Introduction to day care

[KDENISE977]

What is the best way to introduce you child to day care? My plan was to have my mother watch my baby when I go back to work, and because of an illness in the family, I'm forced to put baby Chase in daycare at 11 weeks. How do I ease this process? Any ideas or personal experiences are so appreciated.

 

[itsbob]

What is the best way to introduce you child to day care? My plan was to have my mother watch my baby when I go back to work, and because of an illness in the family, I'm forced to put baby Chase in daycare at 11 weeks. How do I ease this process? Any ideas or personal experiences are so appreciated.

11 weeks old? He's not going to care. The process will be more for you than him. Babies wants to be fed, burped and have his butt cleaned, they're not real particular as to who does it as long as it gets done.

 

[sockgirl77]

11 weeks old? He's not going to care. The process will be more for you than him. Babies wants to be fed, burped and have his butt cleaned, they're not real particular as to who does it as long as it gets done.

Exactly. When I first opened this thread I was expecting to tell her to walk Chase in the door and run out, which was exactly what I did not do. I stood there balling with my kids and it did not help one bit.

Chase will do fine. Like Bob said, as long as the essentials are being taken care of, it'll go fine.

 

[Softballkid]

If your nervous. Ease the process in. Start with 2 hours for a day or 2, then jump to 4 hours a day or 2, then go all day...

But I think at 11 weeks, it's more on the mother having issues, not the child... It was that way in our house at least

 

[Sweet 16]

It is more traumatic at first for the mother vs. the baby and I can't say it gets easier but you will get used to it. Other than quitting your job, what are your other options? They'll call you during the day if there's a problem but if you feel uncomfortable, call them yourself and ask how he's doing. It's an adjustment is all I can say but the first of many adjustments for you and your child. All part of life. You'll both be fine

 

[pelers]

The baby really doesn't care yet. It's all you

Advice I received was to choose a daycare close to where you work rather than close to your home. This way you can stop in at lunch breaks and if something DOES happen you're that much closer.

Honestly, you'll be better off putting your child in daycare rather than having family and friends do it. If the daycare provider does something you dislike it's a lot easier to talk to them than it is to tell your mother "No, I really dislike how you are doing this." You don't have to worry about straining relationships. If the daycare provider pisses you off you can take your child elsewhere and not worry about hurt feelings.

I had to go through something similar. My neighbor was watching Sprout, but when school let out she had her hands full with her children and didn't feel she could give Sprout enough individual attention. So I was stuck last minute looking for a provider. All the centers in the area have a 1+ year wait. You're going to be calling home providers.

The best updated website I found for finding providers was actually here on SOMD.com: Child Care. Before you call anyone, check out these two websites:

• Inspection Results Post January 2011
• Inspection Results Pre January 2011

You can look up providers to see what their inspection results have been. They haven't migrated the old records to the new site, and the old site can be a bit of a bear to deal with. But it's still worth it to go through.

Find somebody you are comfortable with. Trust your gut, etc etc.

 

[libertytyranny]

Everyone summed it up...lol. He isn't going to care. Better to do it now before he does care if youre going to have to have him in daycare.


When I took monster I cried my eyes out..and she is with someone I know..but when I picked her up she was just fine and happy to snuggle with me

He will be fine, you may not be... but he will be.

 

[drivingdaisy]

I've heard of some day cares that have video cameras that are linked up to a website. Parents with passwords can view the website to see what is happening at the day care center. I don't know if any of you have this option, but some might.

 

[KDENISE977]

So I think I'm going to be more of the drop him off and run theory !!! I visited today and all the teachers were all falling all over him, he's so cute...blah blah blah... I can see from everyone else, it WILL be me who minds worse !!

Prob. is the same way it was with his vaccinations he got, he screamed for a minute or two, I cried the whole way home.... rookie mother I am, I know!!!

 

[BadGirl]

So I think I'm going to be more of the drop him off and run theory !!! I visited today and all the teachers were all falling all over him, he's so cute...blah blah blah... I can see from everyone else, it WILL be me who minds worse !!

Prob. is the same way it was with his vaccinations he got, he screamed for a minute or two, I cried the whole way home.... rookie mother I am, I know!!!

You will soon come to absolutely LOVE daycare.

 

[itsbob]

So I think I'm going to be more of the drop him off and run theory !!! I visited today and all the teachers were all falling all over him, he's so cute...blah blah blah... I can see from everyone else, it WILL be me who minds worse !!

Prob. is the same way it was with his vaccinations he got, he screamed for a minute or two, I cried the whole way home.... rookie mother I am, I know!!!

And my experience is, don't feel guilty about your child being in daycare.

The things they learn, ESPECIALLY the social skills, in daycare will show very soon.. They'll be way ahead of their SAHM peers.. Good for a kid to know there's more to his world than just his parent(s).

Oh, and since he'll be around a bunch of germy kids, and a germy daycare, he'll probably be a LOT healthier too..

 

[kwillia]

And my experience is, don't feel guilty about your child being in daycare.

The things they learn, ESPECIALLY the social skills, in daycare will show very soon.. They'll be way ahead of their SAHM peers.. Good for a kid to know there's more to his world than just his parent(s).

Oh, and since he'll be around a bunch of germy kids, and a germy daycare, he'll probably be a LOT healthier too..

Pssst... you do realize it is BadGirl's MPD that started the thread looking for "elderly day care" dontchu... She is quite fond of daycare ya know...

 

[itsbob]

Pssst... you do realize it is BadGirl's MPD that started the thread looking for "elderly day care" dontchu... She is quite fond of daycare ya know...

I don't know why.


I don't think she's in need yet..

I mean, I KNOW she looks a lot older than she is, but I really don't think she'll find a home that will take her ... yet.

 

[BadGirl]

I don't know why.


I don't think she's in need yet..

I mean, I KNOW she looks a lot older than she is, but I really don't think she'll find a home that will take her ... yet.

You knuckle-head. I'm looking for eldercare for YOU.

I dig old men.

 

[KDENISE977]

And my experience is, don't feel guilty about your child being in daycare.

The things they learn, ESPECIALLY the social skills, in daycare will show very soon.. They'll be way ahead of their SAHM peers.. Good for a kid to know there's more to his world than just his parent(s).

Oh, and since he'll be around a bunch of germy kids, and a germy daycare, he'll probably be a LOT healthier too..

I think you are right, my mom was the stay at home mom 30 years ago...and I remember it was difficult adapting to a school environment. This place has transport from daycare directly to school so when the time comes, he'll already know some "peeps" from day care !!

 

[Sweet 16]

And my experience is, don't feel guilty about your child being in daycare.

The things they learn, ESPECIALLY the social skills, in daycare will show very soon.. They'll be way ahead of their SAHM peers.. Good for a kid to know there's more to his world than just his parent(s).

Oh, and since he'll be around a bunch of germy kids, and a germy daycare, he'll probably be a LOT healthier too..

LOL, my son got chicken pox almost as soon as he started preschool. There was no vaccine at the time, but at least we got it out of the way early. He rarely took a sick day growing up and I'm pretty sure it was due to routinely swapping germs with the other kids instead of being isolated.

 

[KDENISE977]

Okay, so from what I'm gathering...the fear/worry is more ME being a first time mom and not that of the care he will get. I get that. But, on a serious note, I drop him off at the day care, 3 minutes up the road and then HOW do you work during the day without the constant thought or fear of EVERY possible thing that could go wrong... how do you focus on WORK? I am in or USED to be in the financial legal industry and I've turned into some emotional puddle when it comes to this child????

 

[SoMDGirl42]

Okay, so from what I'm gathering...the fear/worry is more ME being a first time mom and not that of the care he will get. I get that. But, on a serious note, I drop him off at the day care, 3 minutes up the road and then HOW do you work during the day without the constant thought or fear of EVERY possible thing that could go wrong... how do you focus on WORK? I am in or USED to be in the financial legal industry and I've turned into some emotional puddle when it comes to this child????

You are normal, you are a mother. If you didn't feel this way, I'd worry. It will get better, and you will learn to adapt, just as the baby will.

 

[RareBreed]

The baby really doesn't care yet. It's all you

Advice I received was to choose a daycare close to where you work rather than close to your home. This way you can stop in at lunch breaks and if something DOES happen you're that much closer.

Honestly, you'll be better off putting your child in daycare rather than having family and friends do it. If the daycare provider does something you dislike it's a lot easier to talk to them than it is to tell your mother "No, I really dislike how you are doing this." You don't have to worry about straining relationships. If the daycare provider pisses you off you can take your child elsewhere and not worry about hurt feelings.

I had to go through something similar. My neighbor was watching Sprout, but when school let out she had her hands full with her children and didn't feel she could give Sprout enough individual attention. So I was stuck last minute looking for a provider. All the centers in the area have a 1+ year wait. You're going to be calling home providers.

The best updated website I found for finding providers was actually here on SOMD.com: Child Care. Before you call anyone, check out these two websites:

• Inspection Results Post January 2011
• Inspection Results Pre January 2011

You can look up providers to see what their inspection results have been. They haven't migrated the old records to the new site, and the old site can be a bit of a bear to deal with. But it's still worth it to go through.

Find somebody you are comfortable with. Trust your gut, etc etc.

I just compared my sitter with a friend of ours who does day-care and the lady behind us who does it. Looks like we picked the right one!! Providers should give parents these websites so they can monitor how their provider is doing.

 

[sockgirl77]

I just compared my sitter with a friend of ours who does day-care and the lady behind us who does it. Looks like we picked the right one!! Providers should give parents these websites so they can monitor how their provider is doing.

I checked out a daycare that we left because she was not giving the care to my kids that I was paying for. This was her last inspection result...

05/05/2011 13A.15.02.03B(2) The provider failed to submit all of the updates as required. 08/03/2011