is. It is against the law to hit or force a child to do something they dont want to do. I used graduated time outs appropriate to the age,Ask how you resolve problems. Is the provider willing to work with you? She will be a partner in raising your child, you will need to communicate, Be aware of your childs behavior and if it changes drastically try to find out why or move daycares.Yes there will be some crying at first but that should change,Also that crying stops about 2 seconds after you leave, This is long but it should at least get you started. Read some parenting books so you can ask informed questions

Answer 4

Get a list of child care providers in your area through your local Child Care Resource and Referral. They should be able to give you a few addresses of some and that way you can start now to go an observe them! Child Cares are supposed to have an "open door"policy for parents to go check them out! Check them out at different times of the day so you can get a real sense of how the days are ran. Child Care Centers usually have more to offer, but licensed child care homes are good for keeping the families together in the same setting. Go to naccrra.org to see if you can find a child care resource and referral link for your area. Good luck!

Answer 5

Day care is not as bad as it used to be. My son goes to day care from 7:30am to 5:30pm, Monday thru Friday. He loves it! He's been going since he was really little. It is hard to take your child to a day care, but there's a lot of benefits. For one, you are still working and providing for your family. Your child is in a fun environment and has the opportunity to learn new things. He/she gets to play with friends. Also, a lot of day cares now have webcams so you can view your child while they are there. Start looking for a day care. They will give you tours and provide you with whatever info you need. After you see all of the other kids at the day cares, you'll be more at ease about taking yours there.

Answer 6

Start politicking at work now for them to start a day care center of their own for the employees.

Ask nurses who work in maternity and pediatrics if they have a professional opinion on who or where to locate a suitable sitter.

Inquiries made of coworkers may yield some recommendations worth looking into right now.

Stop at a day care center near you and see if they know of anyone they would be willing to steer you towards.

Put an ad in the paper and begin interviewing now.

Check at your areas's technical school and see if they offer infant and child care classes. If they do, buy the instructor a cafe latte and pump them about promising prospects.

Now's the time to get to know your neighbors.

Consider changing careers to one that allows you to stay home. Ask at your place of business if they would consider allowing you to work from home.

Answer 7

If you can afford a nanny, you could afford for your partner to stay home. I have 2 kids, one is 7 in November and I just had another baby in June, I stay home and take care of our 2 kids, cook, clean, and wipe poopy butts!