Daycare for infants... ?

Question

Me and my fiance are expecting our first baby boy in May. I'll be off school till August, then I go back, and he'll be working. Has anyone had to put their infant in daycare so soon? How did it go?

Answer 1

We put two of our children in after 3 1/2 months. Both did very well, but we feel our daycare is exceptional.

How well they do depends on what level of care they are receiving. In most daycares, the ratios of teachers to infants is much lower than in classrooms for 3 year olds, for instance. This is because infants require more care.

Make sure that the school has a program and activities that they do for the kids on a daily basis. Even infants need stimulation and activities. There are key developmental phases as they get a little older like being able to hold their heads up or crawl or turn over. The schools should be helping the kids work towards these developmental goals.

Answer 2

I did about the same thing, except my son was born in April. I assume that you're a teacher? Here are a few tips that helped me. If you can find a daycare center close to school, then you might be able to go over during lunch to nurse or snuggle. That will help with the separation pangs! Also, I fell into the trap of dreading the day that I went back...it cast a pall over the last days in August, when I should have been enjoying summer. See if you can arrange some half-days of care shortly before you go back to school so that you can make sure everything is running smoothly. There's nothing worse than worrying through your first week of school...starting a new year is bad enough! If you can have your fiance or your mom help out at home by taking care of much of the other housework, then you can spend those first few evenings back home focused on the baby. Also, expect that your baby will need some more care in the night. I don't know how you are feeling about having the baby in your bedroom or even co-sleeping, but consider it as an option...your baby may want to make up the time lost with you during the day by interacting late at night. :) Try to enjoy those late-night smiles and gurgles instead of resenting them...I was able to sneak in a nap with baby after I got home from school around five, so I could be fresher for late night care.

If you have not yet found care, don't get too stressed. Daycare centers usually operate on a hellaciously long waiting list, while in-home care has a shorter lead time. Whichever you choose, be sure that you are happy with it. I have taken my son out of a daycare center on the fourth day of school because I just didn't feel it was the best place for him. I took a few personal days and managed to find an in-home situation the next week, and it's been great ever since. Trust your instincts and enjoy your baby!

Answer 3

It is not the quality of care that matters - it is about being apart from mother. In fact, the latest research examined kids at home with father and grandmother, as well as high quality university based care.

The results are the same. Why? Because the problem is the same - infants and toddlers need their mothers.

In addition, in the USA 90% of day care is considered NOT QUALITY.

Casandra may not be able to pay for you all to stay home with your kids - maybe she did what we did, lived small, ran up debt, didn't compete with our peers at all materially. In many European countries, the govt pays mothers to stay home, because it is clear that the cost to society of mothers not staying home is grave. In America, we have to make it work on our own.

In America, the more money a man makes, the more likely his wife is to work and put their child in daycare. It's not the money.

But, as they say, don't expect a man to believe something if his livlihood depends on him not believing it.

Also, it is just a lie that the babies don't cry at day care. A lie they tell you. There are some babies who stop crying - the ones who give up quickly.

Answer 4

I went back to work when my daughter was 4 months old. In Canada I could have been off for 12 months. But I had some serious post-partem depression and working helped me get out of myself...but I digress.
My daughter went to grandma's house while I worked part-time. I loved it! She was around the best care-giver I could find and grandma got her share of "Gaby time". Grandma also fed her what I wanted. Not all daycares are going to do that!
Nursing is hard when you're not around all the time. Not impossible, but not as easy as when you're on demand. Get yourself a good breast pump if you plan to breast feed. Medella is the best brand available. They are the most expensive, but they are really the best.
Kids in daycare are more susceptible to illness, as they are around it more...all the kids! Something else to take into consideration is daycare vs. dayhome. A dayhome is smaller. I don't know what kind of situation you have, but there are licensed dayhomes in Alberta, where the childcare provider has to accomplish a certain level of proficiency with children. (Obviously, grandma had learned by experience!)
Shop around, certainly, and make sure that you are absolutely in love with your child care provider!
If you are at all able to do school part-time for the first little while, (like you are a student and not a teacher?) you will find that you are much less stressed out and exhausted.
Best of luck!

Answer 5

I am a mother of four children and also an Infant-Toddler Teacher. I think that it is easier for young infants to transition to day care than older ones. Look at a few centers or home day cares and check them out. What vibes do you get from them? Parental instincts are usually right. Also check references from other parents. How long have their children been going there? What is the teacher turnover rate? How many babies are in the class? How many teachers? I know it will be so hard to leave her so young, but for many parents it works out well.

Answer 6

I truthfully have in no way heard of a daycare offering 2% extremely of finished milk. deliver it up with the daycare and ask them why they flow with 2% milk extremely than finished milk as cautioned via just about all pediatricians. in the event that they are on the 4c's software i'd verify with the community 4C's place of work and ask if it incredibly is their coverage...the 4c's in this section supplies the two finished and a pair of% milk to all it is contributors to fulfill the needs of the different youngster's age communities. in the event that they are following the regulations set upon them then i'd the two look into yet another daycare, or basically ask tat your son in trouble-free terms drink the milk which you deliver with him. interior the 2nd 3 hundred and sixty 5 days little ones incredibly need that greater fat that finished milk supplies. Edit: thank you for that link Dyot. I hadn't heard something approximately that, exciting. I basically had my son's 12 month properly verify and that they gave us the finished milk in trouble-free terms speech

Answer 7

Day care is not a bad thing and is often a necessity for many families however, high quality care is crucial. It is also VERY hard to come by. I have done some studies on child day care and the impact on children and studies prove that as long as the child care center is high quality, the child should adapt and develop normally and without emotional scarring. What qualifies high quality is KEY! Number one is infant to staff ratio and low turnover rate. This would mean your child will be getting the crucial one on one attention he needs at this time in his life. Look for a center that is staffed no more then 3 infants to 1 caretaker and if you can find 2 to 1 even better....as far as turnover rate, you do not want a center that is constantly hiring new employees. Your child will need to develop a bond with a care giver for attachment purposes. Best advice check the place out, drop in and ask many questions. Observe the kids currently in care...it will not be easy but start looking now just in case you need to be on a waiting list of some sort.

To add to this I stayed at home with my daughters and did my research in order to support the stay at home mom as the best choice. It was through research that I found the real problem is not who is caring for the child but rather the quality of that care. Less then 18% of Child care centers in the United States qualify as high quality and 34% qualify as very poor quality with the rest falling between these extremes. To support what another answer said....studies do show male babies recieve less attention in child care centers...just something to be aware of. I wish you the best of luck as you face the decision to use child care. It will not be easy but with the right amount of research I think you can find a center suitable for both you and your child! Best wishes and congratulations! :)

Answer 8

I never have, but I did babysit for a friend of mine who went back to work when her daughter was 3 months old. It went well as I had a son the same age and it was cute for them to "play" at that age. It saved her a lot of money and I got a little extra cash to help with the bills. I enjoyed having her here. Personally if you can find someone who you can trust and is willing to take care of your son for a reasonable pay, then go with that. But there's nothing wrong with child care at that age. Just make sure to check out your options.

Answer 9

I knew we could count on Cassandra to start her "horrible daycare" lecture. Good gosh, we've all heard it before. If you think daycare is so bad, come pay all our bills so we can stay home.

That said, I put my son in daycare when he was about 3-4 months old. They said that he didn't cry too much actually. It was harder on me, than it was on him. Do what you need to do. Just check out the daycare first. Or better yet, try to find an in-home daycare. I have had much better experiences with those types.

Answer 10

i run a daycare and i've had kids that young here in my care. i've never had any problems. they do require a lot of attention but if you get the balance right its no problem. you just need to find someone who is used to infants that knows how to get the balance right between your child and other children in care. good luck and ask lots of questions when looking for the perfect person.