Can you share your experience with me, please?What is the best for the baby - day care or babysitting?

Question

My baby is almost 1 year. I think of a day care for her. But...I do not know what is best. Do they really take good care of babies or I should go with a babysitting, which I am not sure about neither - i've recently seen on TV a couple of home videos of a really bad treatment of babysitters. So, can you share your experience with me please.Thank you.

Answer 1

I think that day care is a much better alternative when it comes to your child learning. With a babysitter you really don't know if they are taking good care of your child, cause they're at a house with no supervision. I always had my daughter in a daycare cause they interact with other children. Also they wont be so afraid when its time to go to school.

Answer 2

Oh wow. The person I read last said to stay at home. I know that is not always a possibilty. However... I have been a nanny and I currently work at a daycare and I have a friend who had an in home daycare.
Hiring a nanny has its positives an its negatives
Positives:
The nanny is only caring for your children.
You can set up a nanny cam to watch what the nanny does.
Go for someones friend or relative so you can really check them out.
Require background checks and references.

Negatives:
You arent there and your child is too young to tell you what is going on.
What happens when the nanny is sick or goes on vacation?
What if the nanny up and quits?

Daycare:
There are positives and negatives to daycare. I personally will never put my children in daycare because of what I have seen.
Positives:
socialization
under supervision most of the time
open more hours

Negatives:
For babies the state regulation is 4 babies to 1 adult. When you read that you think oh that isnt bad. Well at the daycare I work at the full time nursery person is a mother of 2 boys so she does have experience plus she has worked at lifesteps. She cares for (on a daily basis) a 9 week old baby, a 6 month old (very fussy) baby, a 9 month old baby, and an 11 month old baby. It is very difficult. The babies get very little one on one time because she just doesnt have the time.

Another negative about daycare is the whole infection rate thing. We had a child come in with pink eye last Tuesday (the parents claimed they didnt know) and now we have 11 kids with pink eye. The way it goes around the daycare is horrible. And it is also a state law that if your child has a temp of 101 or above they have to be out of the daycare for 24 hours. Also if they have any sickness they have to have a doctors note before they can return to daycare.

Another negative is that when they serve the meals how do you know that the dishes are being washed and sanitized properly? Now I am not personally in charge of washing dishes. But I have watched it take place. Sippy cups are rinsed once then they are done. They dont even wipe the lids. Dirty silverware is wiped off with paper towels. Dirty dishes are rinsed once then set out to dry. Is this sanitary? I think not!

Potty training. Oh my goodness. We have a little boy that has been trying to be potty trained for at least 6 months now. he does perfectly fine at home then at daycare he wets his pants. Why you may ask? They dont take them to the bathroom unless they ask. When a child is first potty training they should be going to the bathroom to at least try once an hour. We have many children that at home they use the potty but at the daycare they are still in diapers.

In home Daycares-
I believe this is the best option because then there arent too many kids and if you speak to the other parents that have their kids there you can know their thoughts.

Answer 3

Our daughter went to an "in-home" daycare with 3 other children until she was almost 2. Her first 6 months were actually alone, as our sitter was just starting her daycare business. That made our child the favorite. I liked the private sitter for the early time. HOWEVER, at 23 months, our sitter decided to quit and go back to working outside the home, so we had to find an alternative. We looked at many options and then put her in a good daycare facility for the following reasons:

1. The daycare is always open. It doesn't close when the sitter is sick, or when they go on vacation. There is someone to cover it so it's more reliable.
2. We wouldn't have to worry about a private sitter quitting or moving and then have to do the adjustment again after our daughter was attached.
3. More stimulation and early learning programs. My daughter was getting bored at the private sitter.
4. No reliance on TV. A private sitter may rely on the TV a little too much. At daycare, they don't watch TV, which means if you let them watch at home, you feel less guilty about it.
5. Socialization. At about age 2, it's important for your child to start learning to interact with other kids.
6. The state mandates how many kids/caregivers there have to be and the daycare is subject to regulations.
7. Christian values. We chose a christian daycare facility which celebrates the Christian holidays and teaches them about Jesus.

We put our daughter in daycare and she immediately started talking better, and after the adjustment period, she loved going there to play. She's been there just over a year, and she has friends, she learns new stuff all the time. She knows her ABCs and can count to twenty (skipping 15 for some reason), can recite the pledge of allegiance, and has learned lots of songs and how to play with others. And they potty trained her! Nothing like peer pressure to accomplish that. We're very happy with our decision.

Now, here's the honest bit, it wasn't all roses. Here are a few down sides.

1. You child may get attached to a specific teacher who then may leave, or your child may get moved to the next class.
2. There are more children, so the supervision is more difficult.
3. Be warned, at 2, the kids like to hit, bite and push each other. The more kids there are, the more bumps and bruises there will be. Of course, our daughter had been a little too docile and learned to stand up for herself.
4. You don't have as much control over how your child is disciplined or taught. These are usually done by the daycare policy. You have to make sure you choose a daycare that is right for you.
5. Daycare is more expensive, but they'll give you the tax documents at the end of the year.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

I think it really depends on the child and what you are looking for in your child's care. Some children need more one on one time and might do better with a sitter. A sitter is in your house adapts to your style of parenting. You are the boss, so if you like to have control then a sitter may be a better match.
Day cares on the other hand are more reliable, so if you have a job in which you missing a day here and there is going to result in getting fired then a day care may be better. There are sitters that are very reliable, and there are sitters that are not. Its hit or miss.
Day cares tend to be breeding grounds for illnesses, but children that are in day cares are less prone to getting sick when they start preschool and kindergarten, because they have already built up some immunity. It also depends on the day care. Some have high turn over rate which is a good sign that there is something not right. Others have consistent teachers. When it comes to abuse and neglect, there really is no difference between day cares and sitters. Abuse happens in homes and at day cares and it is something that you have to watch for no matter what decision you go with.
I'm going to start an in home child care which is another option. Your baby is exposed to other children but not the amount that would be at a day care plus there are other parents involved so there is lesss risk of something going on without you knowing about it. They usually cost less then day cares. So you really have three options. From my experience, most families that are happy with thier day care provider are truly happy with the teacher. That is something to consider. Babies and toddlers change classrooms more then once a year, so make sure you like all of the teachers. Also make sure the day care is liscensed and state certified, which means the facility passes inspections. Stay away from centers that are continuosly losing staff. Find out about what the max ratios are and how many children they are going to add. Also be sure to meet all the staff, including after hours and before hours staff. Some of the after hours, like 3-6, are kids, so make sure you are comfortable with that.
Babysitters tend to be less academic and less structured. Some parents like the idea of thier child doing group activites, songs and arts and crafts. Centers also have more schedules and encourage more independence. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. good luck.

Answer 5

My son went to a home day care provider. It wasn't as big as a day care. It was one woman who kept about 6 or 7 kids in her home. She was licensed. He started going to her when he was 3. Before that he went to a private babysitter. She was a friend of my sisters so I was comfortable with her. She just had my son (from 16 months until he was 3, I didn't go back to work until he was 16 months old) and her daughter who was about 8 months younger than my son. He also went to a preschool at our church 2 mornings a week.

The best thing to do is really check them out. There are lots of wonderful babysitters but also some bad ones. There are also good day care centers, but when you have so many kids and not a lot of adults then you have to be sure the kids are being properly supervised. I think day care is ok for older kids who will want to play with kids their age and who can tell you if something isn't right. Either way, check them out before. Stop by unexpectedly and see how things are going. And always follow your gut feeling. If you thinks somethings not right, then it is always better to be safe than sorry.

Answer 6

Ok, that was somewhat my problem before too. But the best thing to do is to check out several different daycares and "interview" them. Call the daycare and conduct a phone interview, ask about certifications/licenses, ask what is the teacher/student ratio. Ask if parents are welcome to just drop by. Then don't plan a trip there, just walk in..before or after naptime so you can observe the children... take a look at the building, is it clean...and different things such as that. Daycares in a way are better, that way your child can develop by being with other children, however you have got to find a good one..talk to other parents you see with small children. At least with daycares there is more than one person watching children, with babysitters...they are in your home and there is no clue what is going on...however..you won't worry about your child getting sick because he/she won't be sharing toys with any other child. But also I have seen the home videos of babysitters..but this happens in daycares as well..a woman in georgia..broke the arms of several different children in a daycare. This is really a hard decision I know. But go with your gut instinct...it will never lead you wrong

Answer 7

Mom is best, grandma 2nd best then other relatives.

I always thought daycare would be best until I talked to a friend who worked in one for 2 years. She caught on of the women in the baby room pulling a 6 month old babys hair until it screamed in pain. This is a well known and well attended daycare. She has several other horror stories too that involve shaking and whatnot.

My nephew died 5 years ago from being shaken. He has only 2 yo for 14 days.

Now about babysitters. I was one. I loved it but to me they are just unsupervised daycare situations. If the woman in my friends daycare who pulled the babys hair had been working in her own home she wouldn't have been caught and fired.

SO my opinion... stay home yourself. People will slam me for this and say that you HAVE to work, that you have a right to work and that its your decision. All probably true but is that going to help you feel good about this? Is that going to keep your baby safe? If you have to work for financial reasons can't you babysit a couple kids to make ends meet? Then if you REALLY REALLY need to get out of the house at least wait until your child can talk and tell you if somethings going on.

I don't even take my baby's into the nursery at church. Maybe I'm a fanatic. Don't care - just can't do it.

Answer 8

Do you have friends with babies in a daycare center, licensed for babies? Ask around. Remember, no one wants to cop to sending their child to a particular daycare JUST because it is the cheapest one. I worry about babysitters more, because they are NOT licensed at all, and have the run of your home. I don't trust sitters. I trust proven, licensed day cares that I know that other people I know send their children to.................make sure the daycare does not have more babies than the law in your state allows. Most do! Check the license on the wall..............see if ONLY babies are cared for in the center. Remember, a daycare license, and a daycare Center are different, with more education and more strict laws are in the Center. Make sure the baby daycare has more than 1 person in it at ALL times. You can go to a babydaycare and check it out, without making an appt..........you want to see what it REALLY is like. Be careful.

Answer 9

I would say day care centers are better. I worked in one, and all my life my mother had a home day care. My son currently goes to a large home-day care preschool which is great. I would say centers because there is always more than one teacher there, they are structured, children learn more there, and don't sit in front of the TV all day. At home day cares you need to be careful. If there is only one teacher you need to check her references real well, investigate the house (Is there a TV, is it large enough, lots of toys, a fenced in yard, lots of books and learning toys, does she have a schedule that the children follow, what foods does she give if any). At centers there is the problem of staff turnover. Sometimes teachers burn out and it is not good for children to have different teachers all the time. Ask about the rate of turnover, go see the classroom, do the children seem crazy, how does the teacher deal with them, is the schedule relaxed enough to provide for the individual needs of the children? You need to decide what you want for your baby. Do you want structure and education....if so a center would be best. Do you want a loving home atmosphere with a lot of individualized attention...then a home day care would be best. What ever you choose investigate it real good, go visit and get a feel for the center, and ask a lot of questions like the ones that I mentioned. Choose what is best for you. If you choose a home day care make sure that it is licensed by your state.

Answer 10

I have a sitter now and I love her. You must research who you bring in to your home or who watches your child.
I think there are advantages and disadvantages to both. I think babies receive better socialization skills through daycares. They learn to share and communicate better and earlier.
My son is at home with a sitter and he is six months old. I am cosidering daycare just for developmental advancement. Unless your sitter has a childhood education background or has worked in daycares, I think they are unsure how to enhance your baby's development. Not that they cannot, but I think people who do it everyday and the other children stimulation cannot be provided by a private sitter.