When is a good time to put my LO in daycare?

Louise - posted on 11/22/2011

Actually Donna that is another good point you made about the language! My son has the ability of children 6 months older than him because he has been with them for the last 6 months. In some respects he even is more advanced. My doctor told me that he was one of the most advanced 2 year olds that he had seen and I put it all down to creche! I'm not one of these moms that need their kids to be overachievers. I nearly lost my first son at 7 weeks to a brain haemhorrage and we were told that he wasn't going to hit any milestones so to me I don't really care what level my kids are at once they are healthy and happy!

Chelese - posted on 11/22/2011

My oldest son Kaden was not put in any type of daycare. He went straight to preschool. The disadvantages outweighed the advantages. There were no kids his age to be around and when he did start school it was tough because he had to learn how to adapt to be around other children. As far as getting sick goes with caleb now there really is no way for me to avoid that with him having a older brother. True enough I do breast feed and that helps out a lot but that is about to stop very soon. I will start weening and putting him on food. I think daycare and being around other kids and developing the language and social skills are very important. Yes I would keep him home if I was able to not work. But thats not going to happen so taking him I believe in my heart will be the best choice for him when he turns two. I will deal with the con's of that as they come. :-)

Georgia - posted on 11/22/2011

I agree with Louise and Rachael. I put my eldest (soon to be 5) into daycare when he was a bit over 2. When he started, he didn't really speak at all. He used about 3-4 words and that was it. His comprehension was high, but his only exposure to people was to me and his dad. Within a month of being at daycare three days a week, his vocabulary more than quadrupled. It was still low, so he was assessed and found to be normal with very high comprehension in 2 languages and was learning a third (sign language) at daycare to help with communication. That teacher was fantastic and him being around other kids helped him along even more. Not only was it a help with speech, but also in socialisation with other kids. He had no idea how to interact with kids his own age because he was always around adults. Being at the centre for the 7 short months he was there was of huge benefit to him.

He's now finishing up at preschool and I think the beginning of this year was a little bumpy for him because I had pulled him out of daycare (for unavoidable financial reasons). But he did very well, because he was prepared for it, however I do think he was at a disadvantage because he hadn't been around other kids his age very much.

Now, my youngest (3 in 2 weeks) is in daycare 3 days a week and has been for several months. We tried family daycare at first (for both kids) and I didn't like it. While there aren't many kids there (which was part of the problem) it is limited by the lady's mood of the day. If she's feeling highly motivated, then they'll do more stuff, but if she's not then it's just a giant boring babysitting session for the kids who have to fend for themselves. My youngest had some trouble transitioning to the centre at first. He got sick a fair bit, but is fine now. He also suffered a bit of separation anxiety, but that was dealt with by me staying there longer in the morning until he settled. He loves it and he's got a couple little friends.

I'm normally a fairly AP sort of parent, but this is one area where I think I differ. Daycare has been a godsend to me on many levels and my sons have benefitted tremendously from the experience. My eldest is anxious to start kindergarten and loves school and I give partial credit to his former daycare teacher as well as his current teacher. In a combined effort, we have created a child with a total love of learning, comfort in being in a classroom atmosphere away from mum and ability to make friends easily.

Liz - posted on 11/22/2011

I agree with Jennifer. The idea that toddlers need daycare for socialization or for "early learning" goes against research and comes from our daycare culture where it's marketed towards parents for whom it may be a necessity.



That said, if YOU need a break, 1 or 2 days a week in a small daycare facility (high ratio of carers vs. children) isn't going to harm him. He may even find it fun.



I think ideally though, children should be at home with parents.

Louise - posted on 11/22/2011

Also a few other points that I have thought of. Kids in daycare do catch more bugs than ones at home but if they are at home all the time they catch the bugs once they start school. I would prefer they do it in daycare where they are not missing lessons in school. My kids have had coughs and colds for the first 2 years of their life and jamie who is now 6 hasn't been sick since! They have both even had chickenpox and a friend of mine her son got it in school at 7 and had to miss 2 weeks because of it! They will get all the colds and coughs anyway its just a matter of when it happens. Like teresa above said its great if you have other kids around that he can socialize with but lots of people don't have that solution. My kids are the only ones in my family so far and I had them very young!

Louise - posted on 11/22/2011

I put my first son in daycare at 1 year as he had been very sick as a baby and I stayed home to mind him! Returned to work then. I put my second son in at 6 months. I'm home right now recovering after an operation and I still leave my boys in daycare! I feel it is really important for them before starting school! Here 2 years and 9 months is the youngest they can start playschool in the daycare my kids go to. My son is going in January upstairs to playschool. He then has 2 more full years before starting school one in Naoinra (irish speaking playschool) and one in Montessori and will start school at 5 years and 4 months. I think that a centre rather than a homerun is better. They are with children their own age and ability rather than all kids being grouped together in a home setting. Ask any teacher of kids starting school for the first time and they will tell you that the ones that settle fastest and cope with being in a class with however many kids are the ones that went to daycer even parttime. Especially if you are home on your own with mummy it is a huge adjustment!!

Chelese - posted on 11/16/2011

Ya i'm going to call teachers touch tomorrow and get some insight about them. I really feel it would be a good thing to get him into a daycare close to home. I think the biggest reason I would not put him in school is cause of the risk of being sick. But the pro's defiantly outweigh the cons for sure.

Rachael - posted on 11/16/2011

i think it's a personal choice and there isn't really a right or wrong to whatever you decide. there are pros and cons to each. i put my son in daycare from 8 months so that I could go to school so I can tell you the pros and cons of daycare but that's it.

Pros

-improves social skills

-daycare has a curriculum so they try to teach the kids things like spelling, numbers,counting, matching and other things

-there is a set routine and structure

-get used to eating what is put before them

-gives me a chance to have a break from him

-gives my son a chance to make friends

-helps him build his immune system (because he is exposed to so many other kid's germs)



Cons

-limited hours of operation

-cost

-gets sick more than a home child

-have to make alternate arrangements on days when he is sick



overall i love having my son in daycare because i get a break and he gets to interact with other kids and adults and is learning alot. i don't know many people with other children so daycare is pretty much his only experience with other kids. if you do decide to put your son in, i would recommend doing it before 2 because the older the child the harder the transition and there's a kid in my son's class who cried for the whole first week he was there

Shayna - posted on 11/16/2011

Having an 18 month old in daycare right now my opinion is that he would probably benefit from it. My little girl has absolutely thrived in daycare and I see a huge benefit to her interacting with other people and other kids.

Jennifer - posted on 11/14/2011

all of the studies show that 12 .months of Preschool is beneficial for the transition into kindergarden. so around 4. and its not for the purpose of socializing, it for teaching coping skills for when they have to be away from mom for school.. Socializing comes natural to kids... there is way to much emphasis on socializing children in my opinion. Your child will learn how to interact with others by watching you...not other kids... at least i hope. I can only hope that when my daughter has to interact with the kids at her school, that those kids will have learned social behaviors from you, their parent and not 2,3,and 4 year olds who have only know daycare and preschool..,

Chelese - posted on 11/12/2011

I guess I better start calling centers soon! Those waiting lists can be super long. :-)

Good Day! - posted on 11/12/2011

Sounds good, Mama. :)

Chelese - posted on 11/12/2011

I was thinking maybe 9am to 2 or 3 pm or so. Thats considered part time I believe. That way i can just work hard and then have my time with caleb when he gets home.

Good Day! - posted on 11/12/2011

If you are working from home, it would probably do you both some good for him to be in a part-time play based program. I wouldn't do full-time unless I absolutely had to. However, like the others have said, daycare is not necessary. I think it's better for toddlers to learn social skills from adults than other toddlers. And there is some evidence that too much structure too early is not necessarily beneficial.

Chelese - posted on 11/12/2011

it's such a tough decisioin because I want to spend every waking moment with him but I can't because I also need to work to pay bills so I think if i'm careful in choosing and picking a good facility then maybe a part time thing would work best. I have no clue i'm all over the place right now.

Amy - posted on 11/12/2011

I never did daycare either. We did mommy music classes and story time at the library to get him around other kids. We enrolled my son whe he was 4 in preschool not because he needed it but to get him around kids and teachers. We still only did half days 3 days a week though and he adjusted just fine. I think if you feel it would be beneficial then do it but I don't feel like my son missed out on anything.

Teresa - posted on 11/12/2011

None of my kids have ever gone to daycare.

When my girls were little (1.5-3) we went to playgroups together VERY regularly. Then they started preschool 5 hours/day, 5 days/week just 2 months after turning 3. They did great and still do great now at almost 10 and in the 5th grade.

I only went to the occasional, rare playgroup w/ my son. We spent most of the time w/ his cousins (11 months older than him and 9.5 months younger than him) when he was 1 and 2. He started preschool 2 days/week at 3.5 and after a few weeks of adjustment... he's been fine (been in school just since August).

Daycare is nice if you NEED it (like to work), but it is completely unneccessary if you don't.