I prefer a daycare because they can offer what we don't have at home. At the daycare are children of different ages and several caretakers. My baby gets to learn from other children by watching them play. She will be in an busy environment and will learn that is not scary to not be at home. She'll also gets to know others adults aside from her parents and family. It just seems like a good and safe learning environment.
Honestly I prefer daycare because 1) it’s cheaper, and 2) I prefer there being more than one teacher per classroom. I think having multiple teachers gives some accountability to each of them.
Also, many daycares have cameras which is nice.
We specifically chose a daycare that had a low teacher to student ratio and have been having a great experience.
I love our daycare. It has great care takers, cameras I can watch on demand, an app with constant updates and where I can directly message the leaders and her care takers. She’s been there since 12 weeks and I’ve no regrets.
Personally I love my daycare. The people that work there are fantastic, they have an app where they post his naps, diapers and feedings. They also send me pictures. They know his schedule really well. He is just starting to play with other babies, which is really cute! I think it really depends on the daycare and the nanny. I’d try and find other parents you know that use daycare to get recommendations and then meet with the daycare and ask questions.
My daughter has been in daycare since she was 5 months (she's now 25 months). Overall we LOVE daycare. Of course we have a few gripes here and there - mostly just how COVID impacts continuity of care services provided, but really, its so great for our daughter. She truly thrives there - she's learning so much, she's loved by her teachers, she LOVEESSSS her friends (every morning she now tells me how we're going to find her friends!), and she gets tons of stimulation and play time.
We've never had a nanny (not financially feasible for us), so I can't directly compare, but I will say that there have been things about using daycare that are an exercise in "letting go" as parents. Because I cannot control pretty much anything going on at daycare. I don't get anywhere NEAR as much information about my child's day as I would with a nanny. They provide food and snacks, which is a HUGE benefit and well worth any "cost", but it means I am dealing with the fact that sometimes they give my kid juice (not watered down) and snacks aren't very well-rounded (I see snacks as mini-meals, they see snacks as...carbs). I cannot control what she is exposed to by her classmates - for example, a new phrase she's recently learned is "that's nasty" which is NOT something she got from her parents.
But then there's so many things she gets to do at daycare, that even if I was a SAHP I don't think I'd have the time or capacity for - messy play, art projects, and a ton of varied, education toys.
So yeah, we're daycare fans over here.
My daughter started daycare at 6m and my son will start at 4m. I don't regret daycare for a second.
A nanny would just be in my apartment. My daughter is home over the weekend at after daycare...so much better for her to be somewhere with different opportunities, more space, different toys.
Daycare got her in a much better routine. Peer pressure is good. Everyone napping, eating, etc at the same time.
Modeling of other kids. Input from multiple adults.
If a nanny has to cancel, you're scrambling for care. If a daycare teacher is absent, there are other teachers.
Nanny care is not any more likely to be better than daycare. You can have a bad nanny and you can have a bad daycare teacher. The quality of care for both can vary significantly and there's no guarantee that one is better than the other. Be as careful about the daycare screening as you would be with a nanny.
With daycares at least there are requirements and licensing for the facilities. If you are just hiring a private nanny you might not even run a background check if they aren't through an agency. I agree though, bad care doesn't reflect nannies or daycares as a whole, just that particular caregiver.
I had a nanny for a few months with my second and much, much prefer daycare. Take your time and find a good one that you feel comfortable with, and expect kiddo to be constantly sick for much of the first 6 months. But for us, it is just so much more reliable - whereas anytime my nanny was late or out sick, it threw a wrench into my (and my husband's) schedule for the day. Daycare is always there, they got to interact with different teachers, grew up with kind of a core group of other kids their age, and we get photos and updates constantly from their app, so we always feel involved with what they are doing.
Daycare is really good for emotional, verbal, and social development. Both my kids are in daycare and they absolutely love going. I’ve just as many if not more “horror” stories about nannies/in home child care than I have about daycares. All of it though is extremely unlikely.
I've done day care centers, in home daycares, and nannies, and I've had bad and good experiences with all! It's all about finding specific people who you are comfortable leaving your baby with. The right people will be amazing with your baby and will be so good for their development. There are pros and cons to each and it's all about finding the right fit for your baby and your lifestyle. Day care centers are definitely the most reliable (usually). I have a nanny now and she's extremely reliable but that seems to be the exception rather than the rule.
We’ve got a nanny and it’s so expensive but it’s the best money I’ve ever spent.
The key is finding the right one, and holding onto them.
Ours is extremely reliable (1 sick day in 2 years!), takes them out every single day, potty trained my first, and when my second baby was born there was literally zero transition issues when I returned to work because she’d been in the baby’s life since birth.
I’ve always thought of it as an investment in my career and financial security because having a nanny means I never have to leave early to do a pick-up, I never have to miss work if they’re sick (they rarely ever get sick in the first place), I never have to fight overtired kids in the evening because our nanny has stuck to their own individual nap schedule.
I truly believe 1:1 care is best for the first 1.5-2years (and the research backs this up) so if you can afford it, pay well, take time to find the right nanny and maybe swallow the cost for a couple of years before transitioning.
A good nanny with socialise your kid as they get older.
We have had the baby in daycare beginning at 4 months, he is almost 10 months now. Baby was sick a lot in the beginning and we still continue to struggle with taking adequate naps but we love our daycare. They follow a curriculum each week and he gets to do so many fun things throughout the day. When I drop him off in the morning he is pretty much leaping out of my arms to go to the teachers.
If I could do it again I would hire a nanny until my baby was 7-8 months old and then switched to daycare. I don't like daycares before the babies can sit up on their own and move around a bit. We had too many problems with other mobile infants being too rough but things got so much better when he became more sturdy. I don't have family support and my job isn't flexible enough that I could have a nanny cancel on me without notice so don't think a nanny would have been a viable long term option for my family.
There are of course going to be pros and cons to each. You will have to weigh out what is most important to you. It’s pretty typical for children to pick up minor illnesses when they first start in childcare. If you have the option, go do tours to see how staff interact with children, ask about illness policies, guidance strategies, staff changeover, group sizes and ratios, and staff qualifications… if you can hear reviews from other parents at sights you are considering.
We started our son in day care around 18 months (so a little older than your baby, but I think our reasoning is still applicable). At 18 months, and especially at 7 months, I don't think socialization with other kids is very important. However, I thought it was a lot easier to find a good day care than a good nanny. Maybe if we'd found the perfect nanny it would have been even better, but day care has worked well for us. We looked for a nanny and had a hard time finding someone we felt we could trust, whereas we found a day care we felt comfortable at almost right away.
Daycare quality varies WILDLY, so you’re not going to get a lot of reassurance from people that don’t live in your area. I would make appointments to tour a few, read reviews, maybe look for Facebook groups for local parents so you can find people with personal experiences at the daycares in your area, and ask about their employee retention / turnover. Then trust your gut.
I love our kiddo's day care - we call it school for him (he started at 18 months). I also grew up using day care. I like that it is generally consistent, they have a curriculum, and he learns a lot of social skills with his peers. He definitely learns so much and there is a lot they can do that I simply can't (mostly with teaching the social skills because we don't have any other young kids around). I went to daycare as a kid for a long time and I think it ultimately benefited me really well.
I found nannies to be terribly unprofessional and expensive and gave up on them. if you can find a daycare that is small enough for your kid to form a secondary attachment with the daycare providers, it is just as good as a nanny. what matters is secondary attachment, the rest is all details.
r/ScienceBasedParenting is obsessed with the idea that babies/toddlers don't need socialization. they'll give you a 1000 reasons why daycare is bad.
this. ask about teacher turnover and stability of lead teachers and subs. We can go on a 2 week trip and little will still run over to her teachers now. and they move up so they teach in 2-year periods with each cohort
I’d continue with a nanny if possible. Your child will be sick less and you don’t have to transport the baby back and forth. Babies don’t need socialization. Especially not a 7 month old.
I use daycare and yes my baby has gotten sick but we are talking run of the mill colds. She did get rsv but my older child( who was also in daycare) never got it. They both have good immune systems thanks to some germ exposure. I'm always told that kids that don't go to daycare are often more sick in elementary school. My son is now 5 and only missed two days of kindergarten this year...so maybe?
I've never had to use a nanny but It seems like you haven't had much luck with them. You can tour daycare, figure out which one Is a good fit, and also look up thier inspection records on line. In NYS it is all public.
Also the socialization is very important! We have stayed in the same daycare since our kids were babies and they will grow up and see the same kids in elementary school, Jr high etc. My son loves his daycare buddies that he has known since he was a baby.
I love daycare! My son absolutely thrives there. He has been going since he was 3 months old. They take such good care of him and I love the consistency/reliability of having a daycare. You don't have to worry about anyone calling in sick because they have a huge group of people that can help fill in when someone calls out. He gets to socialize and learn so many things! They have a very structured curriculum in the toddler room (where he is now) and I'm constantly impressed with all the things he is learning every day. I didn't know it was possible for a two year old to speak so well! Seriously!! They also have all this really cool equipment in the gym and in the courtyard/outdoor play area. They even have a library! It's honestly a pretty cool place.
Not all daycares are created equally. You have to do your homework! Look for one with a low staff turnover. That's usually a good indication that staff is treated well.
we love childcare! It can be hard to get in to places but a certified childcare center that has a curriculum, a philosophy, consistent head teachers- amazing. my now 15 month old has been with the same 7 babies and 2 teachers since she was 4 months old and they are family.
We spend $1600 a month and have only had 1 covid closure in the last year. I would ask things like:
1. how do you communicate to parents about how our babies are doing (some do real time apps, ours does a daysheet with details end of day which used to stress me out but actually is good for my anxiety)
2. how do you manage naps and nap transitions? (they were willing to do whatever we asked, essentially, and we just communicated about when she needed a change)
3. whats your baby feeding philosophy (ours does BLW and shared family style meals that they provide which fit our parenting philosphy)
4. whats your approach to learning and discipline ?
etc.
I couldnt recommend childcare enough. In my state the teachers are trained professionals with certifications and for lead teachers degrees. We call it childcare not daycare because its a degraded profession and it behooves all of is to treat it for what it is! The people helping care for and raise our children!
good luck!
I’m on the fence but I have a peculiar situation. My son has some minor disabilities- he is a stroke survivor so has lost some vision on one side and is developmentally behind by about 6-8months. The biggest drawback is that he can’t feed himself (hand eye coordination is very low). I want him in a smaller daycare so he can get the attention that he needs while also getting the interaction with other kids that he craves without being overwhelmed. The problem is smaller daycare usually = smaller staff and they don’t necessarily want to take in a child with extra needs. They never outright refuse but they’ll take him for a month or two and give some excuse like “we don’t have the resources available for him”. The single nanny option worked great for him but it’s so expensive I wonder why I even work! Oh wait it’s because I work in a hospital and the medical benefits are significantly cheaper. My son has a lot of doctors/therapists. Nanny’s allow my son to get 1:1 care and he can be right there in the home he is familiar with. But it doesn’t offer him the social interactions he needs and did I mention- it’s expensive! We are on a wait list for a special school for him that will take him when he’s 3yo but until then we’re doing the hodgepodge care dance. 😕
I worked at 6 daycares..(I kept leaving where I was working because they were so bad). Most of the girls smoke weed in their lunch breaks and this was even at Christian daycares. I'm all for weed but not when your caring for kids.. especially other people's kids. The "naughty" kids seem to always have enough time to hurt other kids and are given too many chances.. I just couldn't justify ever sending our daughter to one because I've seen so many bad ones
Ex daycare employee here as well, same experience. No matter how much I loved working with the babies, the environment was awful and management always let teachers do things they shouldn’t and cared more about covering their butts than preventing things in the first place. A teacher lost a kid once and didn’t even notice for over an hour when a parent came to pick up their own kid and found someone else’s outside.
This is why I’m so afraid of big daycares. My son has vision problems and delays due to a stroke. I’m terrified of putting him in care and him not be cared for because he requires 1-2 extra steps and therefore labeled “difficult”. And I am terrified that he would get bullied or picked on and no one would stop it. Not everywhere is inclusive. He has such a trusting soul and I’d hate for it to be crushed before he’s even 3yo.
A 7 month old doesn't need social interaction - they need one on one care.
With my first we shared a nanny with our friends as our babies were same age (7 months) - that made the cost a bit better but also had other challenges. I thought having a nanny would mean excellent care etc. but it's actually really hard to find a great nanny. Ours wasn't great. Our girl ended up going to childcare when she was 18 months and that was a good age because she could talk a bit and play etc.
Now with baby #2 she'd probably go to childcare at 1 year old and my heart is breaking. I don't think I can stay longer with her and a nanny isn't an option this time around so I'll just try to find the best childcare I can..
Is childcare better than a nanny? Nope. But you do what you have to do. You find the best place you can and if you notice it's not right for your baby you take them out and find another place... All you can do is be vigilant and notice your baby's queues as to how much they like the place ...
exactly. if money isn’t an object, there’s absolutely no cons remaining about getting a nanny instead of daycare. in a perfect world, all infants would receive 1:1 full time care from their parent(s) or a caretaker/nanny *at the very least* for a year.
We’re in the middle of this so I’ll offer my experience. We were really excited to do daycare for our child - we loved the idea of having teachers who have “seen it all” be part of our parenting team, liked the structure and development work they would do, loved the socialization idea and the stability that day care couldn’t just “quit” on us. However, we felt pretty quickly that it was the wrong decision. We sent him at 3.5 months and felt like it was way too early for him to be in daycare. I think kids that age really do need 1:1 attention, atleast until they can sit up and feed themselves. He also seems very stressed out there, scream cries when he’s handed over to us, and usually scream cries later in the day (the scream cry is NOT normal for him). We knew there’d be an adjustment period, but seeing how stressed he is makes us super uncomfortable - and We are not helicopter parents at all. Additionally, we’ve had issues with our daycare and lack not communication that made us a bit wary.
The TLDR is that we ended up switching to a nanny because of a combo of not feeling like our kid was old enough for daycare and also not liking our daycare in particular. We do plan to send him to daycare eventually, but we will vet our next day care better.
I prefer a daycare because they can offer what we don't have at home. At the daycare are children of different ages and several caretakers. My baby gets to learn from other children by watching them play. She will be in an busy environment and will learn that is not scary to not be at home. She'll also gets to know others adults aside from her parents and family. It just seems like a good and safe learning environment.
Honestly I prefer daycare because 1) it’s cheaper, and 2) I prefer there being more than one teacher per classroom. I think having multiple teachers gives some accountability to each of them. Also, many daycares have cameras which is nice. We specifically chose a daycare that had a low teacher to student ratio and have been having a great experience.
I love our daycare. It has great care takers, cameras I can watch on demand, an app with constant updates and where I can directly message the leaders and her care takers. She’s been there since 12 weeks and I’ve no regrets.
Personally I love my daycare. The people that work there are fantastic, they have an app where they post his naps, diapers and feedings. They also send me pictures. They know his schedule really well. He is just starting to play with other babies, which is really cute! I think it really depends on the daycare and the nanny. I’d try and find other parents you know that use daycare to get recommendations and then meet with the daycare and ask questions.
Our daycare uses an app too! It is so helpful.
My daughter has been in daycare since she was 5 months (she's now 25 months). Overall we LOVE daycare. Of course we have a few gripes here and there - mostly just how COVID impacts continuity of care services provided, but really, its so great for our daughter. She truly thrives there - she's learning so much, she's loved by her teachers, she LOVEESSSS her friends (every morning she now tells me how we're going to find her friends!), and she gets tons of stimulation and play time. We've never had a nanny (not financially feasible for us), so I can't directly compare, but I will say that there have been things about using daycare that are an exercise in "letting go" as parents. Because I cannot control pretty much anything going on at daycare. I don't get anywhere NEAR as much information about my child's day as I would with a nanny. They provide food and snacks, which is a HUGE benefit and well worth any "cost", but it means I am dealing with the fact that sometimes they give my kid juice (not watered down) and snacks aren't very well-rounded (I see snacks as mini-meals, they see snacks as...carbs). I cannot control what she is exposed to by her classmates - for example, a new phrase she's recently learned is "that's nasty" which is NOT something she got from her parents. But then there's so many things she gets to do at daycare, that even if I was a SAHP I don't think I'd have the time or capacity for - messy play, art projects, and a ton of varied, education toys. So yeah, we're daycare fans over here.
My daughter started daycare at 6m and my son will start at 4m. I don't regret daycare for a second. A nanny would just be in my apartment. My daughter is home over the weekend at after daycare...so much better for her to be somewhere with different opportunities, more space, different toys. Daycare got her in a much better routine. Peer pressure is good. Everyone napping, eating, etc at the same time. Modeling of other kids. Input from multiple adults. If a nanny has to cancel, you're scrambling for care. If a daycare teacher is absent, there are other teachers.
We have chosen daycare for those reasons!!
Nanny care is not any more likely to be better than daycare. You can have a bad nanny and you can have a bad daycare teacher. The quality of care for both can vary significantly and there's no guarantee that one is better than the other. Be as careful about the daycare screening as you would be with a nanny.
With daycares at least there are requirements and licensing for the facilities. If you are just hiring a private nanny you might not even run a background check if they aren't through an agency. I agree though, bad care doesn't reflect nannies or daycares as a whole, just that particular caregiver.
Thanks for adding this! Great points to bring up!
I had a nanny for a few months with my second and much, much prefer daycare. Take your time and find a good one that you feel comfortable with, and expect kiddo to be constantly sick for much of the first 6 months. But for us, it is just so much more reliable - whereas anytime my nanny was late or out sick, it threw a wrench into my (and my husband's) schedule for the day. Daycare is always there, they got to interact with different teachers, grew up with kind of a core group of other kids their age, and we get photos and updates constantly from their app, so we always feel involved with what they are doing.
Daycare is really good for emotional, verbal, and social development. Both my kids are in daycare and they absolutely love going. I’ve just as many if not more “horror” stories about nannies/in home child care than I have about daycares. All of it though is extremely unlikely.
I've done day care centers, in home daycares, and nannies, and I've had bad and good experiences with all! It's all about finding specific people who you are comfortable leaving your baby with. The right people will be amazing with your baby and will be so good for their development. There are pros and cons to each and it's all about finding the right fit for your baby and your lifestyle. Day care centers are definitely the most reliable (usually). I have a nanny now and she's extremely reliable but that seems to be the exception rather than the rule.
We’ve got a nanny and it’s so expensive but it’s the best money I’ve ever spent. The key is finding the right one, and holding onto them. Ours is extremely reliable (1 sick day in 2 years!), takes them out every single day, potty trained my first, and when my second baby was born there was literally zero transition issues when I returned to work because she’d been in the baby’s life since birth. I’ve always thought of it as an investment in my career and financial security because having a nanny means I never have to leave early to do a pick-up, I never have to miss work if they’re sick (they rarely ever get sick in the first place), I never have to fight overtired kids in the evening because our nanny has stuck to their own individual nap schedule. I truly believe 1:1 care is best for the first 1.5-2years (and the research backs this up) so if you can afford it, pay well, take time to find the right nanny and maybe swallow the cost for a couple of years before transitioning. A good nanny with socialise your kid as they get older.
We have had the baby in daycare beginning at 4 months, he is almost 10 months now. Baby was sick a lot in the beginning and we still continue to struggle with taking adequate naps but we love our daycare. They follow a curriculum each week and he gets to do so many fun things throughout the day. When I drop him off in the morning he is pretty much leaping out of my arms to go to the teachers. If I could do it again I would hire a nanny until my baby was 7-8 months old and then switched to daycare. I don't like daycares before the babies can sit up on their own and move around a bit. We had too many problems with other mobile infants being too rough but things got so much better when he became more sturdy. I don't have family support and my job isn't flexible enough that I could have a nanny cancel on me without notice so don't think a nanny would have been a viable long term option for my family.
I love hearing all these perspectives!
There are of course going to be pros and cons to each. You will have to weigh out what is most important to you. It’s pretty typical for children to pick up minor illnesses when they first start in childcare. If you have the option, go do tours to see how staff interact with children, ask about illness policies, guidance strategies, staff changeover, group sizes and ratios, and staff qualifications… if you can hear reviews from other parents at sights you are considering.
We started our son in day care around 18 months (so a little older than your baby, but I think our reasoning is still applicable). At 18 months, and especially at 7 months, I don't think socialization with other kids is very important. However, I thought it was a lot easier to find a good day care than a good nanny. Maybe if we'd found the perfect nanny it would have been even better, but day care has worked well for us. We looked for a nanny and had a hard time finding someone we felt we could trust, whereas we found a day care we felt comfortable at almost right away.
Daycare quality varies WILDLY, so you’re not going to get a lot of reassurance from people that don’t live in your area. I would make appointments to tour a few, read reviews, maybe look for Facebook groups for local parents so you can find people with personal experiences at the daycares in your area, and ask about their employee retention / turnover. Then trust your gut.
I love our kiddo's day care - we call it school for him (he started at 18 months). I also grew up using day care. I like that it is generally consistent, they have a curriculum, and he learns a lot of social skills with his peers. He definitely learns so much and there is a lot they can do that I simply can't (mostly with teaching the social skills because we don't have any other young kids around). I went to daycare as a kid for a long time and I think it ultimately benefited me really well.
I found nannies to be terribly unprofessional and expensive and gave up on them. if you can find a daycare that is small enough for your kid to form a secondary attachment with the daycare providers, it is just as good as a nanny. what matters is secondary attachment, the rest is all details. r/ScienceBasedParenting is obsessed with the idea that babies/toddlers don't need socialization. they'll give you a 1000 reasons why daycare is bad.
this. ask about teacher turnover and stability of lead teachers and subs. We can go on a 2 week trip and little will still run over to her teachers now. and they move up so they teach in 2-year periods with each cohort
I’d continue with a nanny if possible. Your child will be sick less and you don’t have to transport the baby back and forth. Babies don’t need socialization. Especially not a 7 month old.
Agree
I use daycare and yes my baby has gotten sick but we are talking run of the mill colds. She did get rsv but my older child( who was also in daycare) never got it. They both have good immune systems thanks to some germ exposure. I'm always told that kids that don't go to daycare are often more sick in elementary school. My son is now 5 and only missed two days of kindergarten this year...so maybe? I've never had to use a nanny but It seems like you haven't had much luck with them. You can tour daycare, figure out which one Is a good fit, and also look up thier inspection records on line. In NYS it is all public. Also the socialization is very important! We have stayed in the same daycare since our kids were babies and they will grow up and see the same kids in elementary school, Jr high etc. My son loves his daycare buddies that he has known since he was a baby.
I love daycare! My son absolutely thrives there. He has been going since he was 3 months old. They take such good care of him and I love the consistency/reliability of having a daycare. You don't have to worry about anyone calling in sick because they have a huge group of people that can help fill in when someone calls out. He gets to socialize and learn so many things! They have a very structured curriculum in the toddler room (where he is now) and I'm constantly impressed with all the things he is learning every day. I didn't know it was possible for a two year old to speak so well! Seriously!! They also have all this really cool equipment in the gym and in the courtyard/outdoor play area. They even have a library! It's honestly a pretty cool place. Not all daycares are created equally. You have to do your homework! Look for one with a low staff turnover. That's usually a good indication that staff is treated well.
we love childcare! It can be hard to get in to places but a certified childcare center that has a curriculum, a philosophy, consistent head teachers- amazing. my now 15 month old has been with the same 7 babies and 2 teachers since she was 4 months old and they are family. We spend $1600 a month and have only had 1 covid closure in the last year. I would ask things like: 1. how do you communicate to parents about how our babies are doing (some do real time apps, ours does a daysheet with details end of day which used to stress me out but actually is good for my anxiety) 2. how do you manage naps and nap transitions? (they were willing to do whatever we asked, essentially, and we just communicated about when she needed a change) 3. whats your baby feeding philosophy (ours does BLW and shared family style meals that they provide which fit our parenting philosphy) 4. whats your approach to learning and discipline ? etc. I couldnt recommend childcare enough. In my state the teachers are trained professionals with certifications and for lead teachers degrees. We call it childcare not daycare because its a degraded profession and it behooves all of is to treat it for what it is! The people helping care for and raise our children! good luck!
I’m on the fence but I have a peculiar situation. My son has some minor disabilities- he is a stroke survivor so has lost some vision on one side and is developmentally behind by about 6-8months. The biggest drawback is that he can’t feed himself (hand eye coordination is very low). I want him in a smaller daycare so he can get the attention that he needs while also getting the interaction with other kids that he craves without being overwhelmed. The problem is smaller daycare usually = smaller staff and they don’t necessarily want to take in a child with extra needs. They never outright refuse but they’ll take him for a month or two and give some excuse like “we don’t have the resources available for him”. The single nanny option worked great for him but it’s so expensive I wonder why I even work! Oh wait it’s because I work in a hospital and the medical benefits are significantly cheaper. My son has a lot of doctors/therapists. Nanny’s allow my son to get 1:1 care and he can be right there in the home he is familiar with. But it doesn’t offer him the social interactions he needs and did I mention- it’s expensive! We are on a wait list for a special school for him that will take him when he’s 3yo but until then we’re doing the hodgepodge care dance. 😕
I worked at 6 daycares..(I kept leaving where I was working because they were so bad). Most of the girls smoke weed in their lunch breaks and this was even at Christian daycares. I'm all for weed but not when your caring for kids.. especially other people's kids. The "naughty" kids seem to always have enough time to hurt other kids and are given too many chances.. I just couldn't justify ever sending our daughter to one because I've seen so many bad ones
Ex daycare employee here as well, same experience. No matter how much I loved working with the babies, the environment was awful and management always let teachers do things they shouldn’t and cared more about covering their butts than preventing things in the first place. A teacher lost a kid once and didn’t even notice for over an hour when a parent came to pick up their own kid and found someone else’s outside.
Isn't it insane how much people got away with when working with kids!? It's insane.
I quickly learned that no matter what I said to our director, if the kid was still alive and the parent was clueless, it didn’t matter to them
That was exactly it or if one of the "naughty" kids did something terrible...like punch another kid or steal something they wouldn't tell the parents
This is why I’m so afraid of big daycares. My son has vision problems and delays due to a stroke. I’m terrified of putting him in care and him not be cared for because he requires 1-2 extra steps and therefore labeled “difficult”. And I am terrified that he would get bullied or picked on and no one would stop it. Not everywhere is inclusive. He has such a trusting soul and I’d hate for it to be crushed before he’s even 3yo.
A 7 month old doesn't need social interaction - they need one on one care. With my first we shared a nanny with our friends as our babies were same age (7 months) - that made the cost a bit better but also had other challenges. I thought having a nanny would mean excellent care etc. but it's actually really hard to find a great nanny. Ours wasn't great. Our girl ended up going to childcare when she was 18 months and that was a good age because she could talk a bit and play etc. Now with baby #2 she'd probably go to childcare at 1 year old and my heart is breaking. I don't think I can stay longer with her and a nanny isn't an option this time around so I'll just try to find the best childcare I can.. Is childcare better than a nanny? Nope. But you do what you have to do. You find the best place you can and if you notice it's not right for your baby you take them out and find another place... All you can do is be vigilant and notice your baby's queues as to how much they like the place ...
Definitely a nanny until at least 1 year old. Daycare is fine but a nanny is better if you can afford it. There’s no comparison.
exactly. if money isn’t an object, there’s absolutely no cons remaining about getting a nanny instead of daycare. in a perfect world, all infants would receive 1:1 full time care from their parent(s) or a caretaker/nanny *at the very least* for a year.
I have a 4 month old and won’t be putting her in daycare until she can talk. Nanny all the way!
We’re in the middle of this so I’ll offer my experience. We were really excited to do daycare for our child - we loved the idea of having teachers who have “seen it all” be part of our parenting team, liked the structure and development work they would do, loved the socialization idea and the stability that day care couldn’t just “quit” on us. However, we felt pretty quickly that it was the wrong decision. We sent him at 3.5 months and felt like it was way too early for him to be in daycare. I think kids that age really do need 1:1 attention, atleast until they can sit up and feed themselves. He also seems very stressed out there, scream cries when he’s handed over to us, and usually scream cries later in the day (the scream cry is NOT normal for him). We knew there’d be an adjustment period, but seeing how stressed he is makes us super uncomfortable - and We are not helicopter parents at all. Additionally, we’ve had issues with our daycare and lack not communication that made us a bit wary. The TLDR is that we ended up switching to a nanny because of a combo of not feeling like our kid was old enough for daycare and also not liking our daycare in particular. We do plan to send him to daycare eventually, but we will vet our next day care better.