I'm not sure if this is the right section for posting this, but I have a 2 year old boy and I have been thinking of putting him in chilcare once a week as he is really clingy and I feel that he could really benefit from mixing with others children his age.
I have never looked into childcare before and I really don't know where to start, does anyone send there child just once a week and can you just do a half day? If anyone has any tips on what I should be looking for, I would be really greatful as I am a little scared about leaving him anywhere LOL its just so hard to let go. I live in Gosnells, Perth, so if anyone has any recommendations, and/or could advise what sort of fees are involved (as I have no idea) that would be great too smile
Thanks xoxo

I've heard of parents doing this to "cure" a clingy child many times. Seriously, it makes absolutely no sense to me at all. They are wanting to be with you but instead they are forced away, possibly making them more fearful of being left alone?
Perhaps joining a playgroup where he can interact with other kids his age and hopefully gain some confidence while keeping his mum close by would be a better solution? You can search for playgroups in your local area playgroup wa
Best of luck, hope you find a solution that suits you both <span class="emoticon smile">smile</span>

I'm not sure if this is the right section for posting this, but I have a 2 year old boy and I have been thinking of putting him in chilcare once a week as he is really clingy and I feel that he could really benefit from mixing with others children his age.
I have never looked into childcare before and I really don't know where to start, does anyone send there child just once a week and can you just do a half day? If anyone has any tips on what I should be looking for, I would be really greatful as I am a little scared about leaving him anywhere LOL its just so hard to let go. I live in Gosnells, Perth, so if anyone has any recommendations, and/or could advise what sort of fees are involved (as I have no idea) that would be great too smile
Thanks xoxo

I also found it hard to let go, but it was the best thing I did for my son when he was younger. They learn so many social skills that we as parents can't teach like confidence in being away from mum, sharing, you will notice language skills improve. (They also learn some things you don't really like:)

I was told to put my child in 2 days as 1 day they don't settle aswell into the routine of the centre and there is such a long gap before they return and forget they actually liked being there.. I'm not totally convinced about this, I started 1 day and my son adjusted fine he then progessed to 2 and 3 days as he got older and loved every minute. I didn't hesitate with my daughter. She is such a social being and thrives on the interaction.

Daycares usually operate from 6ish am - 6ish pm and you can put them in as long or few hours as you like between those times but there is no discounts for half days.. As for the fees I am in brisbane and centres average from $68-$75 per day but then you are entitled to rebates from centrelink depending on your financial situation, The daycare centre can help with this..

When choosing a centre, go and have a look at a few, stay for a while with your child and take in the surrounds watch the interactions of the carers with the children, check they have a nice outdoor play area with stimulting acivities. see if the other children are content.. Check cleanliness etc.. Also worth a mention that some daycare centres provide food and nappies and some don't.. Some parents like to provide their own food and our center used cheap nappies which gave my daughter a rash so I ended up bringing in my own huggies anyway..
I hope this was helpful
Goodluck with it..
Anita

My DD goes once a week. We sent her purely for social interaction and she's thriving.
I know that at the daycare she goes to you nominate what hours you want them there for, so there's no set time limit.
We went there a few times before she started so she could get used to the place. Had a morning tea and a lunch there, play times, etc. Got to know the carers and their qualifications.
They were good too, you can pop in whenever you want until the child is settled, call as often as you want. They are very understanding.
We're in Brisbane but I'd assume there are daycare centres that are just as good where you are.
Basically visit as many as you want, take the tours, ask lots of questions, see if you can visit during lunchtimes to see how they handle lots of kids, have a playtime and then make your decision.

Thanks ladies, your advice had been really helpful, I think I will ring around and see if I can do tours etc. Its nice to know that you can actually stay there til they are settled etc.
I do actually have hime in a playgroup, but he prefers to play by himself or with me, so I was thinking the extra interaction at a childacre centre might benefit him in some way. I am also thinking toward getting a part time job at some stage in which case I might have to put him in childcare, depending on hours and things.
Thanks again smile

Hi, I just came across this thread so I don't know if I'm too late or not.

My DD just turned 2 and she is a VERY clingy child, and has been since 8 months old. At the start of Feb we put her in child care for one day a week for a few reasons, mainly to give my mum & mum-in-law a bit more freedom (I work part-time and they take turns looking after her when I'm at work) but also to get DD used to being looked after by other people, and access to different games/activities/stimulation etc, and also so she could interact with other children. I've taken her to playgroup and kindergym, both are good but it's still different cos I'm always there.

DD loves daycare now, and 1 day a week works perfectly for us. It's a long day for her too (7am-5.30pm) so she's pretty knackered and hungry at the end but we are definitely glad we've done it. We can already see she is starting to gain a bit more confidence and her speech, although coming along fine, is improving even more as they use different words with her so she's learning more than if she was just with us.

I would definitely pick a few centres in your area and check each one out personally - make an appointment to tour the centre and chat to the staff, then when you've picked one you'll probably have a trial run for an hour or two. I put DD in a fantastic one for a few odd days last year (I'm in SA) then I was going to put her in permanently at another one where her cousin goes. We did two trial sessions at the second centre and I totally wasn't happy so I called the one that she had gone to last year and they had a vacancy for her.

Just give it a go, if it doesn't work you can always take them out again. I reckon though you and your little one will both benefit.
Good luck!! xx