How Much Day Care

Iam trying to find out how many Days Mothers put their children into daycare due to work or other factors. if I continue to work my 2 yr old son would have to go 5 full days ie 8.30am-4.30pm I think this is to much for him whats other opinions?.

Hey Myrtle

My little girl is 14 months and does not go to day care.

I personaly belive i didn't have children for a stranger to raise them thats why she does not go.

Don't get me wrong we are not "well off" but i will start putting her in day care for a couple of 1/2 days when she is older for the social side. But i think it is all a matter of personal choice!

Good luck in whatever you decide to do. I'm sure it will be for the best.

Kel

Hi Kelly, I'm with you on this one. So many of my friends had children and then went straight back to work. I dont beleive this is the right thing to do. One of my friends couldnt wait to get back to work and actually went back earlier then she needed to. I dont know why she had children, she never spends time with them, even when they take holidays from work she will still put them in day care. I will eventually go back to work at some stage but it will need to be right for myself and my child and even then it would probably only be part time. Many people say that they have to go back to work because they need the money but people get used to having a certain amount of money, if some drops off due to having a child they think they cant manage, but they just need to re-do their family budget and make it work. Its surprising what you can actually do without when you need to.

Hi,
My bub is 23 months and when she was 6 months old I went back to work as a nurse 1 day a week and my hubby dropped a day a week. This makes us better of tax wise for some strange reason and it meant for a full day a week she was daddys girl. It not opnly helped them bond closely but also gave him a better idea of her routine and what I do all day smile He absolutley loves it and we have made it a permanent arrangement till the kids are at school (number2 is due in a few weeks). When she was a little over one I increased my days to two days a week and my mum had her one day a week which they both love. For the last six months mum has been doing one day a fortnight and she has been going to daycare one day evry 2 to 3 weeks. Now one day a month as I am on maternity leave. We have her in occaisional daycare and she LOVES it. Its so social for her, the toys are different they cater to her needs, its great. As far as I am concerned we have the best of both worlds. Dad's involved, she gets one on one time with nanna and she gets the social interaction evry now and then of childcare, we get a little extra income and I get to maintain my skills and have some adult time. It works for us and I dont feel like other people are raising my child. She gets so excited when we tell her shes going and yells play with kids over and over again.
Bec

Hi,

My boys have both been in creche for 2 days since they were 3 months old. I returned to work 3 days a week, but luckily my mum comes for a 'sleep-over' and watches them one day.

My eldest is nearly 2 and absolutely loves going to 'school'. He has even cried his eyes out a couple of days that we're home because he want to 'go now?!". My bubs is just on 7 months and i've never had a problem dropping ihm off or leaving him. The girls are fantastic, and i know they care for both my boys a great deal. I've stressed that if there are any problems i want to know immediately, and the few times there have been i've had a call within 10 minutes.

I don't think i'd put them in for more than 2 days, but that's just me, and luckily i don't need to. I'm a teacher and job-share a class, but on the odd occassion i neec to work more my husband, a police officer, arrangews his shifts to suit.

Don't let others tell you what to do, it is definately a personal choice and one that only you can make for your family. Although i'm happy with my choice now, i did wake in cold sweats for about a week before i took my eldest for the first time! I had nightmares about what would happen, and cried myself to sleep with worry. After 2 weeks i was fine, and as bec said, get the adult conversation i NEED to keep me a well-rounded person who wont go nuts on her boys!

Hi,

my 7 month old daughter will be going into day care for 2-3 days a week.i wish i could stay at home with her but i cant. My husband left us before she was born and i cannot keep relying on my family to support me. Hopefully if i work i can save somemoney and move out so i can be more dependant.

I wish i could be a stay at homemum, but until things change i dont believe that that could happen for me.

This was NOT a easy decision for me to do and i hate how people that i meet and talk to judge me and put me down telling me i shouldnt deserve to even have a child. I thought i would be the stay at hoe wife and mother but things changed. I dont neccesarily like women that have babies and go to work ASAP after the birth. But everyone is different and people have their own opinons on things.

Aimee

Aimee,
good luck with finding the care that suits you and your little girl. I dont like people that judge me either. You are doing the best you can for you and your little girl and she will know that and love you for it. Like I said in my post my toddler loves going and the people who look after her there are fantastic!
Hope all goes well for boith of you.
Bec

Hi Bec,

im going tomorrow to have a look at the child care. i dont see any wrong in putting a child in child care for 3 days a week as it gives them a chance to interact with others and teaches them to go with other people. The one that i may put her in allows you to leave her there, but come in during the day and stay with her and play with her etc. so that sounds good. amira will be 8 months when i put her in.

how old was your daughter when you put her in child care? and how many days did you put her there for? sorry for all the questions but mum had a nanny for me till i went to pre school as i had a bad car accident.

aimee

She was about 18 months. it would have been sooner except that my child care place is through my work. Its for the nurses and drs with the health service I work for and is only a short walk away - its great because if I get called for an emergency they are open for 630am till 11 pm and cater to your routine they will feed and wash bub in the evening dress them and give them breaking in the mornings. they also have a chef on site just for them and cater to any special diets, they also have an onsite nurse. Literally the only thing she has to take is a change of clothes and a hat. they provide everything including ckean linen every day. Its great and cheaper than other places but has a hideous waiting list. I Pu charlottes name down when I was three months preg and didnt get the spot till she was 18 months smile
We can also visit there as much as you like - they encourage strongly you spending some time there with your child (at no cost) before they start care, which we did and it made me feel better. They also encourage people okayed by you, like grandparents, to go and visit them there if you wish for some play or a story. I am the mum of one of those kids that when I turn up and say lets go home she pouts and says play with kids!!!! and doesnt want to leave smile they have so much fun.
She went only one day a fortnight as I had occasional care meaning I just use it when I need to as often as needed. Its less now I am on maternity leave, but I havent regretted it and so far have had no dramas with her not wanting to stay there.
Sorry bout the long response hope I answered everything - if not just ask smile
Bec

My daughter has been going to daycare three days a week since she was 9 months old. She totally loves it and gets all excited that she can play with the kids on daycare day.
Its one of those things where your damned if you do and damned if you dont. The only way you can win this arguement is if you do what is right for your child and your family.

Hi,

My son goes to daycare 5 days a week since he was 11 months old (he is now 18 months). He is booked in from 8 am to 5 pm, although 3 days a week I pick him up at about 3:30 (I too am a school teacher). He absolutely loves going to daycare, has made heaps of friends, and sometimes doesn't want to leave when I go and pick him up. I was one of those people that wanted to stay at home, but about 5 months after I had him, I felt I needed to go back to work for my own sanity. It was the best decision I ever made. He has developed extremely well socially and physically. Even if I did stay at home, he would still go to daycare as I believe children need the interaction and social skills that daycare provides. I know there's playgroups and what-have-you, but I feel children need the routine that daycare provides. Also coming from a teachers perspective, you can tell a child who has been to daycare, and one who hasn't, as their social skills are more advanced.
Anyway, enough rambling. I think that it is only up to you if you send your child to daycare and how long for. But I do have to say that I disagree with the comments about disliking parents because they want to go back to work as soon as possible. Everyone is different, and we can't judge if a person is a good parent or not, just because they want to return to work sooner rather than later.

hi,

both my kids attended day care. my son started when he was two years and 8 months and my daughter when she was two and a half.

when my son started he was there three days (because they didn't have a full time position) and later stepped up to five days. my daughter started at five days rigt from the beginning. my son is in kindy now so it's just my daughter.

luckily for me, i work at the centre that they went/go to so even though i was working, i still got to spend time with them! smile

they were/are there the same time that i am which is 8 hours a day, and adjusted really well.

you have to do what works for you, but i wouldn't worry about it being "too much for him" i'm sure he'll love it!