What is the best age to send your baby to daycare?

Question

i'm a stay at home dad with joint custody - i watch my son during the days my ex works along with my days . My ex thinks we should put my son into a daycare at her work . My son is 15 months old. of course i feel its best that he stays with me untill he is a bit older , so i am looking for the age people think is good to start the little ones out?

Answer 1

I don't believe in day care. Mother's should stay home with their children until they reach school age. How can you be a parent when you allow some one else to do the parenting?

Answer 2

If he has somewhere to stay during the day with a parent, that is the best option, but parents do not give the social interaction children need.
If your ex wants your child to attend a daycare, it would be a good idea to take him for a couple hours a day or so. This will let him play with other children while you go run errands. He will be getting socialization skills, but will still be getting the one-on-one care from a loving parent. (the fact that he will be close to your ex is good because she will be close by in case there is a problem).
Many daycares that have a curriculum start at age 3 or so. They teach things such as Letters, numbers, Shapes, colors, cutting, pasting, Identifying their name, months, days of the week, seasons, etc. The children that enter daycares at this age should learn a curriculum as well as have a lot of play time to socialize with other children. By Kindergarten, children are expected to know these things or most of these things.
At his age, a wise decision would be to either take him for a few hours or maybe take him to play dates with other children. This will let him be with others. That is really all he will get from a child care facility right now. He would get interaction. You can give him most of the other things yourself.
Around age 3, you may consider taking him to a Daycare for the curriculum. In a Daycare they teach children skills that will be needed for Kindergarten.

Word of Advise, very important, if you decided to put him into a Daycare, now or later, go to the Daycare and check it out first. Observe. Maybe the first time you take him for a few hours you could stay there with him to watch how things are ran.
Daycares have an open door policy that lets parents come visit whenever, or most do. It is important to know how the place your child attends is ran and for you to talk to the care givers.
Ask questions.
Especially when he is older. At his age it is important for the facility to be safe and clean. Later, it will be important for it to be safe, clean, and have a curriculum such as the one above.
Ask the director for a schedule that the facility follows. Ask the teacher for a schedule that his/her classroom follows. There should be plenty of playtime. Look around and make sure there are toys that stimulate his brain. They should be colorful and interactive at this age. The important thing is to make sure he will be in a clean, safe, caring environment. As long as that is so, he will be fine.
It sounds like he has 2 caring parents.
I wish you all the luck in reaching your decision. I hope I was of help.
-Miranda

Answer 3

I think you are absolutely correct, the longer he can stay at home with you the better. I am an in-home daycare provider and former licensed daycare teacher, and let me tell you...there are a lot of things that go on behind closed doors. For that reason I decided to stay home with my own two children and open my own in-home daycare where I can ensure my kids are well taken care of. Not that there aren't wonderful daycares out there, but you can have a great teacher in one room and a neglectful one just two doors down, you just never know. Kudos to you for making sure your son has the very best possible.

Answer 4

He's pretty ready.. mine went when he was 6 mts.. and let me tell you it was like watering a plant!! The first wk. was hard and tearful for everyone.. and it seemed like that 1st yr. he caught every possible illness known. BUT he is sooooooo smart and very bright.. due to all the exposure to others, a schedule and just a teacher. I recommend a daycare center with classrooms, programs and lesson plans! Good luck.
well wait.. you said you were a stay home dad? then no daycare required.. just look for a play group in your area.. and start a preschool at age 3-4, they run about 80-100.00 dollars wkly. and are about 3-4 days a wk. While child there you can catch up on house stuff, and he grows socially! Good luck

Answer 5

I think that depends on the parent really. You will get a wide range of answers here. I personally think that 15 months is a great age to introduce day care, even if its only for two days a week or whatever. Its good for him to interact with other children and have another superior in there lives other than his parents. I have a 2 month old and I'm already looking for daycare. We both work and its getting hard to support the family otherwise. Try it, I'm sure your son will love it and it will give you a few days to do things alone! Good luck!

Answer 6

I went back to school when my daughter was about 15 months, and she really loved it. She's very social, however, and that might make a difference. Since then, I've seen children at that age respond kind of negatively to being dropped off at the daycare (when they've been at home with Mom or Dad before that). I think it depends on the child. Also, I hesitate to say that children need to attend daycare at all... My little girl is learning manners and sharing, which she might not learn staying home with me, but I miss her, too.

If you do put him in daycare, make sure that they have creative activities planned and it's really more of a pre-school. If not, he'd probably be better off home with you (assuming that you spend "educational" time with him).

Answer 7

As a daycare provider I say that earlier is easier because the child is used to being left at another place. I also recommend finding a home daycare instead of a center because there is more one on one care. If you need help finding a home daycare call your local town office and ask for the list of providers. Just beware that if you chose to leave your child at a daycare (home or center) s/he will most likely throw a temper tantrum and make you feel bad for leaving him/her. Good Luck in your quest for child care.

Answer 8

Hello, daycare takes babys as young as 6 wks old. It is fine to put your son in daycare. It is better because they learn social skills and they also learn to fight colds at a early age. Daycares reinforce the skills that you teach them at home. I went around to different daycares to see which one was best suited for me. The daycare I chose was one close to home and did not mind me doing pop up visits. They also kept doors locked so they can screen outsiders. I suggest that you do 2 or 3 visits of this daycare that your ex is suggesting so that both of you can feel comfortable for your sons sake. Just because it is at her work place does not mean it is the best environment. I suggest a daycare closer to your house or in a neutral zone so it is convient for the both of you to pick him up or the daycare can provide transportation as well.

Answer 9

Your son is at a good age now for Daycare. If that is the right decision for the both of you. One good thing is that he will be at the same place as his mother. Any problems she's close by.

Answer 10

The best age would be when they can talk to tell you if somthing happens. Most daycares just leave the kids with the same diaper on for hours..So probably when they get old enough to know whats going on!

Answer 11

if you stay at home then why? put him in day care? it is at any age you want but at that age you will miss alot of new things that he has learned. so it it totally up to the parent and what there work schedual allows them to do if i was you i would wait at least until 2 but if you can not wait that long and you have to put him in then do it now. IF you can hold off until he is a bit older i would do so just so you do not miss him growing up bc they grow up so fast. I say 2 years old bc that is when the social things come in to play they need to learn how to share and be around others more and day care would help them more at that age then now.